P&Z Hears Developer’s Proposal to Rezone Curtiss & Summit Farms Parcels

Plan of the proposed development showing new frontage road, stores, and a hotel SOLLI ENGINEERING SLIDE

The Planning and Zoning commissioners have had a light load so far this year, with several meetings cancelled due to a lack of items to consider. On Tuesday night that changed in a big way, as the commission held a hearing on a major development proposal before an audience of more than 40 people.

The project in question involves a piece of land that runs along I-84 from Curtiss Street to Smoron Drive, just south of the Summit Farms Road neighborhood. Currently undeveloped and zoned for industrial use, a developer, Southington 2 LLC, is seeking to persuade the town to open it to retail development.

At Tuesday night’s meeting, a team of representatives for the developer came before the Commission to describe their plans for the property and explain why it would benefit the town. First to speak was John Knuff, a land use attorney from firm MRG in Milford. Knuff sketched out the framework that he said the Commissioners should follow when making their decision about the proposal. He said first that their decisions needed to be consistent with the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development and its Comprehensive Plan “without adhering slavishly to it,” then argued that his client's proposal was consistent with those plans, insofar as it brought economic benefits to the community as a whole.

John Knuff at the podium with Kevin Solli to his right TOWN OF SOUTHINGTON VIDEO

The second representative was Kevin Solli of Solli Engineering. Solli delivered a slide presentation outlining the basics of the proposal. The three properties involved contain 113 acres of land and are all currently zoned I-2, or medium industrial: 682 Curtiss Street, 115 Summit Street, and 99 Smoron Drive. Solli stressed that this should be prime land for development, given its proximity to the highway, but has so far remained undeveloped. He suggested that this was due to the presence of various obstacles - high-tension power lines, water lines, and wetlands – as well as the lack of easy access to the property.

The basic overall vision for the development that Solli laid out involved the construction of a frontage road connecting Curtiss Drive to Smoron Drive that would run more or less parallel to I-84, and the building of a hotel and various retail spaces along that road. (See headline photo for plan.)

The specific proposal laid before the Council Tuesday was to “catalyze” development of the entire stretch of land by changing the zoning for 682 Curtiss and part of 115 Summit Farms from I-2 to B, for business. That change would in effect represent the town’s commitment to move forward with the entire plan. Once that approval was in place, Solli’s firm would set to work developing a detailed plan for stormwater remediation and a traffic impact study, in the hope that Planning and Zoning would then approve a rezoning of the remaining parcels, and thus pave the way for the implementation of the full plan.

The specific zone changes that Planning & Zoning are now being asked to approve SOLLI ENGINEERING SLIDE

The third speaker, Donald Poland from the firm Gorman + York Property Advisors, offered a series of estimates of the plan’s economic impact. Among the highlights of his presentation was his assertion that the town of Southington would take in another $2.2 million in annual tax revenue from the new commercial properties once they were complete, while having to spend another $500,000 in infrastructure services for them; that would result in a net benefit of about $1.7 million per year to the town. He also estimated that the development would create about 360 local jobs, most in the retail, warehouse, and hotel industry.

When it came time for the Commissioners to comment, Justin McGuire and Caleb Cowles raised the most pointed questions. McGuire asked Poland how he could be confident in his revenue projections, given the variability of the mill rate and property depreciation. Poland replied that tax rates may change but that that does not affect the cost-to-benefit ratio that much. He also noted that new commercial properties are always worth more than old ones simply by virtue of being less obsolete.

Cowles asked Knuff to look at the proposal from a local’s perspective and say whether the funds the town spent on infrastructure services for this development might not be better spent on improving some of Southington’s older built structures. Knuff granted that that might be true of old buildings in town, but that since no developer was going to be interested in rehabilitating Southington’s big box stores as they age, it would be better to build new ones.

When the commissioners finished their initial questions, Chair Steven Walowski observed that “this is a big decision, obviously.” He said that the Commission would need more time to review all the details of the proposal, and that the public hearing would remain open through the next meeting of the Commission.

At that point Walowski asked for a show of hands from members of the public who wished to speak. When he asked if there were any present who wished to speak in favor of the proposal, no hands were raised; when he asked if any were opposed, about a dozen hands shot up.

Most of the speakers who came to the podium to speak in opposition were residents of the area near the proposed development. The first, Sean Mckeown, said that he was fortunate enough five years ago to buy a century-old farm home on nearby Spring Hill Road. He said that he moved to Southington because “we love this town, we love the trail that this development is going through, we love the restaurants. We don’t need more stuff. There are things that are dying in this town that can be redeveloped.”

Many of the speakers who followed were residents of Summit Farms road. They expressed worries about increased traffic in the area, the loss of undeveloped open space, and the potential presence of new strangers close to their back yards.

Later, Knuff and Solli sought to assuage the concerns of the residents by pointing out a buffer zone between their neighborhood and the new construction that would consist of a line of forest, high-tension wires, and a stretch of vegetation. They joined members of the Commission in noting that there was no plan to send traffic from the development through the Summit Farms neighborhood, and that in fact it would be impossible legally to do so.

Walowski also sought to make residents aware that the three parcels near the highway are currently zoned for industrial, which means that even if no changes are made, a developer could still come in at any time and develop them, assuming their proposal conformed to the town’s zoning standards.

The Commission will take up the issue again at its next meeting on April 21.

Safety and Schools the Heart of Southington Budget Debate

Board of Finance Chair John Leary at the podium PHILIP THIBODEAU PHOTOS

The April 6 meeting of the Southington Town Council was devoted to a public hearing. To begin, Board of Finance Chairman John Leary presented the Board’s recommended budget for fiscal year 26-27, one which all parties involved agree is a difficult one.

Overall, the Board is recommending a $196 million budget for fiscal year 26-27, with $162.7 million in taxes to fund it. This would require a mill rate of 23.75 (down from 32.80) and a tax increase of 5.9%. The impact of this increase, the largest in several years, has prompted a lengthy public debate on town priorities.

Leary began his detailed presentation by addressing national factors, such as the $1 trillion the federal government now spends each year on debt service, that impact the financial situation of Southington residents. Higher borrowing costs for individuals, businesses and municipalities leads to more debt service expense. At the family level, he warned, this could mean fewer dollars spent locally, which in turn would “soften” the economic situation in town.

At the state level, Leary highlighted Connecticut’s healthy reserve funds, but said that corporate tax revenues decreased last fiscal year by around $75 million, tax refunds increased by $50 million, and the state now faces a $6 million deficit – relatively small, yet something that adds uncertainty to town budgeting. Most concerning, according to Leary, are the state’s unfunded pension obligations, which are around $35 billion, and among the highest in the nation, relative to state revenues. He pointed out that the state is dependent on high-income taxpayers and capital markets to sustain its fiscal health.

“Conservative budgeting protects Southington from aid reductions or mid-year adjustments,” Leary argued.

Another key factor in this year’s budget process is the state-mandated revaluation process.  Updating property values every five years makes for a more “fair” tax assessment process, Leary said, but this time came with an unexpected result: “The smaller homes were higher in demand, and the smallest homes increased more than commercial, industrial, and the larger homes, sometimes a lot more.” This has the effect of pushing more of the overall tax burden onto smaller property owners.

The biggest portion of Southington’s spending is on education. Leary addressed that aspect as well, detailing how the Board of Finance was able to reduce the Board of Education’s recommended budget from about $130 million to $126,799,132.

He also mentioned several areas for consideration that weren’t included in the budget submitted to the Council, including a line item for the “rainy day” fund and the future of the Barnes Museum, which had requested $50,000 for needed repairs.

Firefighting and Education Focus of Public Comment

The public comment section of the meeting began with a statement from Southington Fire Chief Scott Lee, who was critical of the decision not to fund three firefighting positions, while accepting some of the Board of Finance’s other reductions.

Chief Lee at the podium

Lee cited a consultant’s $80,000 strategic plan that called for increased staffing in town and compliance with consensus safety standards. “Choosing not to fund these positions means we disregard the data we paid for, we accept operating below recommended levels,” said Lee. “Demand is outpacing our staffing.”

Lee’s arguments about safety and staffing were echoed by several other people who spoke during the meeting, including Bristol Fire Chief Rick Hart, a Plantsville resident, who reported that Bristol Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu is “frustrated” and “tired of subsidizing” Southington’s fire department through sending mutual aid. Bristol and other surrounding communities are “rewarding your bad behavior by allowing you to be negligent,” Hart said. Hart also accused Town Manager Alex Ricciardone of “lying” in a conversation with Chief Lee by saying that the three firefighters would be funded.

Longtime fire volunteer and proponent of reform Al Urso spoke in favor of re-evaluating the overall shift structure of Southington’s fire department, and pointing out that Southington Fire Department also regularly provides mutual aid to towns like Bristol.

Others came forward to speak on behalf of the schools, arguing that strong schools attract people to live and raise families in Southington.

“You cannot claim fiscal responsibility while undermining the very system that drives long-term economic stability,” said Shawn Grindle.

Board of Education Chair Zaya Oshana also addressed the Council, emphasizing the bi-partisan nature of the budget his group approved and the overall success of Southington schools. “It’s up to us to educate our community,” regardless of whether people have children in the system or not, he said.

Taking the position that more cuts to the school budget are needed was Ann Marie Conaty. She pointed out that low levels of funding for Town services such as public works has meant delays in needed road repairs and ageing equipment. Reducing the Animal Control office by one person would also put a severe strain on public safety, she added, since other officers are not specially trained to deal with animals.

