New Haven Independent

Posted by: robn | June 23, 2009 8:33 AM

Granting a variance for a large parking lot on Orange street set a bad precedent and could lead to further erosion of the neighborhood architectural fabric. We don't need more missing teeth on Orange Street. Its nice to have a business like this in the neighborhood, but they have to live with what they've got and what they've got is a successful small scale business in a small scale neighborhood. The neighborhood shouldn't be penalized because they're reaching for more success.

Posted by: jawbone | June 23, 2009 9:19 AM

"We have to make like one family" Not with Romeo I guess, right Joe?

Something is not right here. Or, not right with the NHI account of the meeting. If they are too cramped up front, ie. too little space for the aisles and cash register lines, then why are they said to be expanding only the kitchen and prep area, and expanding upwards to hold 34-35 more customers inside the building upstairs? Are they also enlarging the 'shopping area'?
The 'recession has slowed' the completion of the first phase of their panino empire (finishing the at-grade seating area/obscuring the parking lot), but yet the recession isn't slowing their upward and backward expansion plans. They should be required to finish phase 1 before starting phase 2.

Posted by: Panini R Us | June 23, 2009 9:30 AM

Or, for several tens of thousands of dollars less, Nica's could redo the shop facade to make two doors, and rearrange the interior of the shop so that the sandwich-making operation runs down one side of it. That way the lunchtime crowd could head straight for the paninis and the grocery shoppers could carry on as usual. And for the sheltered eating area out the front? One or two of these.

Better (and faster) still: an "express lane" back-door take-out window (a la Modern Apizza) for lunch food only. In which case, they could use some of that luxuriously large parking area as covered seating with a sort of pergola arrangement over it. Voila. I will waive the usual design fee.

East (Rock) Villagers will be amply taken care of during the construction period by Romeo's and Pino's new establishments, thus keeping it all in the family.

PS Nica's could start by fixing that giant, dangerous mud puddle in the curb strip left by the wheels of their giant, dangerous delivery trucks, as well as the damaged pavement next to it. It's a menace and an eyesore and is breeding mosquitos.

Posted by: Bruce | June 23, 2009 9:31 AM

I love Nica's, but I hate how their delivery trucks create hazards for the neighborhood. I used to try to catch the bus at the corner of Orange and Bishop. Every single morning a delivery truck would park right in the bus stop -- often when I was standing right there. I had to ask them to move every morning and they were not always pleasant (they're just trying to do their job and there was no where else to go). The reason I supported their parking lot was because I figured they could use it for deliveries, but no such luck.

I don't Nica's owners are trying to be sneaky or dishonest or do anything that would upset the neighbors. However, I think they don't take the dangers of their obstructions seriously enough. Someone is going to get killed stepping around a delivery truck one day.

Posted by: Margaret | June 23, 2009 9:59 AM

"Large delivery trucks often jut out into the street, he said, creating blind corners and large obstacles for bikers, drivers, and walkers alike."

I live on Bishop Street by Nica's and large delivery trucks at this corner make it very scary to pull out on to orange street in a car or on a bike during the morning rush hour. Changing the delivery times might work- other options might be to require the trucks to park farther from the intersection, or pull into the parking lot, or maybe a light at the intersection? I would really love to see this problem addressed as part of the request for an expansion.

Posted by: Biagio | June 23, 2009 10:45 AM

I agree with Bruce that Nica's downplayed the potential for disaster with deliveries. A loading zone will not work as the city does not do parking enforcement in the morning. Cars will be left from the previous night and since the staff don't currently do anything about the delivery trucks (come back, park elsewhere), I can't expect they'd do anything about cars parked in the loading zone.

On 06/22, I drove by the market at around 8:30 AM. One delivery truck had actually blocked in a parked car, crossed the bike path and was blocking traffic towards Wilbur Cross HS. As I passed that truck, there was a customer inching her way out of the driveway between the original truck and another truck. Yet a third truck (Snapple) was ahead of the other 2, parked right to the corner of Bishop.

