Nothing can be finer than to be leaving Carolina in the morning, so today you get an open thread. Was the haitain festival an 80db or less music fest? If the parking is on Haviland street, in the maritime garage, and in the Webster st. parking lot, then how was it that the DPW work on Washington street caused so much consternation? Were pedestrians impeded? That being said, what happened to communication here. A notice emailed to merchants, or a flyer could have alerted all to the fact that the street was going to be dug up and repaved.
Manresa wants to curb global warming, must be self interest, the plant sits on low lying land that juts out into the sound, higher water means the end of generatign electricity for them. My only question is whether they came to this conclusion because the water is already lapping at their door during high tide, or have they forecast when that will occur.
State Senator Bob Duff says the freshly minted state eminent domain law is good, Norwalk’s Redevelopment Authrority says not so good.
But other parts of the law could affect city residents, he said. Several property owners in the West Avenue redevelopment area - which stretches from Chapel Street to Butler Street - have opposed the plan, and are worried their businesses could be seized through eminent domain.Under the new rules, residents would be reimbursed at 125 percent of their property’s fair market value and the city would have 10 years from the date it first used eminent domain to actually seize remaining properties within the redevelopment plan.
Another provision requires the city to say which properties could be seized under eminent domain before it has drawn up a development plan, Sheehan said.
While he said the 10-year deadline is good for the city because it provides “guidance” to the Common Council - which previously set eminent domain timelines - he is critical of other changes. Now, there is no reimbursement requirement, Sheehan said, and developers in redevelopment areas have offered “far beyond what the fair market value is.
“The provision might cause the reverse effect of what the state was seeking to do,” he said, meaning it won’t act as a deterrent to eminent domain. “From the developer’s standpoint, what is the impetus to go beyond 125 percent if the state is saying that 125 percent is fair market value?”
Sheehan said the provision that requires his department to identify properties that might be seized will also make the process more difficult.
“You are literally are in the dark. You don’t have a development plan right in front of you,” he said. “We should be specific, and only vote on properties that are essential. It makes absolutely no sense to me.”
Advocates working to stem eminent domain abuse have problems with the Connecticut law as well. The Castle Coalition, a Virginia-based nonprofit agency, graded state eminent domain laws around the country and gave Connecticut’s law an F.
“You’re talking about changes in compensation,” said Jenifer Zeigler, legislative affairs attorney with Castle Coalition. “Most of what (Connecticut’s) bill did was try to increase compensation. It doesn’t stop the abuse of power - it just tries to compensate people more after they’ve had their homes stolen.”
Norwalk Democrats think Corda is doing a great job and that the BOE isn’t spending too much money. How clueless is that? There’s a huge difference between wasting money, and spending too much. When the BOE provides to guidance and oversight to Corda, he doesn’t bother to spend tax dollars wisely. He hasn’t even bothered to file a monthly report of detailed expenses as he’s required to do under statute. And the Democratic vision for Jefferson school is what exactly? Empty promises, trailers for classrooms and a yearly request for new math textbooks because the central office hasn’t mastered basic math yet.
But feel free to discuss anything else.
