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Prst. Std. U.S. Postage Paid Naugatuck, CT #27
Informing the towns of Middlebury, Southbury, Woodbury, Naugatuck, Oxford and Watertown AN INDEPENDENTLY OWNED FREE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Volume X, No. 23
Friday, June 6, 2014
Referendum results* Regional School District 15 proposed 2014-2015 budget YES NO Middlebury 604 700 Southbury 2,390 1,251 Total 4 2,994 1,951 *Preliminary numbers
Middlebury mil rate set By MARJORIE NEEDHAM The Middlebury Board of Finance, meeting after the proposed $63.7 million Region 15 budget was approved at the June 4 referendum, set the mil rate for the 2014-2015 fiscal year at 29.34, a 1.66 percent increase over the current mil rate of 28.86. The new mil rate will take effect July 1, 2014. At the new mil rate, Middlebury’s Chief Financial Office Lawrence Hutvagner last week esti-
mated owners of homes assessed at $100,000 would have a $48 tax increase while owners of homes assessed at $250,000 would have a tax increase of $120. The Southbury mil rate was expected to increase to 27.6 from 26.4, a 4.5-percent increase. At that rate, the effect on taxes for owners of Southbury homes assessed at $100,000 would be a $120 tax increase while owners of homes assessed at $250,000 would have a tax increase of $300.
Selectmen meet, landfor-taxes swap approved By MARJORIE NEEDHAM Middlebury’s Board of Selectmen meeting Monday night at Town Hall was followed by a special town meeting at Shepardson Community Center to consider the town’s acquisition of 33± acres of land on Benson Road in lieu of $75,925.07 in back taxes owed by Baker Residential. The acquisition was approved with one “nay” vote by Board of Finance Chairman Michael McCormack. At the meeting preceding the special town meeting, selectmen voted to approve three items residents will vote on at another special town meeting set for Monday, June 16, at 7 p.m. at Shepardson Community Center. The three are: accepting and appropriating the $250,000 state transition grant for communications, appropriating to police overtime a $40,000 payment from Region 15 for school security, and acceptance of a tax incentive application from Moore, O’Brien, Yelenak and Foti law firm to construct a 7,500-square-foot building at 891 Straits Turnpike. On the agenda for discussion and consideration was a 10-page report and executive summary from Milone and MacBroom offering FEMA-related guidance for the town. Town officials requested this report after residents complained changes in FEMA flood plain maps affected them adversely by placing their homes in the 100-year flood plain. As a result of the map changes, their mort-
gage companies required them to purchase flood insurance. This had not previously been required, and the cost of such insurance has skyrocketed since Hurricane Sandy hit the coast in October 2012. First Selectman Ed St. John said he expected a large turnout for this agenda item, but the only person living in the affected area in attendance was Nancy Robison. When St. John arrived at Shepardson Community Center for the special town meeting, he found 10 people waiting there to discuss the flood insurance issue. Apparently, a misunderstanding caused them to be at Shepardson while the flood insurance issue was being discussed at town hall. St. John told them someone was still in his office and suggested they go to town hall to get copies of the Malone and MacBroom report. The report states many factors can affect whether or not a building is in a flood zone and those factors can change, as can building codes and insurance requirements. It concludes homeowners can lower their flood insurance premiums by undertaking mitigation actions such as elevating their homes, eliminating basements and moving utilities above the base flood elevation. Selectmen also accepted the resignation of James L. Greenwood (R) from the Library Board of Trustees effective June 11 and appointed Crosby Middlemass (R) to the Beautification Commission.
It’s dog license month Dogs must be licensed every June. Licenses are $8 for a neutered or spayed dog and $19 if they are not. Payment is by cash or check. Dogs six months and older must be licensed per state law. Proof of up-to-date rabies shots must be shown, as well as a certificate of neutering or spaying if your dog has not been registered before. Registering dogs also can be done by mail. Middlebury residents who register by mail can send their check and paperwork to Town Clerk, 1212 Whittemore Road, Middlebury, CT 06762. Licenses purchased after June 30 are subject to a $1 per month late fee. The Middlebury Town Clerk’s office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please call 203758-2557 with any questions.
