Speech by Norwich Neighborhoods
Coalition president to City Council
September 4, 2007
Good Evening.
As you all are aware, developers
Carpionato-LaBossiere intend to seek a zoning change from residential to neighborhood commercial for the upper portion of
Washington Street for the specific purpose of building a strip mall to
serve as a home to a Walgreens, Starbucks and Webster Bank.
During the Overlay fiasco, developer’s
representatives repeatedly and emphatically denied that they had ANY plans for ANY specific site. We know now, as we strongly suspected then, that they indeed had specific plans for a specific site. They denied a Walgreens. They denied
a Starbucks. These plans have been circulating throughout this City since December
of last year. This being BEFORE the Overlay was introduced and at about the SAME
TIME Carpoionato LaBossiere took options on the properties between the Benedict Arnold birthplace property and Johnson’s
Florist as well as, another on Julian Terrace. They thought that the Overlay
would go unchallenged as citizens were being kept in blissful ignorance that a spot zoning ploy was underway.
It is well known that the
developers are threatening to put a non-profit in the place of the proposed strip mall if the City Council does not affirmatively
vote for the “spot REzone”. Isn’t that blackmail? Just a question….
By not allowing developers to
hold this City hostage, we send a message to future developers: make money by acting responsibly. Maybe taking options out on properties BEFORE an ordinance is introduced, much less passed, isn’t
such a good idea – and if they do, that is their problem. It isn’t the City’s job to bail them out -- and
at the expense of our neighborhoods and tax paying citizens, no less. As
a City, we must hold our heads high. We must insist on integrity. We must tell developers that we won’t allow them to destroy our neighborhoods, to decrease our property
values or cause retail space on W. Main St., a valid commercial zone,
to become vacant only to plop that same business into the middle of a residential neighborhood. We won’t allow them to put retail space on historic properties in areas of town of archaeological
interest. We won’t support tactics like calling a meeting with local residents
under the guise of open communication nearly A YEAR after the idea was hatched, only to cancel it for the purpose of political
spin. And then to show up at our citizen’s houses, uninvited, unannounced
(even though they have our phone numbers) waiting in our driveways for us to return home in an effort to woo us with colorful
renderings of a strip mall. They claim the renderings are not of a strip mall. We know what a strip mall looks like. We
know what spot zoning is. And we know you have the power to make this stop.
Five years ago, the City
was at the mercy of developers. We almost HAD to let them do whatever, where
ever. This City is not that desperate anymore.
We don’t have to meet the demands of any one who comes to town with any ‘ole idea. It is the City who needs to be more demanding. And maybe a little more proactive in attracting a more diverse
group of developers to Norwich.
Mayor Lathrop, speaking to the potential rezone application in The Day’s July 24th article said he,
“questioned whether any alderman would sponsor such a controversial measure in an election
year.” Well, that says it all right there. Any initiative brought forth by an elected official, that is truly to the mutual benefit of the people
and this great City could and should be introduced at ANY time, regardless of an impending election. That statement says, “no one who wants to be re-elected would introduce it now.” If this potential rezone is really for the betterment of Norwich,
council members would be jumping over one another to introduce it. Many would
be seeking to take credit, leading the charge. Yet, we don’t have that
do we?
We have two alderpersons who are not running in this election and
so do not have to worry about election repercussions. To their credit, they have
also opted not to sponsor this rezone application. That speaks highly of both
of you. That you both have put yourselves above the fray and are leaving your
service to this City with integrity says a lot about you and sends a message to those who will follow in your footsteps.
Please, put an end to this
now. I have a grander vision for Norwich
than this, don’t you?
Make it clear Norwich
will not be held hostage by developers. That Norwich
is a place worthy of responsible development. That Norwich
is valued. That Norwich is worth
standing up for. That Norwich is
truly, “Now”.
I urge each of you and any candidates
who may be elected to this council to refuse to sponsor any spot rezone on upper Washington St.
or anywhere else.
Thank you.
