Marcia Chambers Photo
The choice of a site for the new public works building remains in limbo as another public input meeting is scheduled.
Neighbors once again voiced their disapproval of the Tabor Drive site during last week’s Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting, prompting First Selectman Anthony “Unk” DaRos to announce he will schedule a special meeting with residents to discuss the issues.
“This is a project we’ve got to do sooner or later, someplace,” DaRos said in regard to the public works department, which has not had a permanent home for two years.
“I’ll gladly talk about every single one of your issues and then if there is someplace else we could do this, then you can be the corps to lead us there,” DaRos told the approximate 50 people at the meeting. “I would certainly like to hear every one of your concerns.”
The selectmen approved the Tabor site by a 2 – 1 vote in November 2012, with Third Selectman James Cosgrove, the sole Republican on the board, voting against it. Click here to read that story.
The project must eventually go to the Board of Finance (BOF), the next step, and the Representative Town Meeting (RTM). DaRos has made no move to take the proposal to the BOF, stating he wants to resolve issues with the neighbors first. He has also said that a road could be built on the Tabor property which would lead to Pine Orchard Road to lessen traffic on roads near Tabor Drive.
Cosgrove reiterated his reasons for opposing Tabor at last week’s meeting. “I think the strong majority of the people realize it’s not a good fit down there. It’s not cost effective…and it’s just getting dragged out and leaving the Public Works Department in a (leased) facility that is not up to standard.”
Cosgrove suggested taking another look at other potential sites. “It’s a balancing act between cost to the taxpayers, impact to the neighborhood and functionality for the department,” he said. “Until this moves forward, we’re kinda here in limbo.”
Following the November vote, an online petition opposing Tabor Drive was initiated by Ray Ingraham, who chairs the Republican Town Committee and is a member of the RTM; and Dennis Flanigan, a Republican and clerk of the RTM. Both men represent voters in the Tabor district. Click here to read that story. In February, Ingraham said 593 people expressed their opposition to Tabor either by signing an online petition, or by e‑mailing their concerns, or by placing a sign in their yards.
“It seems like only Democrats believe that Tabor is the gold mine for public works,” said Jacey Wyatt (pictured) at last week’s meeting. Wyatt is running for first selectman on her newly formed Independent Branford Voters party.
“Are you claiming this is a political thing?” DaRos asked her. “I know you’re running for office.”
Wyatt said she was speaking as a citizen but added, “If I do win the election in November, I will cease and desist anything that gets done at Tabor.”
Wyatt, who previously suggested building a golf course at Tabor, said everyone should come together and try to find a solution.
Republican Minority Leader Frank Twohill (pictured) suggested the town continue to pay rent for the facility now located on North Branford Road. He said what was needed was a cafeteria for workers and a office space, not the current trailers now in use. He said over the long run it would be cheaper to rent than to build.
Franklin Brown (pictured) said he is a Democrat and he is opposed to the Tabor site because he lives nearby. He said this should not be a political issue. “It’s not just Democrats, it’s not just Republicans…It’s a neighborhood and that’s more important than political parties…. This building will affect the flavor of our neighborhood. That is the issue. It will affect the neighborhood.”
Fred Russo, who has emerged as a spokesman for residents who oppose the Tabor site, accused DaRos of not listening to the neighbors. “You’ve never talked to the residents…you’ve done nothing with the neighborhood.” He said DaRos should not ignore 600 people who oppose the project.
Russo, who is a board member of the Eastern Indian Neck Association, said he voted for DaRos and gave money to his campaign because he felt he was compassionate and had common sense. “You built a career on common sense, but where is it?” he asked. He said the truck traffic would disrupt the lives of people who live near Tabor Drive. “This is our town,” Russo said. “When people speak, you have to listen.” He asked DaRos for one compelling reason public works should be built at Tabor.
“I’m looking for one compelling reason it doesn’t go there,” DaRos responded, adding that he has to consider the needs of the entire town. He told the audience, which numbered more than 50 people, that he will let them know possible meeting dates to continue the discussion.
PUBLIC WORKS HISTORY
The Department of Public Works (DPW) has been housed in a rental facility at 137 N. Branford Road since its former building on North Main Street was demolished in March 2011 to make way for the new fire headquarters. Click here to read that story.
The Public Works Building Committee was formed in the fall of 2010 to search for sites for a new building. The committee recently put together a synopsis of their efforts and posted it on the town Web site. Click here to read about the detailed search the committee has made. There are numerous articles on the website giving information about the Tabor site since 2008.
