Minutes from last meeting:
Sound View Commission
Meeting Minutes — Unapproved
26th October, 2015
7.30 pm
Shoreline Community Center
Present: Frank Pappalardo (Chair), David Kelsey, Joann Reis Lishing, Michaelle Pearson (Secretary), Harry Plaut, Sandra Ziemba (alternate)
Also present: First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder, Selectman Skip Sibley, Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal.
Absent: Paul Orzel (alternate) Frank Maratta (Alternate)
7.36 pm Call to Order: Meeting called to order by Chairman Frank Pappalardo.
Approval of Oct 5th Minutes: David Kelsey motioned to approve the September minutes. Joann seconded. Motion Carried.
Correspondence: No correspondence
7.37pm Old Business
Sound View Improvements Grant Progress Report:
Things are progressing well. Engineers are fine-tuning catch basin alignment vs sheeting of water across the road to minimize amount of ponding. Submerge pipe in corner of lot or swale/ rain garden and/or combination of both. DOT has been positive, and we are moving forward on schedule.
Zoning Enforcement Officer, Town of Old Lyme sent a letter in support of the project.
Dave Roberge had a question regarding bumpouts and how they might affect fire trucks. Will be made flush in the ground where applicable, or a mountable curve (at a slight incline). Fire Chief Tom Risom approved the mountable curbs.
Next meeting of the design committee is on November 2nd.
Sound View Summer 2015 assessment letter. Will be brought up at a future selectmen's meeting. We hope to work with the Board of Selectmen in resolving any issues (or changing perceptions where there may have been misperceptions) in time for next season.
Property Update (Noe- Randazzo properties on Hartford Avenue). Frank Noe has not retained an attorney yet to help negotiate the process. Frank Pappalardo spoke with Keith from Zoning who is very positive about trying to help something happen. Next step is meeting with Frank, Bill and Keith. Mr. Noe does plan to retain a zoning attorney once he has a clear direction. Harry Plaut suggested that they might want to retain a professional engineer. Michaelle Pearson said that this commission shouldn't weigh in either way until we have been presented with an actual plan.
7.52: LOLCC festival update: First official meeting of the committee next week. Mark Griswold is the festival chair, Frank Pappalardo is planning committee chair, Dan Stevens is head of the music committee. Audubon society and Osprey society are willing to be partners, perhaps even co-sponsors. Logistical challenges: blocking off the road between Bocce and Martino. Preliminary information: Maybe 2nd week in June on a Saturday. Looking at 10x 10 spaces. Tents will be provided. Toilet rentals for the day. Music tent. Mark will provide a 20x40 tent. Get some risers from school district. Dan Stevens and ASP will bid on sound systems. Looking to have a showcase of local music talent and maybe a name act for the end of the day headliner. Someone from Lyme Academy to chair art/ artisan committee.
They are also looking for business support from all areas of the town. Location would be Hartford Avenue between Bocce and Martino. 10x10 tents…maybe 60 of them. 75-100 dollar vendor fee for a tent. Need a task force to coordinate this. Other activities could include a Sandcastle contest, etc. Bocce tournament. Ms. Pearson suggested asking the Library and Florence Griswold Museum if they are interested in being involved. Joann asked if they were Chamber members. Harry Plaut suggested we be mindful of the tides for sandcastle contest.
The SVBA has already endorsed the event. More detailed information will be available from the Chamber as the project plans develop.
SVBA DEEP Letter :
Robert Breen sent a letter stating his opinion that Sound View should be looked at as a standalone area for sewers because it will be surrounded by other sewered areas, and the pipeline will be passing through Sound View. Also, Connecticut Water Co. needs to perform updates to the water system, some of which is over 100 years old., which is a separate issue.
Mr. Breen wrote a letter to Carlos Esguerra of DEEP requesting a hearing . If a group of 25 residents requests a hearing, DEEP will have one. Mr. Breen would like the DEEP to order the town to sewer Sound View. The date of a hearing has not been set. Will be posted on SVBA website.
Mr. Plaut asked, Shouldn't they have gone to the town before DEEP?
Frank Pappalardo said that any group of 25 people can request a hearing. SVBA is a civic organization with 60-80 members.
Ms. Pearson asked if there was any difference in grants or bonds available between being ordered to sewer Sound View by DEEP or if the town decides to on its own? First Selectwoman Reemsnyder said she thought there was no difference.
