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Bee Intelligencer AN INDEPENDENTLY OWNED FREE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Informing the towns of Middlebury, Southbury, Woodbury, Naugatuck, Oxford and Watertown
www.bee-news.com
Volume XI, No. 12
November 2015
ELECTION 2015
St. John seeks reelection By MARJORIE NEEDHAM Middlebury First Selectman Edward B. St. John reflected Monday on his busy weekend. He had attended a wake, an Eagle Scout ceremony and a Boy Scout pasta dinner Friday and Saturday and finished the weekend at the Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD) open house Sunday afternoon. St. John, a former MVFD fire chief, said he tries to attend as many community events as he can. He said he is running for reelection because he feels he has a lot of unfinished business here. St. John, who served from 1983 through 2007 and returned to office in 2011 after a four-year absence, said, “We are doing the best we can with economic development and trying to expand our commercial tax base.” He said the proposed crematory on Benson Road will help expand that base. His biggest challenge, he said is to move forward with a capital plan Middlebury residents can afford. “We have fallen seriously behind in infrastructure planning,” he said. Noting the “new” firehouse was built 40 years ago and is still using its original mechanical systems, St. John said various buildings in town need new roofs and mechanical updates to their air conditioning and heating systems. He said many of the town roads need extensive work, and he can see that costing $1 million a year for the next few years. He also noted a Department of Energy and Environmental Protection order will force the town to remove underground fuel tanks and re-
place them with above-ground tanks. This will need to be done by 2017, and part of that project, he said, will be relocating the tanks and pumps at the Southford Road police and fire station to the Department of Public Works yard. The aboveground diesel tank at the Tucker Hill firehouse will remain. St. John said he believes the needed capital projects can be completed without a huge jump in taxes. “I feel I can bond some of the capital projects with a life of 20 years or more so they won’t be a burden to taxpayers.” He said additional funds for the projects could come from undesignated funds. The tax impact of Region 15 continues to be a concern. “Look at the record,” he said. “From 2005 to 2015, the town budget increased 1.7 percent. In contrast, the school budget increased 50 percent despite a declining school population.” Looking forward, St. John said he could see increased regionalization of services that might include a regional police department. The town already has joined Southbury and Region 15 in a self-funded health insurance plan, and other ideas for regionalization are in the formative stage. He said moving police dispatching to Northwest Public Safety Communications Center in Prospect turned out to be a good move. “I feel it is working, and I give credit to Chief Viadero and Sue Webster for working things out.” He said Waterbury is going to move its dispatching to Northwest, and Northwest will be relocating to Waterbury from Prospect. When it comes to tax sales, St. John said, “I think the town of Middlebury, under current
McCormack wants top spot By MARJORIE NEEDHAM
Edward B. St. John economic conditions, should do its best to work with taxpayers to keep them here.” He said over the years many taxpayers have gotten behind, but the town has tried to work with them. “Most people pay their taxes before their property goes to auction,” he said. “Times are tough out there, and we need to work with people.” “We have been fiscally responsible in moving the town forward while still offering great services,” he said. “Now we need to get a capital plan going that residents can afford.” Asked how much longer he planned to serve, St. John, 74, said, “The clock is ticking against me. My intent is to get people to sign off on the capital plan.” He said he was involved with the community long before he became first selectman and has developed a deep connection with the community over the years. Although he retired in 2008, he came out of retirement in 2011 to successfully run for first selectman. He said at the time his goal in returning to the office was to bring a fractured community back together.