While Attorney Avallone insisted that no back-room deals were made, he did state a couple of times that the BZA advised the applicants that the parking area should only be one lane. He did not indicate how the plans went back to two lanes. Not only that, if you look at the way the entrance to the parking lot is designed, it's entirely possible for someone to think it was done so specifically to keep delivery trucks out. Ms. Sabino was extremely quick to point out a number of reasons why delivery trucks couldn't park in their new parking lot.

Since Ms. Sabino indicated that promised landscaping had not been completed due to financial constraints and indicated she does not want an increase in customers, how are they going to pay for this expansion?

I think there are two many unanswered questions to allow this expansion.

Posted by: anon | June 23, 2009 10:45 AM

People have already been injured because of the poor visibility at these intersections. We need to take action now before something worse happens.

Posted by: jawbone | June 23, 2009 11:27 AM

The Sabinos need to realize that the delivery trucks are actually hurting their business. I now cross the street when walking with my kids to school just so we don't have to walk in front of Nica's. Stop by for a cup of coffee and a bagel with the kids in the morning? Never. Too much risk of getting smooshed.

Posted by: anon | June 23, 2009 11:28 AM

Margaret: I think some simple "daylighting" techniques could help solve those issues. In addition to improving visibility, they can slow traffic somewhat, giving people more time to react.

Another commonly used measure for situations like these is the "table intersection."

Posted by: bebe1222 | June 23, 2009 11:40 AM

what about the intersection @ romeo's ? it seems like pino and romeo have a monopoly on orange street buying this and buying that...all the sabino's want is to expand on already existing property....lets not make comments on what happened between romeo and joe.....please!!!

Posted by: Panini R Us | June 23, 2009 12:20 PM

Love those table intersections and would love to see them all over this city. But I dunno, Anon, you could "daylight" that end of Bishop St all you want, but if a driver can't see past the parked delivery trucks on Orange, it's still a fearfully dangerous intersection to pull out into.

Or did you mean a no parking zone on Orange between Nica's parking lot driveway and Bishop, (but what's the bet the delivery trucks would obey that one?).

Also, I note that the crosswalk at Bishop St is one of the few -- the only? -- on Orange that doesn't have one of the new yellow "Yield To Pedestrians" signs. That should be fixed, pronto.

Agreed, Jawbone, that Nica's is losing customers over this already, although they don't seem to realize it. If I'm in the car and the street-side parking is occupied by trucks, I just keep driving to Orange St Market or Romeo's, because getting in and out of that parking lot when the trucks are there is so difficult and dangerous.

And, as a pedestrian (and parent) I would appreciate Nica's installing a "stop and look" sign at the exit of the parking lot. Drivers are so focussed on getting into traffic that they often don't pause for foot traffic, especially the short, fast kind.

I think Nica's needs to fix all these problems before they start with the balconies and the extensions. It would be, what's the word, oh yes, family-like.

Posted by: Chicwa | June 23, 2009 1:12 PM

I agree with panini r us. There are so many ways that they could remodel Nicas to be more effecient, without the need for expansion. This is clearly an excuse to try and expand unecessarily.

I also don't believe that the Sabinos are concerned about the neighbors or the neighborhood. They pretend to be, because it is a neighborhood store and any backlash will affect their profits, but given that there appears to have been discrepency between what was promised last time,for the parking situation, than what was delivered, we have to assume that this is how they operate and no benefit of the doubt should be given this time.

On the parking situation, I think the new lot has helped things in terms of customer access to the store and reduced the amount of double parking out front, but as for deliveries, an appalling and unacceptable hazzard still exists.

I don't think that anyone in their right mind could imagine delivery trucks using that parking lot beside the store. There is no way that 30-40 foot trucks could get in and out without room to turn around inside. Could you imaging those trucks trying to back out onto Orange st? And to use that as a possible excuse for building the lot in the first place is misleading.

The reality is that Nica's has little or no control over the delivery trucks and their drivers, just like any other business around the city. The only possible thing for Nica's to do is to either refuse delivery at certain times, or demand certain delivery conditions from their vendors, by threatening to withdraw their orders. Neither of these are likely, because after all, the Sabinos are business people.

