Land Use & Building Management Committee of the Common Council Public Hearing – Fodor Farm/8 Hamilton Ave. – followed by a regular meeting

8 Hamilton Ave disposition

Maryann Marcels: Owns 10 Hamilton ave. Questions whether there can be easement on the property so they can use it to handle snow removal.

2 Vacant Lost Fordor Farm

Hempstead decides to have Alan Loh present the disposition to the audience after a member of the audience said he wasn’t prepared to speak as of yet because nothing had been said.

Alan Loh: Presents the history of grants as it relates to open space and the council actions leading up to this action. He shows the map to the area that will kept as open space, and how the land will be divided.

Hempstead: Explains that the only part of this action is to move forward the idea that the City would be willing to sell the property.

Jim Donohue: Lives on Pogney street and mentions that the street is not serviced by water or service. Describes what the present conditions are, that it will be costly to clean it up, and that he looks forward to the City selling the property. Asks about old gas station at the end of Pogney street, and asks why no one in the city is doing about it. Mentions the blight ordinance that was in the paper. Says that the demolition sign has been up in 5 years.

Hempstead: Agrees to set up a conference call with Bill Ireland to resolve the issue.

Tod Bryant: Ask if this concerns the deed restrictions.

Hempstead: This public hearing is just on the disposal of the property. The deed restrictions will come into play in May when the decision on how to dispose of the property. Says that there may not be a public hearing on the deed restrictions.

Tod Bryant: Says that NPT is in favor of the disposal of the properties with deed restrictions which would involve restoration to the “’ standards.

Gail Wall: Asks if there has been comments from the Historical commission and planning commission, and as Vice Chair of the commission, she was unaware of any comments that have been approved by the HC.

Hempstead: The resolution goes back to October 9th, and it was a negotiated settlement and that comments date back to that time. The city first has to make the decision to sell the property.

Wall: Reiterates request what the comments from the HC were.

Loh: Says that the planning commission and the HC have not provided comments.

Wall: Confirms that they will move forward without comments.

Hempstead: “We can’t move forward without may approvals.” Explains its an 8-24 revision, and that there is a timeline and that the land disposition does not have a say on the land disposition, but that the HC will be commenting on the deed restrictions of the buildings.

Wall: Questions that the RFP will move forward without supporting comments.

Loh: Explains that the committee has the ability to approve something subject to the planning commission review. Historical Commission will get a chance to review it and comment to the planning commission.

Wall: Asks further about the RFP and HC commissions.

Loh: Claims that the unless instructed that the RFP will not be sent to the HC. THe RFP does not require the HC approval or review.

[This is an interesting exchange, since you would think that if you were going to a deed restriction that you would create an RFP that would detail out the historical preservation stuff that would be a good idea to incorporate.]

Hempstead: Looks to the HC as the governing body for historic preservation. Says that the deed restrictions were sent to the HC for comment.

Wall: Says that this is really about the RFP. Mentions the way the agenda is worded.

Hempstead: We haven’t seen the RFP either.

Loh: The agenda is actually worded wrong.

Hempstead: Says Alan messed up.

Diane Lauricella: Asks that the city advertise the properties be advertised in appropriate periodicals and websites that cater to this kind of restoration project.

Doug Peoples: Thanks committee would like that the houses be sold to Norwalk residents and not at too high a price.

Public Hearing Now close and they start the regular meeting

Attending tonight is Aln Loh, Bill Krummel, Laurel Lindstrom, Mike Geake, Richard Bonnenfant and Doug Hempstead. (Doug Sutton arrives 7:48)

They approve the minutes unanimously and confirm that Krummel has no changes.

Loh: Planning and Zoning has reviewed the lot lines and they are creating 6 lots. Describes parks work to clean the property. Moves to item 2,

The item moves and goes to discussion.

Krummel: Says that it is important that the HC review the property and be part of the discussion. Says we owe it to the commission and that the HC sort of reports to them. Says that the HC be preserved in these kind of matters.

Says that the easements and the advertising ideas are good ones. Thinks that the easements would add value to the property.

Hempstead: Agrees and that the way the motion is written that it doesn’t say specifically that they get to see the comments form the two other agencies. He says they should add some language to have it come back to the commission.

Loh: Argues that it doesn’t need to go back to the common council because the resolution has already happened.

Hempstead: Says that there’s some issue about the binding nature of resolutions coming out of the previous council and perhaps the law department should review.

Loh: Explains the process again.

Hempstead: He does want to see the comments coming from the other agencies as it relates to the RFQ.

They continue talking about the process. After a mucho long discussion they finally get to the working of the resolution and finally decide to vote on it and they tweak the language to allow that the city proceed with the creation of the RFP unanimously.

They go through the rest of the action items. Bonnefant is recusing himself of the band issue they are discussing. Suggest that the caucus needs to get moving on the ethics committee.

They discuss the architectural designs that could be used on the band building. Likely they will not consider Pee Wee Herman’s playhouse. More discussion on the process.. They pursue the topic of the building, whether it will be reviewed by zoning, and if the building will have fire suppression and heating.

They finally vote on it and Bonnefant abstains.

They move onto user fees for film permits.

[Why are they discussing it, they should get an idea of what the CT Film commissions recommends, okay I wave my hand and suggest that]

Krummel asks if every permit should come before the council for a vote.

Hempstead explains that this typically doesn’t happen because people hold street permits for closures etc.

They discuss the process of filming on historic properties and end up tabling the issue because they plan on acquiring more information that the studio audience mentioned would be a good guideline or best practices type of info in order to make the film permitting more efficient.

They also tables some BOE issue and spent a really long time discussing grease traps, Stuart Opdahl and state requirements.

The Roosevelt center issue passed unanimously.

Hempstead seemed distressed that the operating agreement with the Friends of Norwalk Museum hasn’t advanced. He mentioned something about how long things take to get through the legal department, 25 years, no matter who works there and the general pace of slow moving government.

Hempstead then announced a series of panels that he plans to set up. He is starting with Yankee Gas and CL & P to present energy conservation, and the first one is tentatively planned for the 29th, details to be forthcoming.

They finally get to the Deed restrictions with Fodor Farm, there’s much talk about the west north faced instead of all four sides and Loh admits it’s a mistake. They obtain the secretary of interior standards from Tod Brynat and discuss the restrictions regarding paint colors.

The final item was on the Incerto house, Hempstead suggests that the house get reassembled into a lot at Fodor Farm. Seems like a good idea, but Gail Wall says that there is already a lot designated for it at Mill Hill, but that it simply lacks funding. It seems that combining the Fodor Farm and sales of the properties at Fodor Farm with the Incerto House is actually a self funding way to accomplish both goals.. I’m not sure if they will get to that discussion point.