Peter Nolin summarized the only explanation that can be concluded about the law suit filed by the First Taxing District over Klondike Park by pointing out that it is election time.
From The Hour:
A dispute over who owns the small tract of land, which is about a tenth of an acre, led the district to file a lawsuit Tuesday in Stamford Superior Court against Mayor Richard A. Moccia, Harold Alvord, director of Public Works, PJF Construction Corp., and the city of Norwalk.
The lawsuit charges the city is trespassing on the district’s property, is disregarding building and public health codes, and has also made claims that “constitute a serious challenge to the 1st District’s title” of Klondike Park, Union Park and The Green on East Avenue.
“The last thing in the world we wanted to do was sue the city,” said James Fulton, an attorney representing the 1st Taxing District. “But we believe in the rule of law and somebody has got to do something for the mayor to enforce the law.”But Peter Nolin, the city’s top attorney, said he is “baffled” by the allegations because Klondike Park is the only property in question and Moccia “offered to sit down and work out ownership.”
“Someone at the 1st District wants to make a big deal out of it,” he said. “We’re totally puzzled. But it is election time.”
Nolin added his office did not have “any documents that claim they (District) own it” and Fulton “has not produced anything.”
The Special Act of 1913 “merged and consolidated” the town of Norwalk with the cities of Norwalk and South Norwalk, the East Norwalk Fire District and incorporated the city of Norwalk.
When the measure was passed, certain properties and assets, including public utilities and parks, were turned over to various entities to manage.
“We’re not trying to fight who owns it,” Nolin said. “We’ve got to get the bridge fixed.”
The squabble between the city and the district started in May when employees for Hartford-based PJF cut a lock on the park gate to enter the property.
Yes, this issue will certainly convince Norwalkers to come out and vote against the Moccia administration. Let’s review.
The DPW department contracted PJF to fix the bridge. The repair work led to PJF cutting a lock to gain access to the park so that they could stage equipment. The First Taxing District decided, and we’re really talking about Ken Slapin here, decided since he was done meddling in the Central Business District Zoning, and done twiddling his shalls and shoulds over the ethics code, that he needed a new hobby horse. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.
So this time waster will be litigated. Your tax dollars will be spent on a silly court case, because sitting in a room and actually discussing an agreement without filing a court case wouldn’t accomplish the maximum amount of legal mess that Slapin is known for. Has his “advice” ever led to a winning court case?
The lawsuit also states since the city has refused to require the company to provide sanitary facilities as required by state law, a construction worker “dropped his pants and defecated on the land” in full public view.
The worker was arrested by the Norwalk Police Department and charged with an infraction, Fulton said.
“That is disgusting,” Fulton said. “It used to be a very nice green area. Now, it’s a dumping ground.”
I’m so glad someone is concerned about watching construction guys drop their pants.
source: The Hour, Tiny park in middle of legal wrangle, James Walker, July 19, 2007