The only other possible action to take against the delivery trucks is to have REAL traffic enforcement. Once the tickets start being issued to companies and drivers, then behaviour would start to change. Sadly this is unlikely too, and would no doubt become yet another obvious, yet largely ingored safety rule that no one seems to enforce.

Posted by: jawbone | June 23, 2009 1:27 PM

BEBE1222,
I don't fully understand your comment. The Sabinos bought the old Prime Market when Joe had his falling out with Romeo. They were the first to 'buy this and that', not that it matters. In my opinion, and I think many others, the Sabinos have been the most blatantly expansionist with their business and the people that care about the community have concerns. Its as simple as that.
As far as commenting on Romeo and Joe's breakup, I see no reason not to as long as I stay within the comment guidelines set forth by the NHI. As far as I know, you are not a moderator of this forum.

Posted by: anon | June 23, 2009 1:34 PM

Part of "daylighting" is not allowing delivery trucks to block the line of sight. You can do this through striping & enforcement (like is done in downtown New Haven... sometimes) or you can put something there like a planter or bumpout (like the one at the corner of Nash and Lawrence).

Posted by: anon | June 23, 2009 1:36 PM

"And, as a pedestrian (and parent) I would appreciate Nica's installing a "stop and look" sign at the exit of the parking lot. Drivers are so focussed on getting into traffic that they often don't pause for foot traffic, especially the short, fast kind."

That is an excellent idea, Panini R Us. A stop and look sign and a speed bump, like the ones that some of the more conscientious parking garages in downtown New Haven have installed, could help save a life.

Posted by: Ron | June 23, 2009 4:43 PM

The daylighting might work if no one parked in the bus stop. Today, I noticed that 2 state police cars were parked there. Other times, there are 1. 2. or 3 cars in the bus stop. I also notice that the handicap parking space designation has slowly worn off and now its parking for anyone. No one in the market seems to be considering the handicap segment of the population using Nica's certainly not the owners. The owners need to get their community act together before saying they are community minded.

Posted by: anon | June 23, 2009 5:52 PM

Traffic & Parking should ticket the handicap spaces, not Nica's.

Posted by: Mark Oppenheimer | June 23, 2009 8:22 PM

Cool. Now would one of you open a satellite branch in Westville? We're dying for a good market over here. What about the vacant former pharmacy on the corner of Whalley and Blake? Or somewhere?

Posted by: stptia | June 23, 2009 10:00 PM

Nicas should consider expanding to other areas of the city -- for example, Westville. Then perhaps with the right store and space they could take deliveries at one store and van it over to the other.

Call it a small cost to pay for twice the success. Because a Nica's 2 would kill in Westville.

Posted by: 1554 | June 23, 2009 10:49 PM

Not if it's in the paking lot (I'm responding to Anon's comment regarding enforcement of handicap parking spaces, in case someone else has commented in the time since I started typing this).

As a car-free SoHu resident, I welcome any and all additional retail activity in my area. I'm really looking forward to the new cafe at Pearl Street.

Also, I'd just like to say that I'm not so sure zoning actually helps anything. Oftentimes it seems to get in the way of a lot of perfectly good ideas. (Minimum parking requirements and restrictions against raising hens seem particularly non-sensical to me). Frankly, we need to get back to the gritty chaotic urbanism of a hundred years ago if we seriously want curb our greenhouse gas emissions. If we really want to save the planet, we're going to have to set aside selfish NIMBY concerns and welcome density, diversity, growth, and expansion into our neighborhoods. Personally, I hope the BZA takes a reasonable and liberal approach. Most of the code is outdated and ill-advised anyway. To me, trying to fight global warming while using the zoning code as your playbook is like trying to fight the Civil War using Napoleonic tactics.

OK this whole comment probably makes no sense to most people. Sorry. I was just going to say I don't understand why anyone would oppose what appears to be a step in the right direction (more locally-owned neighborhood retail). I'm just happy that the nearest Wal-Mart is still really far away, the city has stopped proposing new highways and instead is working to remove Rt 34, Orange St actually has bike lanes and a more of those in-street crosswalk signs than any other neighborhood. I think what we have is pretty great and what Joe and his daughter are proposing will make it even better as far as I can tell. WIMBY! (welcome into my back yard!)

