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Letter: Forest Street Proposal Would Harm Downtown New Canaan Character

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To the editor:

I attended the Nov. 1 Planning & Zoning Commission meeting because I was interested in the discussion concerning a proposed Zoning Regulation Amendment for 42 Forest St. The applicant seeks approval to amend Zoning Regulation regarding Business Zone, Area and Dimensional Requirements, Maximum Building Heights and Special Provisions for Business Zones, Yard Exceptions of the Regulations. The owner also requests a Site Plan Approval and a Special Permit Approval in order to permit the construction of a mixed-use development containing approximately 1,300 s.f. of commercial space and seven residential condominium units with associated parking, landscaping and utility improvements in the Retail B Zone

During the public comments period, I spoke about the proposed building next to our new post office. I feel that the proposed building is out if character in our town.

News

Letter: Seeking Results of Town-Directed Survey of Maple Street Cemetery

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To the Editor:

We are writing to request the complete town-directed, state-supervised study M2 conducted on the Maple Street Cemetery. Our understanding, from the State Archaeologist’s office, was that M2 was asked to present the findings to P&Z two weeks ago, but as of Monday morning that has not occurred. The report will be made public via the Dodd Archives at the University of Connecticut (where the Connecticut State Archaeologist’s office is located), but we are requesting the information sooner so it can be released to the public. Our concerns are:

1) The argument has been made that M2 owns title to the portions of the Maple Street Cemetery because they believe certain plots never contained remains, which, in their opinion, would make this section of the cemetery, “not a cemetery”; and

2) Now that human remains have been found, M2’s argument seems to be that current laws do not apply because the human remains were interred before the laws were enacted. However, Connecticut statutes state that (italics our own): Sec.

News

Letter: Opposing the Merritt Village Proposal in New Canaan

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To the Editor:

Twenty-two years ago lawyers for Avalon came to a New Canaan P&Z meeting with an application to build a housing complex on the large parking lot next to our train station. Its scale and density were massive. These lawyers told our zoning officials that before they joined Avalon they were the lobbyists that changed our state law that removed our home rule that would allow us to form our own town. Thus, to stop this unbelievable loss of controlling our own destiny, Citizens for New Canaan was formed. A group that comprised hundreds of passionate New Canaanites and its leaders to regain control of our Town.

News

Letter: Group Forms To Oppose Merritt Village Proposal

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To the Editor:

A group of concerned residents calling itself Citizens for New Canaan formed in response to M2 Partners’ proposal brought before the Planning and Zoning Commission members. According to the developer’s website “the new Merritt Village WILL consist of four, four-story, elevatored buildings. Two buildings WILL include 63 rental apartments and the other two buildings WILL include 60 condominium units, for a maximum total of 123 residences.”

In addition, the builder plans to construct 205 parking spaces — 177 underground plus 28 aboveground. Presently, just 38 apartments exist on this 3.3-acre parcel of land located off Maple and Park Streets. The developer will accomplish his goal if our Planning and Zoning Commission creates a new zoning ordinance to accommodate the builder’s plan.

News

Letter: Glass House ‘Critical to the Health of the Town’

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I wish to express my feelings on the importance of responsible development of our town asset of the Glass House. Having been involved with downtown issues for decades I feel this development is critical to the health of the town. I believe it was reported that the Glass House brought 15,000 unique visitors to town last year. Many of these visitors came to our shops, restaurants, stayed in our Inn. My belief is our downtown is not healthy.