RESTROOM TRAILERS:
David Kelsey said that “Royal Flush” seemed the best company. There are some issues of durability and we need to see what the price quotes are. Asked what the current portolet fee is. Frank Pappalardo said the bill had just come in at $5250. The vendor has complained about cleaning issue/ condition of the portolets at the end of the season.
Frank Pappalardo stressed the need for insurance, and the trailers would be locked at night. The first question is about cost. Mr. kelsey said he would have some numbers soon and get back to the Commission with them.
BUDGET: Last year’s budget:
Waterfront survey funding was approved as well as buoys. etc, etc.
Lids for trash cans: gull proof $1400 approx.
Swim Lines: Not sure if they will be in our budget or Parks & Rec. Harry Plaut will provide info.
Frank Pappalardo said we need to discuss which agencies are resp[onsible for each item. For example, are stop signs under the purview of Public Works or Public Safety? We need to make sure lines of communication are clear.
Trash Cans: Need to have painted sand color by next season, so they will look more appropriate for the beach environment. Discussion as to whether they should be removed and stored over the winter.
Paul Orzel has resigned from the SVC as an alternate. Keith Coakley has submitted his application. He was head of the beach stipend committee.
We have not yet received the parking numbers for this year. Frank Pappalardo will ask the First Selectwoman.
NEW BUSINESS:
Harry Plaut cited problems with the swim lines over the past summer, and other water-related issues, stating that as Harbormaster he had to deal with an extremely large volume of complaints this year. He spoke to the Board of Selectmen on numerous occasions; met with the First Selectwoman and the Resident State Trooper Gary Inglis about a more coordinated effort to patrol the waters during the summer, especially on weekends.
Ms. Pearson asked if the SVC had been given the parking tallies from the season. Mr. Pappalardo said they were only through August, and we’ll discuss them when we have the final numbers for the entire season. We also need to see the police stats on number of calls, number of arrests, tickets issued, etc.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Gail Fuller, Swan Avenue said there were multiple stop signs in front of the community center.
Lenny Corto said that he had collected them and moved them to the community center.
Frank Pappalardo said the stop signs should be checked regularly by public works. First Selectwoman Reemsnyder said the signs would be removed by tomorrow.
Selectwoman Nosal said she had mailed Nicole Stajduhar at the end of August and was awaiting the data from the parking lot. Also interested in seeing what the town’s total expenses are at Sound View including public safety, emergency calls, etc. There were auditors at Town Hall in September, so this would be a good time to get this data.
Frank Lishing reported that he had attended a ZBA meeting, at which Dimitri Tolchinski applied to have a deli at his property on Shore Road. The hearing was continued to January.
Lenny Corto, jr. (of Lenny’s on the Beach) said that he is strongly in favor of patrolling the water on weekends. It would help the swim lines, water taxi, jetski situation, everything. He took issue with some of the items in the SVC’s end of year summary, saying he didn’t have any control over when weekend deliveries might arrive and what size trailer the suppliers would send. Mr. Corto also addressed the issue of overparking at the Lenny’s bar lot and the lot behind the Sugar Shack.
He said that he had met with the Zoning officer to establish a parking plan and that overcrowding shouldn’t be a problem in the future. Mr. Corto admitted that there was a situation where the lot he runs at Martino and Swan did sometimes have too many cars, but said there were days when the lot was unattended. Regarding the numerous noise complaints made against Lenny’s bar by residents, Mr. Corto stated that he was only aware of two noise complaints, where the police came and the bar turned the music down. He also stated that there was a music agreement between the bar and Keith Rosenfeld, the zoning officer.
Mr. Pappalardo said the SVC was unaware of such an agreement allowing amplified bands, and that the permit is for only acoustic music at Lenny’s, which shouldn’t result in noise complaints. He said he would ask Keith Rosenfeld to clarify the situation before next season.
Mr. Pappalardo said that the goal of the “report card” is to identify and try to solve the problems which occurred over the summer. The SVC has been receiving complaints and observations from residents all summer, which is the basis for the summary. We need to sit down and go through them with all relevant parties point by point.
Motion to Adjourn:
8.58 Joann Lishing motioned to adjourn. Michaelle Pearson seconded. Meeting adjourned.
Meeting adjourned 8.58 pm.
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