Inside this Issue Library Happenings.......... 2 Library Lines...........................2 Obituaries..............................5 Region 15 School Calendar....5 Senior Center Events...... 3 Sports..........................5, 6
Editorial Office: Email: mbisubmit@gmail.com Phone: 203-577-6800 Mail: P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762 Advertising Sales: Email: mbiadvertising@gmail.com
Selectmen give economic updates By MARJORIE NEEDHAM Four area first selectmen, Edward B. St. John of Middlebury, George Temple of Oxford, Ed Edelson of Southbury and Bill Butterly of Woodbury, addressed attendees at the Greater Tribury Chamber of Commerce Selectmen’s Dinner Tuesday night. All spoke on the economic and business climates in their respective towns. Temple was the first to speak. He listed a number of projects in Oxford, among them a $130- to $150-million Masonicare project, a new Price Chopper store (Oxford’s first grocery story), a medical arts building, several projects involving Griffin Hospital, and the recently resurrected Towantic Power Plant at Oxford Airport, in addition to the Airport Enterprise Zone and a chemical scent company that is relocating to Oxford from Danbury. “The town is booming,” he said.
St. John said a year ago he didn’t expect the uptick on the residential side that we are seeing. Noting that Middlebury was at one time the home for four major corporations, he said the town survived, but it is really difficult when a large corporate taxpayer pulls out. He said he sees the need to create cooperative programs among the communities. “None of us are big enough to do it all by ourselves,” he said. Noting the positive response Middlebury has had to the tax incentive program it developed for businesses, he said, “Towns try to attract businesses, but the state tax structure runs businesses off.” Edelson said Southbury will have a movie theater and a new medical building (on Old Waterbury Road). The most complex project, however, will be development of the Southbury Training School land. Nine hundred acres of farmland there will be leased to farmers, and 45 acres will be used by the town for affordable housing for the elderly. The re-
maining part of the project will be economic development of the buildings that were part of the school. Some 330 residents remain there, and Edelson said they will be treated with consideration as the project progresses. Butterly said not much can happen in Woodbury. Its historic district is six miles long, and no one wants any changes within the historic district. Remaining areas that can be developed are on aquifers. And zoning, he said, “defies imagination how it got to be where it is.” He said when the library wanted to expand to 20,000 square feet, they found zoning would allow only a 7,000-square-foot building on a 4.65-acre lot where they hoped to build. “What we really need,” he said, “is one big meeting where citizens can come and tell us what they want.” He said it may be that Woodbury residents want the town to be a bedroom community for people working at new businesses in other towns.
Conservation Commission issues approvals, accepts applications By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE The Middlebury Conservation Commission (CC) at its May 27 meeting approved permit modifications for a house on Christian Road, waterway alterations at Hop Brook, and field repair and a new shed on Lake Quassapaug. It also accepted applications for parking changes at Ridgewood and excavation at 891 Straits Turnpike. A permit modification for plans approved June 2013 for a single-family house with an asphalt driveway on Lot 54 at 639 Christian Road was unanimously approved on the condition a wall of shrubs would be added. David Theroux told commissioners the proposed house would be more appealing to buyers if it were located farther back from Route 188 and offered more backyard room. He said the same amount of wetlands would be disturbed as in the original plan with the same driveway and only a shifted house footprint. Plans for the town of Middlebury to correct the course of a brook encroaching on sewer lines near the Hop Brook sewer pumping station with rip-rap boulders and remove accumulated silting were unanimously approved. Chairman Thomas Proulx said his site visit confirmed an eventual washout of nearby sewer lines without the correction. Kenneth Long, representing the Water Pollution Control Authority, said silt would be removed at the same time as construction, and disturbed areas would be restored with seeds and hay.