Posted by: strangerthanfiction | June 24, 2009 1:22 AM

Nica's is a great place with excellent food. But that parking lot is really overkill, too much for that residential neighborhood. Interesting that it doesn't reflect what the community and Nica's agreed to. But wow, there's a shocker -- Tony Avallone, hired for big bucks, may have cut a backroom deal to ram that huge parking lot through the BZA.

Posted by: kamb | June 24, 2009 7:48 AM

You folks are unreal!!!

But I would expect the complaining and whining about 'big delivery trucks' and 'changing the facade of Orange Street' from a bunch of liberal residents with nothing better to do.

You dont realize how lucky you got it. Rebuild Nica's in my neighborhood. We'd love to have them !

Posted by: robn | June 24, 2009 8:19 AM

KAMB,

In my opinion, the comments here are mostly conservative. A market can co-exist with the architectural fabric of a historic neighborhood but not with relentless expansion and not without organizing its deliveries in to some reasonale hour so that they don't cause traffic hazards.

Posted by: Bruce | June 24, 2009 9:02 AM

1554 and Kamb, the reason people are complaining is because it is dangerous. There is no reason why Nica's shouldn't be able to expand and prosper with just a few simple fixes:

1) Allow deliveries in the parking lot -- move that little curb if you have to. Or simply use the front driveway for deliveries in the morning and put tables out after deliveries.
2) Tell delivery trucks they are strictly forbidden to park in the bicycle lane or bus stop.

Posted by: Nan Bartow | June 24, 2009 9:08 AM

Joe and Rosanna, please come to Westville. I've been waiting and waiting for Nica's 2. How much longer do I have to wait?

Posted by: anon | June 24, 2009 10:04 AM

nan, while they are at it, how about a Nica's 3 at 360 State Street

Posted by: jawbone | June 24, 2009 10:41 AM

Nica's should open outposts all over the city. Then City Hall wouldn't have to go begging to joints like Whole Foods (Whole Paychecks) to open up downtown. Keep the $$$ local, my people.

Posted by: Mister Jones | June 24, 2009 10:52 AM

All you folks complaining about the delivery trucks have no idea what it's like actually run a mom and pop retail business in New Haven. It's a daily struggle.

Y'all act like this is some kind of undesirable business. Be thankful for what you've got instead of trying to make life more difficult for hardworking successful neighborhood businesses.

Posted by: Airlie Foyle | June 24, 2009 10:55 AM

Nica's is great just the way it is, congestion and all. Making it bigger and more efficient won't necessarily reduce the congestion anyway; it may just bring in enough more customers that the congestion stays about the same. That's clearly what the owners are hoping for; assuming they're rational businesspeople, which so far they certainly have been.

Posted by: strangerthanfiction | June 25, 2009 1:37 AM

It would be wonderful to have Nica's come to Westville. If Nica's is reading this thread, please stop dueling with Romeo on narrow, supersaturated Orange St. and come to Westville! The corner of Whalley and Blake would be an outstanding site. You would absolutely thrive and be tremendously appreciated by the neighborhood.

Posted by: LastStraw | June 25, 2009 9:29 PM

Okay, okay.
I used to be a delivery driver, and I gotta say, most of you have no idea what you are talking about.
Even if "that little curb" were removed from the parking lot, nothing longer than a 14' box truck would be able to back in there without considerable time and traffic congestion.
The only place for a truck to park while delivering to Nica's is just past the shop on the Northbound side of the road, where they already do.
Many of Nica's products are considered "gourmet", meaning that they are going to have very specific vendors, and as such may only have one window of opportunity for delivery. When I drove a truck, I routinely drove 500 miles each day, to 25 or less "stops" -- we carried a selective product. Having specific delivery times may be out of the question.
Want to fix the Bishop intersection? Put in stop signs. Cars already travel too fast down Orange anyway.
Maybe if New Haven's automobile drivers were more considerate, they'd slow at that intersection, just in case.

The drivers are "just doing their jobs", and you should probably just cut them some slack.

