Bee Intelligencer “What great thing would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?” ~ Robert H. Schuller
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Informing the towns of Middlebury, Southbury, Woodbury, Naugatuck, Oxford and Watertown AN INDEPENDENTLY OWNED FREE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Volume X, No. 26
LPOS discusses Fenn Farm repairs, sets farm tour date By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE The Middlebury Land Preservation and Open Space Acquisition Committee (LPOS) at its July 16 meeting discussed upcoming Fenn Farm maintenance and repairs. It also set Saturday, Sept. 27, as the annual tour date. Chairman John Cookson opened the meeting by introducing Ray Pietrorazio, who was appointed by the Board of Selectmen July 7 to replace Matt Calabro, who recently moved from Middlebury and resigned. Cookson then updated members on the need for removing asbestos from pipes in the farmhouse basement. During a discussion of the winter replacement of an old 2,600-pound cast iron furnace with a new unit at an informal meeting March 5, Cookson said the removal was necessary. That necessity was questioned April 2 by Pietrorazio, who was attending as a member of the public, and on May 7 by LPOS member James Crocicchia. Cookson said he would get a statement on the insurance requirement from Public Works Director Dan Norton and speak to Torrington Area Health District (TAHD) representative Rob Rubbo on documenting the need for the removal. In his update, Cookson said an asbestos sample needed to be examined by the TAHD to determine if the cardboard covering was peeling, in which case the asbestos would need to be removed. He also said removal was needed because Robin Fenn still lives in the house and goes into the basement. He told member Richard Spierto the removal was wanted by Public Works Director Dan Norton, Building Inspector Ollie Leduc and First Selectman Edward B. St. John. A report on the asbestos was expected from the TAHD in about three weeks. In major repairs, Cookson said the cow-barn roof had leaked considerably in recent storms. He said Woodbury structural engineer Robert Rich-
August 2014
Striking sunset
ardson would examine the barn in about a week and prepare a written estimate on the technical work needed so bids could be solicited. He said Richardson had done a similar estimate on horsebarn repairs in the past. Regarding that barn, Cookson said funding for horse-barn repairs had been submitted in the upcoming capital expenditure budget. Pietrorazio and member Pat Dwyer asked to accompany Richardson when he examined the cow barn. Cookson told Crocicchia Richardson’s estimate would cost about $4,000 to prepare, based on what the town paid for earlier estimates. In maintenance items, Cookson said field haying had been completed with the exception of one swampy area where tractors could not travel, and an exterminator had to be called in May for carpenter bees in the chicken coop, garage and cow barn. Regarding farmhouse painting, he said Rhino-Shield had asked to take another look at the house and possibly make a proposal. Repainting has been discussed since May 2013 with no decision due to the high cost of removing linseed oil from the clapboards if they are to be painted. Discussion of vinyl siding or Rhino-Shield on the historic structure had drawn criticism from the public. Crocicchia showed members an article from a September 2013 Boston Globe article that said Rhino-Shield peeled away from treated clapboards and cautioned against its use. Cookson said painting was on hold anyway, due to the expected high cost of the cow-barn roof repairs. The annual Fenn Farm tour was set for Saturday, Sept. 27. Ray Pietrorazio agreed to co-chair the event but told Cookson he’d be unavailable earlier in the month. The next regular LPOS meeting will be Wednesday, Aug. 6, at 6 p.m. at Shepardson Community Center unless the Richardson report is not available. In that case, the regular meeting will be canceled and a special meeting scheduled.
