The Vets park mini golf project has reached a dead end. According to both The Hour and The Advocate, Mayor Moccia has killed the public hearing for May 16th. This effectively kills the project. Matt “Mad Max” Breslow reports:
He [Mayor Moccia] cited concerns about traffic, parking, neighborhood opposition and appropriate usage of the park. The scope of the miniature golf course - 36 holes taking up nearly three quarters of an acre - also concerned him.
“At this time, I do not believe that we should proceed any further,” Moccia said in a statement.
Moccia said in an interview that the project didn’t seem to have much support.
“Basically, as of right now, it’s not happening,” he said.
Parks Committee Chairman Fred Bondi said he doesn’t believe the project is dead, but he doesn’t want to decide how to proceed until talking to Recreation and Parks Director Michael Mocciae, who was on vacation this week.
Mini-golf may have a place in Norwalk, but there’s no need for the city to give up park space to make it happen.
Meanwhile State Senator Bob Duff was promoting his bill to get the word “massage” restricted to businesses that well, perform massages. In a “where’s waldo moment” State Rep Bruce Morris was again AWOL from his day job in order to participate in the cast off limelight. Form the Advocate:
“This is the first step in ridding communities of what I like to call dens of iniquity,” Duff said in a parking lot news conference in front of Tranquility Spa at 261 Main Ave. Duff, D-Norwalk, was flanked by Mayor Richard Moccia; Police Chief Harry Rilling; state Rep. Bruce Morris, D-Norwalk; and Kathy Watt, director of Westport’s Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy, who all offered support for Duff’s bill. The measure is awaiting Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s signature.
Duff’s bill would prevent businesses from advertising massage services or using the term in their name, unless they employ state-licensed massage therapists. The legislation, which overwhelmingly passed the state House and Senate, also would require licensed massage therapists to publish their license number in advertisements.
Behind the scenes the state judiciary announced that the Gay Marriage Bill will not be brought to the floor for vote on Friday, and that the controversial judge in Norwalk’s courthouse has been reassigned. From the Advocate:
A judge at the center of an ethical controversy at the Norwalk courthouse has been reassigned to New Haven as part of routine shuffling of judges statewide, state officials said.
The state also will add another criminal court judge to state Superior Court in Stamford to speed the flow of cases there, said Judge William Lavery, Connecticut’s chief court administrator.
Judge Barbara Bellis’ move from Norwalk to criminal court in New Haven is unrelated to complaints brought by the NAACP that Bellis and another Norwalk judge treated defendants unfairly, Lavery said.
Lastly, a panel on transportation issues recommended that Connecticut get serious about linking Danbury and Norwalk. Form the Hour:
“The problem is New York and New Jersey are investing heavily in mass transit,” said Joseph McGee, vice president of the Business Council of Fairfield County. “There’s little capacity (in Connecticut) unless we make a transportation investment here.”
Executives from two of Norwalk’s largest developers, Spinnaker Real Estate Partners and Seligson Properties, sat on a panel to discuss their in-the-works development projects in Norwalk, as did Ken Olson, president of Poko Partners.
Linking the Wall Street and Reed Putnam redevelopment areas is the West Avenue Redevelopment Project, which was highlighted by master developer Seligson Properties’ vice president, Doug Adams.
That plan includes more than half a million square feet of retail space, 75,000 square feet of office space and 350 housing units, 10 percent of which would be “affordable.”
Adams said the project could bring 2.2 million shoppers per year to Norwalk, which he estimated is losing more than $400 million annually to nearby municipalities — including Stamford with its shopping mall and Target store downtown.
Important to all the redevelopment plans is transportation, McGee said, noting than an oft-jammed interstate cannot be relied upon to bring workers and shoppers into the Norwalk of tomorrow. The state should invest in mass transit, said McGee, including the now single-tracked, non-electrified rail line connecting Danbury to South Norwalk and Metro-North’s New Haven Line.
Seligson Property’s Adams agreed:
“Without a real investment in mass transit, Norwalk won’t remain competitive,” Adams said. “I think Danbury’s hugely important to Norwalk and I think it’s important to do what we can to improve the connectivity.”
Finally it’s been two months since the BOE promised action on Bruce Morris’ job activity. There has been no action reported. BOE members seem to want the number one election issue to be about how they abdicated their responsibility to answer to the public. But let’s not overlook the bizarre Sue Gunn absence at the Norwalk Museum. Another tax payer funded city position that has not resulted in declarative action. Both deserve to be resolved swiftly.
Comment on these and any other topics.
source: The Advocate, Duff wants ‘massage’ out of illicit spas’ names, May 12 2007
source: The Advocate, Norwalk Judge Reassigned, , May 12 2007
source: The Hour, Panel: Transit No. 1 obstacle for economy , By PATRICK R. LINSEY, May 12, 2007