Middlebury’s Democratic candidate for first selectman, Board of Finance Chairman Michael McCormack, said Tuesday, “I think Middlebury is a wonderful, beautiful town and my job will be to make it competitive and to give the taxpayers the greatest value for their tax dollars without giving up the beauty and friendliness we have.” His campaign signs say McCormack will bring a new vision and a new direction to the town. He said, “My vision is to try to bring the town into the 21st century. We need to adapt ideas that work, like going to a lock box. It’s happening all over.” He said if interest rates return to 2.5 to 3 percent, the town would make $30,000 a year in interest if it used a lock box. (A lock box immediately puts tax payments into a bank account to start earning interest.) With the current manual system, checks sometimes take 10 days to clear. He also noted that moving the town’s police dispatch to Prospect saves the town $350,000 a year. “Our 911 calls were the second lowest in the state at 1.5 calls per shift,” he said, “so it cost $300 every time a local dispatcher picked up the phone.” His new direction, he said, is for the town to look at the way we do business and exercise more fiscal discipline. He said the per capita cost to run Middlebury is $1,350 compared to $900 in other towns. He also said the town hasn’t marketed the new Oxford Airport Enterprise Zone. “I think we need to do more than we are doing now,” McCormack said. “If we just stay with things
The Middlebury Conservation Commission (CC) at its Oct. 27 meeting heard plans for a grocery store to be built on Southford Road across from the former Golden Age of Trucking Museum. It also approved an oversize patio that had been constructed without approval, and accepted an application for a holding tank at Tyler Cove. When Attorney Michael McVerry was discussing Joseph Desantis and Richard Brown’s plans for the Southford Road building, he said it would have loading docks and dumpsters in the rear with parking around the perimeter of the building and had been specifically designed for what he called a “country grocery store.” When asked about the tenant, the developers said they didn’t want to comment, other than to point out the location was perfect for a small store with much commuter traffic and several nearby housing developments. The grocery store plans lead to im-
mediate speculation on which grocer will go in there. LaBonne’s just closed its Southbury store, which is listed on Vision Appraisal as 14,110 square feet. Could LaBonne’s be planning a Middlebury store? Or perhaps Joe Dinova is planning to open a new store at that location? We will report the grocer’s name as soon as we have it. To create a parcel for the grocery store, Desantis and Brown of Middlebury, D/B/A Southford Road LLC will take a 2½ acre parcel at 1000 Southford Road and combine it with an acre from the adjoining lot at 984 Southford Road owned by Francis Cipriano of Watertown D/B/A Southford Park, LLC for the new 14,000-square-foot commercial building. The plans were reviewed by civil engineer Paul Szymanski. Szymanski said the combined 3½ acres had about 1½ acres of wetlands, providing room for a centrally located commercial building on the remaining property. Using a set of maps and drawings, he described a mitigation plan to deal with a Connecticut drainage discharge as well
Inside this Issue Classifieds.................11 Puzzles.....................11 Diversified Tax Tidbits...8 School Daze................5 Featured Pet..............12 Senior Center Events....5 Golden Technologies...5 Veterans Post..............5 Library Lines................2 Winning Ways.............8
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tuesday
Nov. 3
sATURday
Nov. 7
as groundwater flowing into the existing wetlands. In other matters, commissioners unanimously approved a 20-by-40foot patio with stairs and a retaining wall for the new office building at 891 Straits Turnpike with the stipulation additional winterberry and blueberry bushes be planted. The originally approved plans called for a smaller 20-by-20-foot patio and Wetlands Enforcement Officer Deborah Seavey granted a certificate of occupancy in September if the owners agreed to apply for an after-the-fact modification. In new business, an application by Antoinette Moore to install an additional 1,000 gallon septic holding tank at 17 Tyler Cove was accepted for commissioner review. McVerry said a permit from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection had been received. The next regular CC meeting will be Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 7:30 p.m. in Room 26 at Shepardson Community Center.
Michael McCormack half the hours. “I’ll work as much as I need to to get the job done,” he said. As for Region 15, he said he is an observer at their contract negotiations and is chairman of the Middlebury-SouthburyRegion 15 self-funding medical insurance committee. He also attends the region’s budget workshops. He said, “I think Region 15 is a great asset for the towns of Middlebury and Southbury … With any organization that has a $60M budget, there are places you can make changes and make cuts.” He believes those cuts can be made without giving up premium services. And he plans to participate in Region 15 activities as a first selectman. He may not have a vote but, he said, “You have influence. You have the bully pulpit.” McCormack, 71, said of his chances of winning Nov. 3, “I think I’ve done a very good job as chairman of the Board of Finance. I think I’ve been very visible. I think the people who want fiscal responsibility will vote for me. I think I have a good chance of winning.”