Posted by: concerned resident | June 26, 2009 10:27 AM

I am a frequent Nica's shopper, more for the convenience than anything else, because the staff is not at all friendly, a far cry from neighborhood market that is portrayed, but that is another issue, and let me not digress.
If Nica could not be trusted with the parking lot expansion what makes anyone think this current proposal would be any different??
I was denied building a one car garage on my property because the city was enforcing the "The livable city initiative" (a certain % much of my property could not be covered by a structure). Why would Nica be exempt from this law?
It seems Nica wants to add over 4000 square feet to their business, to ease congestion and to add some 30 to 40 seats (sounds more like a restaurant). You need 4000 square feet to accomplish this. 4000 square feet is bigger than most banquet halls. Almost twice the size of my home. Is the intent to cater on prem large parties? After hours? Past normal business hours? Seems like an awful lot of space to add in a residential neighborhood? If residents and visitors have traffic concerns now, just wait!!!
Lastly if the current recession has had such an impact on Nica's finishing their parking lot, where are they coming up with the financing for what seems like a huge project? I doubt I could even afford the bill for their high powered attorney. Seems like Nica must be doing pretty well!!
All I can say is something seems a little fishy!!!

Posted by: jawbone | June 26, 2009 11:26 AM

Popped my head into Nica's last night at 7:12 to get a carton of milk and some corn on the cob. Greeted with a barked out,unfriendly "We're Closed!". Went down to Romeo's instead. They are now open til 8pm. Romeo and his family are always very friendly and me and my family.
Last night: Romeo-1, Nica-0.

Posted by: Mister Jones | June 26, 2009 12:30 PM

Amen, Laststraw. Seems like the posters mostly like Nica's, want it there, but want to micromanage how they do business. Seems to me that the only businesses that can absolutely control their deliveries are those like Starbucks, with single-source out-of-state supplers. They double-park on Chapel, or stand in the tow zone on Church, in the wee hours so nobody cares. Try doing that during daylight!

It's hard enough to do business in the City, both for business owners and the vendors that service them. If you want them to thrive, cut 'em some slack!

Posted by: westvillain | June 26, 2009 1:55 PM

what about bringing the gourmet market 'industry' to westville - ripe for the development with space and parking (although limited) available with new art galleries and cafes in the works. seems you run the risk of market saturation with so many variations in a few block stretch. folks in westville have been craving a good market for a long time and there are a few empty leased spaces available. consider it!

Posted by: Lil Man | June 26, 2009 6:44 PM

let me start by sayng that the problem starts with New Haven in general. People dont respect any speed limit. I live on Orange street and I always see cars going way over 25mph. As far as the delivery trucks, I personally heard the owners at Nica's expressing their concern to the delivery drivers about traffic and noise. They put in the parking lot to alliviate some of the congestion of cars, trucks, motorcycle, bikes, and pedestrians. And as far as the expansion? You people are crazy! How big does your 1200sq/ft apartment feel with furniture, bathroom, and kitchen. Times change and this can only be a good thing!

Posted by: Ellen | June 26, 2009 7:58 PM

I'm new to New Haven and new to this discussion. I think some of you have no idea how amazing Orange Street is! I love the smallness of Romeo's and I love the congestion of Nica's. Maybe sometimes you find workers in both places in a bad mood but that has yet to be my experience. Everyone, including the customers at both places, are friendly and polite. What you have here, Ladies and Gentlemen, is one wonderful neighborhood -- disagreements, congestion, parking, strollers, bicycles, walkers, faithful dogs sharing bagels with their owners, and all! I feel like I am living in a dream world. I vary my visits between Romeo's and Nica's because I like them both for different reasons. That deli counter at Romeo's is a slice of Italy and the checkout counters are happy, friendly places. Those long lunch-time lines at Nica's are like magic. You come in a stranger and leave with two or three new friends. In both places food is good, prices are good, and every visit is worth the time.
Be careful what you argue for and against in this dispute. These few blocks represent one of the best neighborhoods in America!

Posted by: robn | June 27, 2009 9:39 AM

Those who oppose markets expanding aren't rejecting the existing markets, they're simply rejecting large scale expansion. We simply don't want Orange Street to turn into Dixwell Avenue, a half rotting residential, half chintzy retail, zombified former neighborhood.