Correction of drainage issues on grassy fields at 317 Tranquility Road and proposed construction of a 14-foot-by-20-foot farm shed near the Lake Quassapaug shoreline were unanimously approved. Curt Smith of Smith and Co. told commissioners on April 29 that erosion through the fields had been occurring for years. He said interceptor drains could replace existing failed French drains and route rainwater to a nearby small wetlands area he described as a rain garden. Smith said the free-standing woodshed was similar to one approved by the commission at Long Cove. It would be supported by cinder blocks, not a foundation, and would not have electricity, water or septic. He said the shed would be about 20 feet from the shore, and construction would include grading and widening of a two-foot berm to provide about 18 feet of sand area. Owner Jean Peterson said the shed would provide a secure place to store plastic beach chairs and kayaks. She said the berm grading would make it easier for her to pull a kayak up from the lake. In new business, an application by Toll Brothers to modify parking and recreation plans at Ridgewood of Middlebury was unanimously accepted for commissioner review. Carlos Ruiz, a project engineer at Milone and MacBroom, said parking behind several units was unappealing to prospective buyers. He showed revised plans in which the parking was relocated to the site of a gazebo and the gazebo exchanged lo-
cations with a playscape. An access drive planned for the parking would be gravel rather than bituminous, resulting in less impervious coverage. Ruiz described several approaches being taken for erosion control and accepted Wetlands Enforcement Officer Deborah Seavey’s suggestion to describe them and their long-term maintenance as a narrative in the plans. Also accepted for review was an application by Garrett Moore to demolish a dilapidated old house and excavate 9,600 square feet at 891 Straits Turnpike to prepare the way for a new 7,500-square-foot office building for the law firm Moore, O’Brien, Yelenak and Foti. Attorney Michael McVerry told commissioners improvements to the driveway and addition of parking areas would fall inside the 100-foot Wooster Brook regulated area. He also noted site plan and excavation approvals would be needed from the Planning and Zoning Commission. An application by Joseph Bernardi of 450 Regan Road for a permit for brush removal on Lot 119 was not addressed because Bernardi did not attend the meeting. He had been informally told to see Seavey for a permit when he appeared March 25 and no quorum of commissioners was present. Bernardi also did not appear April 29 when his application appeared on the agenda. The next regular CC meeting will be Tuesday, June 24, at 7:30 p.m. in Room 26 at Shepardson Community Center.
Boy Scout Troop 5 Bottle and Can Drive
Upcoming Events
Adoptable Pets................ 8 Book Review................... 2 Classifieds....................... 7 Community Calendar....... 2 Fire Log........................... 2 In Brief............................ 4 In The Garden................. 4
Area first selectmen, left to right, Bill Butterly of Woodbury, Ed Edelson of Southbury and Ed St. John of Middlebury, listen as First Selectman George Temple of Oxford, right, reports on economic growth in his town. The selectmen spoke at the Greater Tribury Chamber of Commerce Selectmen’s Dinner Tuesday night. (Marjorie Needham photo)
saturday
June 7
Panthers make amends winning Class L opener
What: Drop off redeemable bottles and cans to support Scouts (No Gatorade or Powerade) When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Where: Village Square Plaza at 530 Middlebury Road in Middlebury
Middlebury Land Trust Annual Meeting, Fishing Derby and Fun Day What: Guests are welcome to join members for fishing, fun and food When: 10 a.m. Where: Lake Elise, corner of Route 64 and Long Meadow Road in Middlebury
wednesdaY
June 11
Annual Strawberry Festival at Middlebury Congregational Church What: When: Where:
Strawberry shortcake on homemade biscuits (eat in or take out). Burgers, hot dogs, barbecued chicken dinners also available. 5 to 7:30 p.m. Middlebury Congregational Church on the green in Middlebury
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