New Haven Independent

Aldermen have unanimously approved the city’s lease of a parcel of River Street to make way for expansion of the Colony Hardware Supply Co., which aims to create 100 new jobs by moving to the redevelopment area. Click here, here and here for previous stories about the project.

Under the agreement approved at Monday’s Board of Aldermen meeting, 100 River St. will be leased for 98 years to The Sophie Group, the development arm of Colony Hardware Supply Co., for $580,000.

East Rock Alderman Roland Lemar, who had voted to approve the plan through his position on the City Plan Commission, said he “regretfully” supported the plans. The plan is “a marked change” from the original municipal development plan (pictured above), which called for an extension of Blatchley Avenue right to the waterfront. The tree-lined road would have provided a grand vista from Grand Avenue along Blatchley to the water.

Early imaginations also depicted a boardwalk and pedestrian promenade along the river.

“We will no longer have that pedestrian promenade,” Lemar informed his colleagues. He still had misgivings over the loss of the Blatchley Avenue extension as well as the parking and setback plans. “It’s not a great urban design, but the overall positive aspects of this” — namely, job growth and retaining a business that would encourage further development on River Street — “far outweigh that consideration.”

Helen Rosenberg, who staffs the City Plan Commission, later emphasized that a landscaped pedestrian walkway would still connect Criscuolo and Front Street Parks. There was never going to be a “promenade,” she said. The only thing eliminated from the plans was the Blatchley Avenue extension, which would have provided a tree-lined roadway out to the water ending in a pier.

Lemar contended the waterfront walkway has been scaled down from its original concept.

Rosenberg said plans for the walkway are due to to be reviewed by city staff next week, and are pending site plan review. The current plans would include a 50-foot, landscaped walkway-slash-park passable by bikes and feet. Access will still be available through Criscuolo Park, James, Lloyd and Poplar Streets. She said construction should start on that waterfront park next year.

Fair Haven Alderwoman Migdalia Castro praised the company and the move, which she said she hopes would create jobs for Fair Haveners.

Dollar Deal Sought

Castro fought a plan, however, concerning the sale of a different parcel of land in her ward, 45 Shelter St. The lot is a sliver lot — considered too small to build on. It measures a slim 16.5 by 80 feet.

Milagros Velez asked to buy it for a driveway and off-street parking. The city offered to sell it to her for $1,878. That’s $1.50 per square foot, the price according to city guidelines that aldermen updated two years ago.

Castro argued the city should sell the lot for a dollar, because the cost of remediation outweighs the proposed sale price.

“A mini-Shartenberg,” said Alderwoman Dolores Colon before the meeting, referring to that notorious “dollar deal” approved for the downtown project.

“No, this is different,” replied Hill Alderman Jorge Perez. He agreed the cost of remediation should be accounted for.

Perez seconded Castro’s move when she made a motion on the aldermanic floor to sell the lot for a dollar.

Hill Alderwoman Andrea Jackson-Brooks stood up to oppose Castro’s amendment.

“I too have constituents that I would love to sell a piece of property to for a dollar,” Jackson-Brooks said, but the board agreed to guidelines to govern land deals. Guidelines passed in June 2006 dictate different prices for adjacent land owners and other purchasers of city sliver lots. Guidelines should be adhered to in an egalitarian fashion, she argued.

Castro’s amendment failed by a 17 to 8 vote. The parcel was sold for the city’s original asking price, $1,878.

Meanwhile, a bigger land sale was approved without discussion: The city sold 116 Munson St. to the SPDC [Science Park Development Corp] 110 Munson LLC for a short-term parking lot later to be incorporated in future plans for Science Park.