Posted by: Purpleperson | June 28, 2009 12:56 PM

So I first want to start with the delivery trucks HELLO maybe the city should enforce the parking time limit and the bus stop and the trucks wouldn't be parking there. Everyone is focusing on these trucks and not on the true issue, nica's wants to expand to satisfy their customers. There have been many times that I wait in line and have to listen to people huff and puff about space to walk through to do there shopping. Others huff and puff becuase they don't know where to stand to check out. Nicas needs more space, everyones shopping experience would be much more pleasurable if they could fit down the isles together without squeezing or getting bumped. No one ever said them expanding a little bit is going to turn orange st into Dixwell ave COME ON people get it together you are being a little much now.
I agree to the fact that there needs to be as sign for pedestrians I don't understand why they are up a couple blocks and not at the crosswalk near nicas but this is nothing that nicas can change it is the city who takes care of them.

Posted by: robn | June 28, 2009 3:31 PM

PURPLEPERSON
"No one ever said them expanding a little bit is going to turn orange st into Dixwell ave.."

Give Nica's their second story and then to be fair, give Romeos, Romeos new cafe, Orange Food Market, Lulu's, Hall Benedict, the deli at Canner and Cafe Bravo permission to tear down houses to put in parking lots, then put a parking lot on the church lot (corner of Edwards and Orange), then watch the housing decline on the street because its less sheltered from traffic and congestion...it s a slippery slope and we're on the edge of it with bad precedent from the ZBA who is supposed to grant variances ONLY in the case of hardship...not suppressed profit.

Posted by: busymommy | June 29, 2009 11:05 AM

Some of these posts are ridiculous. You are bringing up issues that are easily resolved and completely ignoring the one at hand. Delivery trucks? Limiting times and location are an easy solution, enforced parking times from the city another easy solution. What's the issue with the parking lot? Has it not resolved some of the traffic issues that existed? Why is everyone here so against change? In all fairness to Nica's most of us are "passing by" meaning we leave the area sooner or later but Nica's is not going anywhere and all they are trying to do is improve the space they will be "living in" for the next 30 or 40 years. I have told one of the owners several times that i wish the store could accomodate my stroller so I could shop there more often...Let's bash them casue he actually listened. I have also heard them ask customers what they thought would be a good way to improve the store...
And let's stop bringing up Romeo's and the new Orange Market and Bravos and whoever else come this way. First of all they are completely irrelevant and of no concern to the owners of Nica's. I sit outside with my baby and often overhear people asking them about it and their only response is to worry about their family and their own business not everyone else. Not to mention it must be hurtful to them since i happen to know some of the "real " history behind the nonsense I have heard or read.
I hope Nica's does exopand, they have been improving ever since they opened and I'm thankful they are in my neighborhood.

Posted by: busymommy | June 29, 2009 11:11 AM

ROBN, as far as i know Nica's did not tear down a house to build a parking lot, it used a lot they owned on which condos could have been built to alleviate traffic issues and customers pulling in the front of the store. I'm sure condos would have been more lucrative instead they opted to accomodate their current customers.... And yes the city did give romeo's his cafe, and granted Bravo's permission to expand and parking variances. What was the hardship there?

Posted by: jawbone | June 29, 2009 12:08 PM

Busymommy,
1. The Sabino's probably have no interest in being condo developers. They in the 'making a mean panini' business.
2. What do you mean 'the city GAVE Romeo his cafe? Please clarify.
3. Does anyone in the neighborhood even go to Bravo's anymore? Nothing is going to save that place as far as I am concerned.
4. I don't give a hoot about the 'real' story between all these businesses on Orange Street, but, that said, please don't try and tell people what to talk about and what not to talk about in this forum.

Posted by: purpleperson | June 29, 2009 12:43 PM

ROBN I do not know how LONG you have been in the neighborhood but NICAS NEVER tore down a house to put a parking lot in... get your info right before even commenting. and as for the other businesses on the st let them have what they want if they are trying to better the community why not.

