Thursday, January 2, 2020
Volume 6, Number 12
cheshirecitizen.com
Recap: Farewell, 2019
Estimating snow removal costs is a tricky science
By Michael Gagne Record-Journal staff
Here’s a quick month-bymonth look at the 2019 Cheshire news that made headlines and that often shaped the direction of activities around town and beyond. January The December 2018 suicide of 11-year-old Doolittle Elementary School student Angelita Estrada would lead to forums and other public discussions about bullying and students' mental health over the first few months of 2019. Disagreements and clashes over how officials handle complaints made by parents of bullying would continue in subsequent months. February The Watch Factory Restaurant's long-time owner and chef, Markus Patsch, announced he would be retiring after more than two decades of serving Austrian fare to town clientele.
March Economic development in the North End of town, along I-691, gained some steam, when town officials floated the idea of creating a special tax district that would generate income through incremental increases. That income would reimburse developers for the costs of building infrastructure, like water and sewer, the area would need. Later, in September, the Town Council would adopt a A Tax Increment Financing Master Plan and District, which officials said would generate revenue to enable the town to assist in that yetto-be-conceived project's financing and development. That development comes after years of proposals in the 691-Route 10 area, all of which had failed to come to fruiition. April The town switched over to an automated trash pickup See Recap, A7
By Michael Gagne Record-Journal staff
For state transportation officials and local municipal leaders, the annual task of estimating the resources needed each winter to carry out snow removal operations — including how much road salt to keep in town- and state-owned sheds — is a tricky science, at best. The mix of rain and snow that blanketed the region during December’s first winter storm wasn't noteworthy because of how much snow accumulated. Rather, it was the storm’s duration. It began with snow late on the morning on Dec. 1 that turned to freezing rain, and the pre-
Dave Zajac, Record-Journal
Dave Zajac, Record-Journal
cipitation didn’t taper off until two days later.
Nursick estimated the cost of keeping roads snow- and ice-free throughout that State Department of Transstorm's duration at around portation spokesman $4 million. Kevin Nursick described it as easily a “multi-million See Storms, A6 dollar storm” for the DOT.
Developer proposes new, 3-story medical office building By Michael Gagne Record-Journal staff
Crews pick at the exterior of the Ball & Socket Arts building along Willow Street in Cheshire as asbestos remediation continued there Aug. 28, 2019.
A snowplow parked at the Connecticut Department of Transportation Maintenance Facility on Highway Garage Road off Route 15 in Meriden Dec. 27, 2019.
Control Authority and the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission in A Farmington-based devel- October and November. oper is proposing to build a three-story medical office The WPCA granted preliminary approval for the probuilding on a more than ject's sewer system plans as 27-acre parcel between West Johnson Avenue and presented, but noted developers still need to submit Marion Road. plans for final approval and The building would cover still needed to apply for a an area of 25,000 square sewer connection permit. feet. With three floors, that building would offer 75,000 The IWWC has scheduled a square feet of office space. hearing during its Jan. 7 meeting. The Planning and Representatives from F.I.P. Zoning Commission is exRealty Corporation, which pected to discuss the applihas an office in Farmingcation during its Jan. 13 ton, appeared before the meeting. town's Water Pollution
The property is located in an industrial zone just south of the Interstate 691 east exit off Interstate 84 east. The site so far has been undeveloped. Town property records list F.I.P. Realty Corporation as the owner. Records do not list a sales price for the property. The appraised value is close to $890,000. During the Water Pollution Control Authority's Oct. 23 meeting, Peter Autunno, a senior project manager for See Office, A6