New Haven Independent

The unraveling was on display at Wednesday night’s meeting of the City Plan Commission, which after hours of heated testimony failed to move forward the college’s plans. It was the just latest in a series of contentious encounters on the plans.

The cause of the apparent Albertus-St. Ronan divorce? Bad manners, poor communication skills, and parking.

Armed with before-and-after photos showing what he called the deforestation of oaks and maples on his Prospect Street property, Larry Shanbrom was one of some two dozen St. Ronanites and East Rockers out in force to protest the college’s ongoing plan to expand its parking facilities in the residential neighborhood.

The two proposed parking lot expansions, one at 300 East Rock Rd., and one at 810 Prospect (pictured below), would grow from 10 and 8 slots respectively to 19 each. Other disputed issues included sufficient screening with the right plants, driveway width, and road safety.

A third proposed lot expansion at 765 Prospect was withdrawn, according to Albertus’ lawyer, Bernard Pellegrino, as acommodation to the neighbors.

Few people accepted that interpretation in the year-old fraying relationship.

“They’ve treated us with arrogance,” said Shanbrom, “and they never really met or consulted with us, despite how they represent that they did.” “765,” he added, “was a total non-starter.”

Phil Langdon, said not one decision-maker from the school ever sat down with neighbors, despite the commission’s charge. Neighborhood Alderwoman Alfreda Edwards, struggling to be the marriage counselor, confirmed this.

Another commission stipulation in the previous plan was that a fully qualified landscape architect be hired. The woman who presented the horticultural master plan, Amy Sampson, had her credentials repeatedly challenged.

Keying on neighbors’ testimonies that the current small lots were sparsely used, commissioners were also skeptical as to why the lots needed to be expanded at all. Pellegrino and other college representatives said it was for safety reasons, so the girls who live in the dorms do not have to traverse the campus at night and can park near their rooms.

Commissioner Audrey Tyson wondered why there couldn’t be a shuttle. Attorney Marjorie Shanksy said, “If the buildings aren’t expanding, where’s the justification for the lots to do so?”

Commissioners were also upset that other stipulations, such as the college’s taking seriously the use of pervious pavers, instead of asphalt, to promote good drainage, were not honored. The college’s designer/engineer simply said such greenish technology is too expensive and difficult to maintain.

Speaking on behalf of the New Haven Preservation Trust, of which he is vice president, Bob Gryzwacz said all the greenery proposed was just covering up a bad plan, inappropriate for an aspiring historic district. Amended, he added, it was a little less bad.

“To quote Frank Lloyd Wright,” he said, “doctors bury their mistakes. Architects put up ivy.”

Pellegrino said he hoped a balance could be found between residential needs and those of the college. “If some people in the neighborhood just don’t want any new parking, let them say so.”

While some residents do feel that way, Albertus’s lack of manners and of genuine engagement appears to have soured what has been a year-long back and forth.

Alderman Roland Lemar, who was chairing the matter for the CPC (pictured with Commissioner Pat King), said he was genuinely torn. He didn’t like the plan, found it not green enough, and the college not responsive enough.

“However,” he added, “they did meet the minimum requirements for a site plan review. And that’s what’s before us to vote on.” He moved to vote in favor. However with three abstentions, he couldn’t muster any action, up or down.

He felt he had no choice but to make a second motion to table the dispute yet again, but to keep the hearing open in the hope that there will be some movement.

A neighbor who had testified, David Cameron, said he thought Albertus got the message and might now really sit down with neighbors and discuss, why the parking is necessary, and if it is, if it might be moved to an interior site.

Phil Langdon was more exasperated, saying he felt there was a tilt on the CPC staff to accommodate the college even though its top administrators are playing hard-to-get and no one has justified the need for more spaces.

After three hours of often spirited testimony, people on all sides left beleaguered. By law, the commissioners have only 65 more days, that is, two more monthly meetings, to rule on the long simmering matter. If they don’t make a ruling, as they could not do tonight, then the proposal passes.