As for concerned resident.... how many people live in your home??? probably not many Nicas is a business not someones home it needs more space to accomodate its customers. oh and you think they want to have afterhour on prem catering come on don't you think they work enough it is a FAMILY owned and operated business... when would they actually have time for their families if they started being open more. I think they have enough on their plates. really it just seems they want to make their current customers more comfortable.

and for jawbone, did you ask if you could grab those two or three items you needed because there have been many of times that I needed to get milk for my 18 month old and they have let me while they were closing I think you just need to ask they are more than reasonable they don't know you needed a couple of items.

and I will end with I had concerns too and I went to them and just asked they were perfectly fine with answering all of my questions and when it boils down they just want to make customers shopping experience that much more comfortable. the indoor seating they just want people to have somewhere to eat when the weather is yucky what is the harm...

Posted by: busymommy | June 29, 2009 1:57 PM

jawbone:
1. The Sabino's do make a mean panini but i'm sure that's not all they know how to do.
2.You seem concerned about the city only granting variances in "hardship" situations...Well what was the hardship behind the new Romeo's cafe? The city granted varinace there....
3. What do u care who goes or does not go to Bravo's? It's not the issue at hand
4. it seems to me you don't give a hoot about too much other that posting nonsense.

Posted by: busymommy | June 29, 2009 2:01 PM

Oh and Jawbone... I'm not telling you what to post or not post but this is a page about Nica's proposed "decongestion plan" so why don't you stick to that instead of bringign up old irrelvant news.

Posted by: ROBN | June 30, 2009 8:46 AM

PURPLEPERSON,

I've been around for a very, very long time. Although I can see how you inferred it, I didn't write that Nica's tore down a house. I suggested a reasonably possible hypothetical future in which businesses desiring to expand or create a parking lot would have to tear down a house to do so. My problem with Nica's lot is that it has not relieved a problem, only expanded it (as conventional road and parking expansions usually do...like a water valve, you open it up, and more water flows). A better use for that site was open green space or residential.

The central issue here is the ZBA's continuing erroneous interpretatioin of hardship.

Posted by: rosemarie | July 7, 2009 7:08 PM

I have just discovered this conversation (having been out of town a lot recently) and I'm surprised that given all these most welcome & wholly justified complaints about delivery trucks that no one has pointed out the tragic pollution issue. The delivery trucks at Nica's, which idle for lengthy periods on site pouring out high quantities of carcinogenic diesel fumes, do not belong in a residential family neighborhood at all. Not at all! Fine for Wal-Mart deliveries down at Sawmill where no residential homes exist, and fine for Home Depot on 91 or even Starbucks in downtown New Haven. But not here, where families live and children grow up and folks like to walk their children and dogs in the street.
Nica's delivery trucks pour out high quantities of carcinogenic diesel fumes ! The other day I timed one of the trucks idling in Nica's yard -- it sat within a few feet of residential boundaries where children were playing ball, pumping out toxic diesel fumes for 20 whole minutes! This is just one truck out of several in one day. Believe me - I live next door and wear a breathing mask when gardening while Nica's trucks sit idling right by my garden hedge. I already have Chronic Pulmonary Disorder and don't want anything worse.
Do you wonder why our little ones are sick with leukemia and elders too, dying of other forms of cancer?
In California diesel delivery trucks are banned in residential areas (and I think maybe even statewide now) for this very reason: the deadly carcinogens they pump into the atmosphere. The lives they take, in pain and suffering.

Check it out -- the risk to your children especially -- at http://healthandenergy.com/deadly_diesel_fumes.htm

Or maybe take five & read Joyce Carol Oates' *The Falls* if you tend to think that these invisible killers are no more than "Green" fanaticism. At least Oates entertains while pumping out the facts about toxic waste in our "living" environment. "Living" is said ironically, of course.
R Morgan - Backdoor neighbor to Nica's Deli

Posted by: Jean Paul | July 31, 2009 12:08 AM

I have to agree with Rosanna Sabino's comment that "the hardship is that the customers and staffers are too cramped in the space they have." We the customers want somewhere to sit when it rains, and the only direction in a tight area with limited space is creating an upstairs level.

The Cardichons
Hamden, CT