STAMFORD — Patience is a virtue and the Zoning Board seems to have plenty of it. It remains to be seen whether developer Building and Land Technology does as well.
For weeks, the board has been waiting enduringly for responses from a city lawyer to its questions about BLT’s latest Harbor Point application plans, which include an apartment complex on the corner of Washington Boulevard and Atlantic Street. The board had wondered whether it could connect that project with a legal snafu on another property within Harbor Point.
BLT, the city claims, violated the Harbor Point rules when it tore down a boatyard on a 14-acre parcel in 2011. The developer is now in court with the city over the issue, although the case was postponed while the city reviews a plan to replace the boatyard on another parcel on Southfield Avenue. In two separate memos, a city lawyer has argued that the Zoning Board can't connect the two issues. Yet those decisions, often explained in closed-door meetings, only seem to spawn new questions.
The latest one is about whether Harbor Point can be considered a subdivision, an issue that factored into the city lawyer’s opinion, according to Board Member Barry Michelson.
“We’re looking for some clarification,” he said, noting that he'd rather see the boatyard situation resolved before a vote on the apartment. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
New Milford finance director questions turf field funding
NEW MILFORD — The plan to install artificial turf on two of the high school’s athletic fields hit a snag Monday night when the town’s finance director requested time to further consider funding options.
The Town Council planned to discuss and possibly take action Monday on setting a special Town Meeting for Oct. 20 for residents to decide on using $4 million from the Waste Management Settlement Fund to pay for the fields, track renovations and field lighting at the high school.
However, no one had discussed with Finance Director Ray Jankowski how the project should be funded.
“Taking an appropriation from the Waste Management Fund would reduce 10 percent of the balance that town revenue is based on,” Jankowski told the board. “No one informed me that this was going to be on the agenda. I would recommend bonding the project, but I’m not prepared to talk about that tonight.”
Pete Bass, chairman of the Artificial Turf Field Construction Committee and Town Council vice chairman, said the push to get the funding secured is needed to send out bid requests by November. Bass said bids received after that time are expected to be more expensive.
Despite a push from Joe Failla, another turf committee and council member, Jankowski declined to explain his thoughts on the funding. The council eventually voted to table the discussion until the next meeting on Oct. 13.
“Our director of finance asked for time,” Council member Katy Francis said. “He’s not ready to discuss this right this minute. I don’t want to rush Ray to act on this before he’s prepared.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Stamford point of interest: Washington Boulevard under construction
Washington Boulevard and Rippowam Place: Developer Randy Salvatore, founder of RMS Companies, plans to build a six-story building next to the Stamford Government Center. The project, which will cost an estimated $50 million, will bring 122 residential units and more than 8,000 square feet of ground floor restaurant and retail space to the downtown.
Renovation of Meriden’s Platt High School marks another milestone
MERIDEN — City and school leaders dedicated the completed second phase of construction at Platt High School with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday afternoon.
The event was held in the school’s new cafeteria, which, with its floor-to-ceiling windows on one side, offered dramatic views of the Panther practice fields as well as the teams using them Tuesday.
Board of Education President Mark A. Hughes, a self-confessed “movie buff,” likened the experience of seeing the cafeteria for the first time to the experience of the actors in the 1971 film “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” upon seeing the chocolate factory for the first time.
“What a lot of people don’t know is that famous scene where they walk into the chocolate world for lack of a better word — they didn’t let any of the actors, the kids or the adults, see that world before they walked in the door because they wanted the shot of them walking in and dropping their jaw, just that awe that they had,” Hughes said. “That was the thought that I had when I walked in this room. This is just absolutely an outstanding project so far, I’m in awe as I walk through the hallways.”
Construction on the second phase of the $111.8 million renovation of the school was largely finished before school started this fall. It entailed a new cafeteria and kitchen, weight and fit- ness rooms, locker rooms, classrooms, and two technical education rooms.
School Superintendent Mark D. Benigni thanked teachers and students for being flexible while construction has been ongoing. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE