Sound View Commission
Meeting Minutes — Unapproved
25thAugust, 2014
Shoreline Community Center 7.30 pm
Present: Frank Pappalardo (Chair), Michaelle Pearson (Secretary), Joann Reis Lishing, Sandra Ziemba (Alternate), Russ Carlo (Alternate) Harry Plaut.
Absent: Frank Maratta (Alternate) David Kelsey.
Also Present: Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal, Selectman Skip Sibley.
7.34 pm Call to Order: Meeting called to order by Chairman Frank Pappalardo.
Sandra Ziemba seated for the absent Dave K. Sandy seated.
Approval of July Minutes: Joann Lishing moved to approve the July. Sandy Ziemba seconded. Motion Carried.
Correspondence: Scott Boulanger sent an email asking approximately how many parking spaces are in the private lots and town lot? Frank Pappalardo replied that the totals are 202 private, 130 Town. Total spaces: 332.
The Commission also received a letter from Frank Noe, which will be moved down to “Business”.
Business:
7.38 Sound View Park Project Update:
The surveying is complete, and the street review walk took place on 8/22/14. Survey found that there is a 50’ right of way of way on Hartford Avenue, and 25’ rights of way on Bocce Lane, Martino and Pond Road. There were a number of encroachments: some Town encroachments onto private property and some private encroachments on Town property. The walk was to brainstorm ideas, as to how best to use the town’s assets in the Sound View area. The next meeting of the Design Committee will be on 9/22 at the community center. The engineers will have some conceptual ideas to present. Following that there will be a Town Informational Meeting on 10/22, when ideas and concepts will be presented.
The Surveyors and DOT rode bikes down the 156 corridor from the Baldwin Bridge to Sound View Beach, and determined that there are two “choke points”. These are at the Black Hall River bridge, and near Cherrystones. Harry Plaut said that the Black Hall River Bridge is scheduled for replacement, so hopefully we can get the DOT to incorporate some extra room for bikers. Mr. Pappalardo said DOT personnel are aware of this.
7.44 Sound View Gateway Project Update: Shore Road from Cross Lane to the Police station and Hartford Avenue North of Bocce Lane.
The Survey was very revealing. Hartford Ave narrows at the top of the road, but the right of way should actually be 50’. At some point, the road had been narrowed in an attempt to slow traffic. When it is rewidened to accommodate the bike path, we need to keep in mind the need to encourage moderate speed.
Russ Carlo asked about the width of the sidewalks. Frank Pappalardo said that any work on sidewalks must be conforming, which is 5’ wide. The current sidewalks are 3’ wide. More to come in October/ November.
Gail Fuller asked about the restrooms, and how that part of the project would be impacted by the town’s proposed sewer initiative. Mr. Pappalardo said that the restrooms in the town lot are part of the sewer project, which will allow us to take funding from the composting toilets budget and shift it over to pedestrian enhancements. The sewers are on the same timeline as the park project, so the road will only need to be done once. There is some question as to whether we can use the restroom budget to fund other enhancements such as underground power lines, etc. Looking for grant funding for this under hazard mitigation or other sources.
Frank Noe said, when the water main was put in on Hartford ave, not all residents tied in. The Commission must make sure everyone has the information they need to be part of this process.
Frank Pappalardo: There are still some 18” water mains. Part of the issue is to get CT Water to bring all piping up to standard while the road is dug up.
Paula Melillo asked what should homeowners on Portland do? What about properties with wells? Frank Pappalardo said that he doesn’t think anything is required, but will check to see. Harry Plaut suggested that property owners might want to be proactive and call the water company, because in Old Colony, the water company came without notifying the homeowners.
Bill Randazzo said every property needs to know where the water lines and sewer lines will go. Frank Noe added CT water will only give you the lateral, to the property line.
8.19: Events Subcommittee:
Sound View Concert Series:
The three concerts were very well received, with much positive feedback. Businesses wanted to be involved too. As this was our first year, we hope next year will be even better. Selectwoman Nosal said that people at the high school particularly enjoyed the bluegrass band, and that she had received many compliments on all of the concerts.
Michaelle Pearson suggested that next year the Commission should check with the Library to make sure we are not hosting concerts on the same nights.
Angelo Faenza mentioned that the String of Pearls band will be rehearsing at the Center on Thursday night, and people are welcome to come and enjoy the music.
8.23: Vacant properties on Hartford Ave updates: (From July meeting: Hartford Avenue Buildings: There have been multiple complaints and negative comments from residents and visitors regarding the dilapidated status of the former Dance Hall/ Kiddieland building. The property has deteriorated further since being purchased at auction, and is both a fire hazard and a structural hazard. Mr. Kelsey suggested that the Commission send a letter to the property owners inviting them to address these issues as a formal agenda item. The former Post Office (green building) was also mentioned.)
David Kelsey wrote a draft letter to address this and forwarded it to Mr. Pappalardo. The Sound View Commission is very supportive of property owners who wish to improve their investments. We want to help the owners to develop their property, but need to make sure that the existing structures don’t represent real fire and safety issues in the meantime.
Frank Noe requested a meeting with fellow Hartford Avenue property owners Heidi & Dino DiNino and Bill Randazzo to collectively address issues. Mr. Pappalardo and First Selectwoman Reemsnyder will meet with Mr. Noe, Mr. Randazzo and Mr. & Mrs. DiNino this Thursday 8/28.