Members on the committee over the past two years have included Kurt Treiber, the past chair; Mario Ricozzi, the current chair; James Perito, Craig Fuchs, Robert Zettergren, Joseph Michelangelo, Ed Masotta, and Kathy Fox. Public Works Director Art Baker also served until he resigned to take a job in his hometown. The committee members’ expertise includes engineering, law, public works, real estate, construction, risk management, infrastructure and facility management.
The consulting firm of Weston & Sampson Engineers Inc., who have designed 60 public works buildings from Maine to New York, was hired to assist in the search.
The committee advertised extensively and contacted real estate agents, but only seven possible sites were available. A public forum was held in May 2011 seeking input, but only fourteen people attended and about half of them offered comments or asked questions. Click here to read that story.
After months of searching for sites, the committee narrowed their selection from seven to the top three. They included the town-owned Tabor Drive site, and the 20 Northeast Industrial Road site, which was on the market at that time for $1.25 million. The third-choice site at the intersection of 688 E. Main St. and Baldwin Drive had to be eliminated when it was sold to someone else. The site was owned by Parish Farm Partners LLC, a corporation headed by Dan Cosgrove, whose nephew James Cosgrove is now the third selectman.
Consultant James Alberti of Weston & Sampson did a detailed analysis of the Tabor and Northeast Industrial Road sites and public tours were conducted at each location. The Public Works Building Committee recommended the Tabor site as their first choice.
The BOS held public hearings in February and March of 2012, and Tabor neighbors expressed their concern about the site. The BOS then asked the committee to look at three more possible sites, including the Cherry Hill Glass site at 20 Elm St. Click here to read that story. After the consulting firm evaluated those properties, the Tabor site once again ranked highest and was the unanimous choice of the committee.
The proposed facility would be built on a 10-acre site at the 77-acre property. DaRos presented a master plan at the December 2012 BOS meeting that illustrated a proposed layout for the remaining 60 acres of the property. The plans include a baseball field, softball field, a multi-purpose field, a concession building and restrooms, a BMX bicycle park, new roads, connections to walking trails, access to Chet’s Pond (which is already on the property), parking areas, and space for future athletic fields if needed.
At the same BOS meeting, about 60 residents of the Tabor area attended and many voiced their opposition to having the public works facility in their neighborhood.
When the BOS voted on Tabor in November 2012, Second Selectman Andy Campbell discussed the issue of proximity to homes. He said the closest homes to the Tabor parcel are about ¼ mile away, and that would include 10 homes. He said there are about 100 homes within a ¼ mile of the Northeast Industrial Road site, and hundreds of homes within ¼ mile of the proposed Cherry Hill Glass site.
In February 2013, Cosgrove asked for permission to attempt to negotiate with the owners of the Cherry Hill Glass site to see if that property could be feasible. He has not reported publicly on any success with that plan.
The history of the public works facility and a search for a new site has been a long and complicated process.
Some of the problems can be traced back to June 2009, when the RTM’s Public Services and Ways and Means joint committees and the RTM voted unanimously to proceed with the design phase for the fire house. But the committees voted 6 – 2 to not authorize design of the public works facility. So plans were drawn up for the fire headquarters but not for public works, an RTM decision that created some of the difficulty that ensued.
Eventually, the RTM approved construction plans for the fire department and appropriated $600,000 to move public works to a lease facility for three years. Click here to read the story.
GARBAGE CONTRACT AWARDED
In other business last week, the BOS (pictured) voted 2 – 1 to award the garbage collection contract to Waste Tech Family Refuse LLC. The only other bid was from National Carting Co., which has served the town for decades.
At the March 20 BOS meeting, owners of both companies and their attorneys addressed the board to argue why their company was best suited to gain the 3‑year contract. Click here to read that story.
DaRos decided to postpone the vote last month until Town Counsel William H. Clendenen Jr. could review the issues. Clendenen found no problems with the low bid contract, DaRos later said. The contract, which begins July 1, covers the weekly curbside collection of garbage and recyclables from 9,500 households for three years, with the option of two additional one-year extensions.
Waste Tech’s bid for three years totaled $2,055,000 million; and National Carting’s bid for three years was $2,734,612. That equates to a difference of $679,612 over three years. If the contract was extended the additional two years, the difference over five years would be $1.25 million.
Cosgrove said last week he was voting against the low bidder because he felt it did not have enough experience while the other company has a proven record of municipal service.
Kurt Schwanfelder, a member of the Board of Finance, (BOF) also voted against the proposed contract, saying the low bidder did not have the trucks to do the job and had no municipal experience. The contract had been sent to the BOF for its consideration.
Second Selectman Andy Campbell said that Waste Tech was vetted by the town’s Solid Waste Management Commission, which gave a unanimous recommendation. He said the savings would be beneficial to taxpayers.
National Carting is owned by David Parzych and family. Waste Tech is owned by Paul Santa Barbara.
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