Thomas MacMillan Photos
Graham (right) & Santiago at City Plan hearing.
Exchange Street has homes and a commercial parking lot.
C‑Town’s owner wants to replace two old homes with a commercial building. Would that naturally expand a successful business area? Or erode residential Fair Haven — bringing more rats and trash?
The City Plan Commission considered those questions last week as it heard testimony on an application for a zoning change affecting three Fair Haven properties.
On behalf of Marcos Paulino, owner of the C‑Town supermarket, Fair Haven Alderman Ernie Santiago has asked the Board of Aldermen to change the zoning of 137 and 141 Exchange St. and a portion of 184 Grand Ave bordering the C‑Town shopping plaza now used as a parking lot (pictured above). The change would clear the way for the demolition of two 19th century multi-family houses on Exchange Street and the construction of a new commercial building, of a use to be determined.
The area is on the border between residential and commercial neighborhoods, a place where one use’s gain can be the other’s loss.
Santiago sought the blessing of the City Plan Commission on the proposed change. He won that blessing, narrowly. In a split 3 – 2 vote, the commission approved the proposal.
Two commissioners were swayed by testimony from an Exchange Street couple who said the C‑Town property is already a source of trash and rats that infiltrate the neighborhood. Michael and Jeannine Graham said they’re concerned about a loss of the residential character of the neighborhood if the zone change goes through.
The matter now heads to the Board of Alderman’s Legislation Committee for a public hearing in January. Jeannine Graham said she’ll be there with additional opposed neighbors.
Santiago and Paulino seek to change the zoning from RM‑1, “low-middle density residential,” to BA‑1, a business zone.
City Plan Director Karyn Gilvarg (pictured) explained to commissioners that BA‑1 permits residential uses, but the focus is commercial. The properties in question are right on the border between RM‑1 and BA‑1 zones, she said. The border runs right through one of the properties, 184 Grand Ave.
Gilvarg said the City Plan Department recommends approval: “This seems to straighten out the split zoning of the Grand Avenue parcel and could allow for growth of the shopping center.”
Santiago told commissioners that the two houses at 137 and 141 Exchange (pictured) are in bad condition. “It would take a lot of money to fix them,” and no one would pay the rents required to cover the cost, he said.
Paulino is looking for “a good customer” to build on the lots, Santiago said. “Maybe an Ace Hardware.”
The change would create neighborhood jobs, as C‑Town has, Santiago said. And it would bring in more taxes to the city, he argued. “Everybody will benefit.”
Santiago (pictured) said Exchange would remain without curb cuts onto the properties. Any entrance to the new business would be from Ferry Street, he said.
Santiago said he went house-to-house and delivered fliers about the proposed change. Three neighbors then showed up in favor of the plan at a Community Management Team meeting, he said.
“We’re not going to hurt anybody,” said Paulino. “It’s something for the future.”
Jeannine Graham, who’s lived for 23 years with Michael and four kids across the street at 130 Exchange St., said she never got a letter from Santiago. She said she’s against the plan.
“We already have a rat problem,” she said. “You don’t take care of that.”
She said she’s complained repeatedly to C‑Town and the city about garbage and vermin problems at the shopping center, with no results.
“That complaint never came to me,” said Paulino (pictured). He said he has never received any kind of “ticket” from the city for not keeping up his property.
“My heart is quiet,” he said. “If I don’t get anything from the city and the state” it means there is no problem there.
The area is unsafe for kids as it is, due to traffic, Graham said. The speed humps on Exchange don’t work because they don’t go all the way across the street. Taking away more residential property will only make the traffic worse, she argued.
“It’s something we can work on,” Paulino said.
Jeannine (pictured) said she watches C‑Town workers blow garbage into the street from the parking lot, where drug users hang out. A visit to Exchange Street found a variety of pieces of trash in the street (pictured).
“It sounds like they’re willing to work with you,” said Commission Audrey Tyson
“They’re just taking away from the residential feel,” Jeannine said. “It’s fine the way it is.”
“I hate drugs. I hate bums,” Paulino said. “We can work together. That’s the man that I am.”
“I don’t see one building there changing everything that much,” said commission Chair Ed Mattison. He pointed out that the area already has a McDonald’s, a Subway, a beauty salon, and C‑Town.
“I know. It’s enough,” said Jeannine. “You’re cutting into residential.”
Several commissioners noted that even with a zone change, the city would still have opportunity to shape whatever Paulino might decide to build there, through site plan reviews.
Mattison said the change does make sense, given the area. Commissioner and Westville Alderman Adam Marchand said he worries that business zoning could mean fewer eyes on the street. That risk has to be balanced with the promise of new jobs, he said. He raised the danger of a slow creep: an expansion of the commercial corridor could lead to yet more such expansion.
When it came time for voting, Marchand voted to deny the plan. He was joined by Commissioner Tyson. The remaining three commissioners voted to approve the zone change.
After the vote, Alderman Ernie Santiago noted that Jeannine Graham’s alderman, Gabriel Santiago, has been MIA for months. “So that’s something that’s hurting her.”
“No one has a voice for us on our street,” Graham said.
What a disaster. This kind of destruction of our neighborhoods, when there are perfectly good commercial sites nearby, is unacceptable.