Harry Plaut said that he had spoken with Frank Noe knows that Mr. Noe’s eventual goal is to turn that (the former Dance Hall) into a highly functioning piece of property, and that he (Plaut) hadn’t heard any complaints regarding these properties.
Mr. Pappalardo explained that at last month’s Commission meeting (which Mr. Plaut did not attend) there had been multiple complaints aired regarding the buildings in question. The Commission agreed to send a letter to Mssrs. Noe and Randazzo letting them know that residents have been expressing their concerns, and asking for a meeting.
Regarding future zoning regulations, that’s a question for Zoning, but it would be considered unreasonable for a property owner to ask for a footprint extension in perpetuity. Harry Plaut stated that the property owners have purchased these properties, and he thinks their intentions are to follow through. Gail Fuller has already addressed the parking lot above the standards.
Russ Carlo said that it must be considered that in the meantime, that building (The Dance Hall) presents a hazard. It is mere feet away from other structures, and if it catches on fire, we could lose several properties.
Sandy Ziemba said that just looking at the buildings, we all know that they are dilapidated, etc. It wouldn’t take too much for a stray firework to set the place ablaze. It wouldn’t take too much to button up the buildings and make them safer. This is a safety issue. Neighboring residents are very concerned because it is attractive to mischief-makers.
Joann Lishing added that this issue was not brought up by the Commission, but by residents, who aired their complaints during last month’s Public Comment portion of the meeting.
Frank Pappalardo said he is hoping for an amicable meeting. The Commission wants to help, we do not wish to be adversarial. Frank Noe said that as the owner of the property in question, his concerns are greater than the Commission’s. It is a safety hazard, but there is an issue with regulation 9.07: Voluntary Demolishing. If the building is demolished, he stated, he can never rebuild. If it burns down, he only has a year to rebuild. He would like a waiver to keep the footprint intact until the sewers are installed.
Michaelle Pearson suggested that perhaps the parties involved could look at establishing a timeline at their meeting. She thought it seemed equally unreasonable for the owner to suggest that the footprint be preserved indefinitely as for the town to state that it could never be rebuilt once demolished. Surely there must be some reasonable amount that the owners and the town could agree upon? Mr. Plaut agreed, stating that there must be some accommodation to secure the properties and eliminate hazards in the interim.
Frank Pappalardo said, the Sound View Commission is an advisory commission to the Selectpeople. There is no guarantee that they have to agree with the Commission’s recommendations, but they generally do, understanding that the Commission has carefully considered the interests of all parties.
Bill Randazzo said that regulations have changed since the properties were acquired. Previous FEMA regulations stipulated a 9’ height. The new regulations are for 13’. He understands the town would like to see mixed use on Hartford Avenue, but the new FEMA regulations make this impractical. Frank Pappalardo thanked Mr. Noe and Mr. Randazzo for their time, and said he looked forward to meeting with them.
8.50 Bound for the Sound Road Race. The traffic plan has been approved by the Board of Selectmen and public safety. A request has been submitted to Parks and Rec for portapotties on 9/27. Sandra Ziemba will follow up with Don Bugbee and the First Selectwoman’s office. Harry Plaut suggested that the trash cans remain until the end of September. The swim lines will also remain until the end of September, weather permitting.
Coolers: The Selectmen approved a ban on large coolers at Sound View, which limits cooler size to 5 qts/ lunchbox size. Mr. Pappalardo said that according to Public Safety, the response from the public has been generally sympathetic. Anecdotally, the response has been positive, despite some negative media coverage from Channel 3. Mr. Kelsey remarked that the policy is more liberal than that of other beaches. Mr. Pappalardo will follow up with Harry Plaut to see if it has had a positive impact on the trash issue.
Solar Challenge: Selectwoman Nosal spoke about the CT Solar challenge: The State has a for-profit and a not-for-profit program. If enough people sign up, the town gets a free solar array. There was discussion as to possibly using the solar array for projects in the beach area.
Federation of Beaches meeting:
There was an FOLB meeting regarding emergency management updates on 8/23 at the Community Center, 9.30 am. Old Colony Beach has a detailed emergency management plan in place, which would be a good template for other beaches to follow. Town emergency plan currently doesn’t account for the seasonal nature of many residents. Police would like to establish an emergency contact list to enable them to contact residents regarding their properties even when they are not present. There is a plan for Old Lyme Alerts to supplement CT Alerts.
Public Comment:
Joann Lishing reminded everyone that the new supply of KI pills is now available for pickup at Town Hall. Ms. Pearson suggested that perhaps there could be some available for distribution via the Community Center next year, perhaps during the Visiting Nurse hours?
Scott Boulanger, Miami Beach, spoke on behalf of the Beach Stipend Committee. He urged the Commission to support the beach stipends, saying that some of the members of the Stipend Committee don’t seem to understand why some private associations don’t receive stipends and the beaches do. Many of the beaches experience issues due to out-of-town visitors who create a need for extra policing, extra trash pickup, and enforcement of quality of life issues that private, non-beach developments don’t encounter.
9.15 pm: Joann Lishing motion to adjourn. Sandra Ziemba seconded.
Meeting adjourned at 9.15
Next meeting will be Monday, September 22, 2014 at 7.30pm.
Shoreline Community Center.
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