The Town Council did not take action on the budget, and the public hearing is still open. Town Council Chair Paul Chaplinsky said the first meeting in May will likely see a vote on the budget, at which point state funding levels may be clearer.

Absent from the Council at Monday night's meeting were its three Democratic members, Kristen Guida, Chris Palmieri, and David Zoni. According to Palmieri, all three were unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts.

Town Asks Residents To Submit Complaints through Website

Town of Southington homepage, showing 'Feedback Form' TOWN OF SOUTHINGTON WEBSITE SCREENSHOT

One of the most prominent features on the town of Southington’s new website is a feedback button designed to make it a quicker and easier for the town to address resident complaints. So far, at least, the results seem promising.

At the March 23 meeting of Town Council, Town Manager Alex Ricciardone delivered an early report on the system, which he called ‘Report-It.’ He highlighted the twofold benefits of the feature. Residents have long been accustomed to report local issues, especially potholes, by contacting members of Town Council. Since council members have no direct authority over the town departments that remedy these issues, all they can do is forward their concerns to the appropriate office. By having residents communicate directly with the town, the middleman is cut out, which shortens response time, and also allows council members to devote more of their time to other pressing matters.

Ricciardone shared a pie-chart at the meeting that broke down the requests received during March by category.  “Potholes,” he observed, “are inundating the complaint box” thanks to the severity of the past winter, with about three out of four requests relating to paving, curb, or pothole repair. These complaints are automatically forwarded to the Department of Highways, which prioritizes and sets out to fix them.

Next, Ricciardone noted complaints about property code violations, which get referred to the Building Department, and glitches with the new website, which go to the IT Department.

A fourth category mentioned by Ricciardone are speeding complaints. Here the Town Manager contrasted the volume of complaints with the limited resources available to address them. “The Police Department is doing a great job with the resources they have,” he said. “We have a dedicated full-time person whose only job is to do speed [enforcement]. However, if we have a bunch of call-outs, we pull him from the road and assign him to regular patrol. So, if we are short-staffed, speeding enforcement goes down. We have 200 miles of roads, so one person doing radar is not going to be the saving grace. But we are working very hard on speeding.”

Ricciardone asked the Council to encourage residents to use the feature, saying that the more people use it, the more time will be saved for everyone concerned.

Chart showing breakdown of Report-It reports. IMAGE COURTESY PAUL CHAPLINSKY

Origins of the System, and Coming Improvements

In response to an emailed inquiry, Town Council Chair Paul Chaplinsky provided the Outsider with some additional details on the service. “Residents are encouraged to use the form for a wide range of purposes,” he wrote, “including sharing positive experiences, reporting potholes, identifying signs that need repair, flagging website issues, or raising any other concerns.”  He noted that while requests are passed directly to the relevant town department, “emergencies should be reported to the Police Department.”

Chaplinsky credited those who took the lead in the effort: “The Town Council Technology Subcommittee, led by Council Vice Chairwoman Jennifer Clock, has worked in collaboration with the Town Manager and the IT Department to begin implementing a more transparent and accessible way for our community to provide feedback—whether positive, negative, or otherwise… A special thanks to the IT Department and the Town Manager for their work in this, as well as Vice Chair Clock and the Technology Subcommittee for their vision and execution."

He also alluded to forthcoming improvements that should make the process more transparent: “At present, the Town Council can view this data from the Manager through an aggregate dashboard summarizing the types of feedback received. Looking ahead, my goal is to make all requests visible to the public and in Council meetings, with near real-time status updates indicating whether issues have been addressed.”

Putting 'Report-It' to the Test: A Downtown Pothole

In an effort to see how the feature worked, the Outsider decided to report a recently-formed pothole at the northeast corner of Berlin Avenue and Main Street, right in front of the SoCCA storefront. The small but deep hole was a challenging obstacle for drivers turning north onto Route 10.

Clicking the button labelled ‘Feedback Form’ brings the user to a simple Google form. There the requester enters their email, phone, and name, along with a general category for the issue. After selecting ‘Roads & Streets Maintenance,’ we were taken to a second page that asked for details of the problem:

Our pothole report was submitted on Sunday, March 29, at 7:44pm. The very next day, at 8:41am, we received a phone message from the Highways Department. It said that the Town, unfortunately, could not address the issue because Main Street, the street with the pothole, is a state road. The caller directed us to call the state DOT at 860-621-8735.

Later that Monday, at 2:51pm, we returned to the location of the pothole to take a picture of it – only to discover that it had been patched. It would appear a state DOT crew acted with remarkable speed to fill the hole.

In this particular case, then, the town acknowledged the issue in just over 12 hours, and it was resolved, possibly due to reports residents were advised to send to the state, in less than 24 hours.

The patched pothole at Berlin Ave. and Main St. PHILIP THIBODEAU PHOTO