P&Z continues crematorium hearing, approves POCD
Country grocery store planned for Southford Road By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE
the way we have done them, we’re not going to be competitive.” However, new systems won’t mean eliminating employees. “The thought is to make it more efficient, not eliminate employees,” he said. Looking at the defeated proposal to have a Dunkin’ Donuts on the corner of Glenwood Avenue and Middlebury Road, he said. “The place was going to look beautiful. It was a sit-down restaurant with no drivethrough. I thought it should have gone through.” He said the first selectman can help set a vision for the Planning and Zoning Commission. He said taxes are high in Middlebury because the town continues to overspend. Southbury’s new asphalt roof for its community center cost $218,000; Middlebury may spend $600,000 on a new slate roof for Shepardson Community Center. “Maybe we can’t afford slate anymore,” he said. “Shepardson was built in 1920. It’s not an antique.” “We have to think more about the value. If we get value, we get the town fiscally disciplined and we become more competitive. Housing prices go up, we attract industry and everybody is happy.” He said he isn’t limiting himself to one term but wouldn’t want to serve 10 to 20 years and become an institution either. “I’m looking to come in and change things and move on. Whether that takes one term or two terms I don’t know,” he said. He is willing to work for half the salary to show he has a real commitment to get the town on the right financial footing. That doesn’t mean he will work
By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE The Middlebury Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) on Oct. 1 continued a public hearing on a proposed crematorium on Benson Road and unanimously approved the long-awaited Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD). It also scheduled a public hearing to renew permits for Benson Woods and advised about a cottage expansion on Lake Quassapaug and an in-law apartment renovation on Watertown Road. The commision continued to Nov. 5 a public hearing for Raymond and Panagiota (Penny) Albini’s request to amend zoning regulations to permit a crematory, undertaker establishment, nondenominational chapel, columbarium (storage vault for funeral ash urns), and a cremation garden cemetery in the LI-200 zone. These would be on a 33-acre commercial lot the family purchased from the town for $200,000 after the sale was unanimously approved in a June 1 special town meeting. The lot, with about five to 10 usable acres fronting on Benson Road and the rest unbuildable wetlands, was acquired by the town in June
Municipal and Board of Education Elections
What: Vote on numerous town offices and Region 15 Board of Education positions When: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Where: Shepardson Community Center at 1172 Whittemore Road in Middlebury
Veterans Blessing Ceremony
What: Wendell Deer With Horns will lead a Native American blessing ceremony When: Noon Where: Middlebury Green
2014 from Baker Residential in lieu of taxes owed. The family owns the Albini Funeral Home in Waterbury. Raymond told commissioners he did not originally plan to build a funeral home there, but only after much input from the community decided to include it as part of his plan. Attorney Michael McVerry said the Albinis understood that if the zone change was approved they would still need to come back with a special exception application so the details of the project could be addressed. In comments from commissioners, Erika Carrington stressed the importance of adequate parking being proposed in accordance with the regulations. Thanking all commissioners and staff for “a lot of work,” Chairman Terry Smith singled out Commissioner Matthew Robison for keeping the focus on a definition of the “Middlebury Village District” portion of the POCD acceptable for unanimous approval. That district, an area delineated as those commercial properties fronted on Middlebury Road and bordered by the entrance
– See P&Z on page 2
The December Middlebury Bee-Intelligencer will be out Friday, Nov. 27!
Middlebury Lions Club Annual Turkey Dinner
wednesday
Nov. 18
What: Traditional roasted turkey with all the trimmings, pumpkin pie, juice, tea and coffee. When: 5 to 7 p.m. Where: Shepardson Community Center at 1172 Middlebury Road in Middlebury Info: Tickets: $10 adults, $8 seniors and children 6 to 12, immediate family maximum of $35 and kids under 6 free. Takeout - add $1. Pay at the door or get a ticket from a Lion. Proceeds benefit Middlebury Family Services Emergency Fund, scholarships, other community causes.
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