Note to our readers Thank you for supporting us as we launch our website and change from printing a hard copy of the paper every week to printing it once a month. Our website, bee-news.com, will be live in just a few days. Our next print issue – September 2014 – will be distributed Friday, Aug. 29. Is it possible we could return to printing weekly or even twice a month? It’s possible, but for now we’d like to give this a try. Your comments and questions are welcome. Emails can be sent to mbisubmit@gmail.com; calls can be made to 203-577-6800. Marj Needham Editor and Publisher
This striking sunset image captured at the Middlebury Recreation Area July 16 was a welcome sight after a couple of rainy days with thunderstorms. Middlebury resident Derrick Dumoulin took the picture and posted it to his Facebook page with the words, “Reminded this evening of why I love Middlebury ... and summer!” (Photo courtesy Derrick Dumoulin)
P&Z OKs pizza business; approves law office plans By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE
Middlebury’s new police chief, James Viadero, and his wife, Kim, are shown in the Town Hall conference room following Viadero’s swearing in as chief. Town Clerk Edith Salisbury swore him in July 1 in the presence of town officials, friends and family. Viadero comes to Middlebury from the Bridgeport Police Department, where he supervised 85 officers. (Marjorie Needham photo)
Inside this Issue Library Happenings.......2, 5 Library Lines...........................2 Puzzles..................................7 Region 15 Calendar........ 3 Senior Center Events....... 3 Winning Ways................. 5
Editorial Office: Email: mbisubmit@gmail.com Phone: 203-577-6800 Mail: P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762 Advertising Sales: Email: mbiadvertising@gmail.com
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Book Review................... 2 Classifieds....................... 7 Community Calendar....... 2 Fire Log........................... 6 In Brief............................ 4 In The Garden................. 6
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The Middlebury Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) at its July 3 meeting approved a pizza business on Middlebury Road and construction plans for law offices on Straits Turnpike. A certificate of zoning compliance for Blarney Stone Pizza LLC to operate using the side entrance of the Mobil Mart owned by Oreste Bona d/b/a 492 Middlebury Road LLC was approved by a 3-to-1 vote with a deferral of rear parking zoning compliance. Chairman Terry Smith and Commissioners Ronald Kulpa and Paul Babarik voted in favor, while Erika Carrington was opposed. The matter was held over from the June 6 meeting, at which attorney Michael McVerry, speaking for Blarney Stone owner Blair Daily, told commissioners the convenience store had been used by many businesses over the years, including a deli, a Chinese restaurant, Milano’s pizza, Brenda’s Kitchen and Eggplant’s, a restaurant with 14 indoor tables for patrons. McVerry showed a site plan, approved by P&Z in 1997, that included 26 parking spaces, which he said was more than adequate for the proposed use. McVerry was instructed to come back with a site plan with enough detail to show property lines, easements, rights of way, parking spaces, and required and provided squarefoot parking calculations. He answered the right-of-way issue with a 1966 zoning map
reserving driveway easement rights to both Bona and the adjoining property, formerly Johnny’s Dairy Bar. He used the same map to show 26 9-by-20-foot parking spaces, 18 in front and eight in the back, which he claimed was one more than the 25 required for dining and retail use in the building. McVerry admitted the rear spaces did not conform to requirements for impervious surfaces, but argued the parking had been in place for many years and asked for a deferral of those requirements. Carrington said she thought the back parking spaces were rough and wouldn’t be plowable in winter, and town engineer John Calabrese agreed the area did not meet regulations for backup. Zoning Enforcement Officer (ZEO) Curtis Bosco said at least one of the parking spaces needed to be designed and marked for handicapped. Site plan and excavation permits for a new 7,500-square-foot office building in the CA-40 zone at 891 Straits Turnpike for the law firm Moore, O’Brien, Yelenak and Foti were unanimously approved. McVerry, representing owner Garrett Moore, said the proposed construction activity will remove a dilapidated old house and excavate about 2,300 cubic yards to prepare the way for the new building. McVerry read letters of approval from acting Police Chief Richard Wildman and Fire Marshall Jack Proulx and votes of approval from the Conservation Commission and the Economic and Industrial Development Commission. Professional engineer Brian Baker
State of Connecticut Republican Primary What: When: Where:
Registered Republican voters may choose one of two candidates for governor, one of three candidates for lieutenant governor and one of two candidates for comptroller. Polls will be open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Shepardson Community Center
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Regional School District 15 First Day of School
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Labor Day Holiday:
Aug. 26
Sept. 1
of Civil-1 said parking will include 42 spaces at the rear of the building with some blasting a possibility if rock is discovered. After a brief discussion with Calabrese, Baker and town planner Brian Miller, conditions were added to the approval to specify easements, landscaping and lighting plans, construction hours, and to secure blasting permits, bonding and insurance approval from the Board of Selectmen. Approval of expansion of a West Lake Road cottage was referred back to Bosco for detailed information and lot coverage calculations for Calabrese to review. Commissioners agreed all changes to cottages in the newly defined Lake Quassapaug Preservation District must come before P&Z. In enforcement matters, Bosco told commissioners he was receiving many complaints, citing blight complaints on a Woodfield Drive house. He said residents had been helpful about putting complaints in writing, and he had sent certified letters to the owner and bank attorney but was pessimistic about anything being done. Babarik and Smith told him it was important to enforce the law, and Bosco said 37 letters had been sent out since passage of the 2012 blight ordinance. Bosco also noted that an illegal portable car wash at the Middlebury Road Shell gas station was quickly removed upon his complaint. The next regular P&Z meeting will be Thursday, Aug. 7, at 7:30 p.m. at Shepardson Community Center.
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Monday, September 1
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