Letters to the Editor 11/7/24

Vote to support Salisbury affordable housing

The Salisbury Affordable Housing Commission would like to express our strong support for the proposed transfer of town land to the Salisbury Housing Trust for the purpose of constructing two affordable homes at 26 & 28 Undermountain Road. Please join us at the November 12, 2024 Town Meeting and vote YES to the proposed conveyance. The hybrid meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. and is being held in-person at the Salisbury Town Hall and virtually on Zoom.

The demand for affordable housing in Salisbury has reached critical levels, and this project represents a meaningful step toward providing a viable path for families seeking to establish their roots in our town. Many of the hardworking citizens of Salisbury have few options if they want to live in town without paying more than 50% of their income on housing. By facilitating homeownership opportunities, we can help build a more diverse and resilient community.

Known locally as “the Grove Street School parcel,” 26 & 28 Undermountain Road has been a part of the Town’s Affordable Housing Plan since 2018, and the proposed development of the site has been approved by the Salisbury Planning and Zoning Commission after several public hearings with robust community input. The Salisbury Housing Trust’s proposal to build two single-family homes here is in keeping with the character of this residential neighborhood. The addition of two homes will marginally increase the density of the village center, which will strengthen the retail and business community already established here. This initiative not only addresses the pressing need for affordable housing in our community but also includes provisions for creating public open space, ensuring that both new residents and existing neighbors will benefit from this development.

The need for these homes is urgent and well-documented. By transferring the land to the Salisbury Housing Trust, we can take an important step toward addressing the housing crisis while preserving our community’s character. Together, we can create a future where everyone has the opportunity to call Salisbury home.

The Salisbury Affordable Housing Commission:

Jennifer Kronholm Clark, Chair

Abeth Slotnick, Vice Chair

Jim Dresser

Vivian Garfein

Pat Hackett

Jon Higgins

Mary Close Oppenheimer

Lee Sullivan

Salisbury

Disappointment over Paley land outcome

I am profoundly disappointed that the State of Connecticut Department of Agriculture (DOA) does not honor intent.

The Morris Paley land and again the Sharon Mountain Rd. land have been despoiled by the DOA’s approving development on these two “preserved” farmlands—despite the good faith of the easements—claiming in effect a multimillion-dollar mansion on each property is exempt. So the providers’ INTENT means nothing to the CT DOA!

This dereliction of responsibility wastes taxpayer money which purchased the now ineffective easements, brings critical doubt on the DOA’s intentions and veracity, puts at risk the CT State objective of preserving its open-space at these critical times of population growth and increasing costs with land scarcity—trust the State’s assurances?

To provide perhaps a somewhat uninformed resolution: can’t the Legislature engage the wisdom of Representative Horn and Senator Harding in making the law retroactive thus recanting the DOA approval; wasn’t the Commissioner’s interpretation and decision clearly not in keeping with providers’ intention: to have their properties remain wholly engaged in agriculture, at least without development —a question of justice, irrespective of “standing”. How is this egregious flagrance righted, as it must be?

Ellery W. Sinclair

Falls Village

Letters and Trump’s lies

As much as it pains me to type the word “cat,” I would like to commend the Lakeville Journal for printing my friend Anne Day’s letter about black cats.

Let me explain. I dislike cats intensely. Black cats are marginally better because they are harder to see. There is nothing about cats that appeals to me — their looks, their manner or their representation in porcelain. They destroy billions of songbirds annually (Note 1), smell bad, and trigger allergic reactions in many people (including cat owners), adding to the already sky-high healthcare costs in this country.

But whether to love cats or to hate them is a valid topic for discussion, and dueling letters to the editor are a fine way to bring the topic to public consideration.

On the other hand, I deplore the publication of the mean-spirited lies in the form of letters of Trump supporters by The Lakeville Journal and other newspapers for which I otherwise have great respect. Democracies thrive on the civil discussion of different opinions, as long as they are based on facts. To publish lies without calling them out does the community and the nation a great disservice.

At the very least, Lakeville Journal, please limit venomous, misleading letters from certain readers to one per election cycle. Unless they wish to discuss cats.

Robert Bettigole

Lakeville

Women

With diplomatic tools long gone astray,

(and manly force the choice we’ve had to face,)

should chaos be allowed to rule the day,

or is it time, might dialogue take place?

Might women’s words, as powerful as guns,

regain the strength we need to coalesce,

and save, around the globe, ten million sons;

could words, instead of bloodshed, be our quest?

Is this our chance to lift guns from men’s hands?

The question is: could women change the way

we calculate our enemies’ demands?

Could their linguistic weapons save the day?

For God’s sake, light the torch long in her hand—that

warmth allowed to seep from land to land.

Betsy Sprague

Salisbury

Regarding plans for Wake Robin

The Wake Robin Inn has been in the news. Those of us living nearby were surprised. The proposed plan is to turn this friendly country inn into a very large event space. Surprise seems to have been part of the plan. ‘Let’s do as much as we can before word gets out.’

It all started more than six months ago. ARADEV LLC approached PZC to change regulations for non-conforming hotels, in particular the Wake Robin Inn, which is in a residential zone (RR1). What was the issue needing a zoning solution? ARADEV LLC has been working on plans to turn the Wake Robin Inn and surroundings into a very large event space (9,800 sq. ft), with an enlarged hotel, a swimming pool, spa, restaurant and 10 separate motel units off the ground; all being open until one in the morning with hundreds of people partying. The whole space is four times the existing space.

Salisbury’s Land Use Director and Chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission described how ARADEV LLC “drafted changes to the regulations,” “as is allowed.” During discussions, the Land Use Office and PZC Chair determined that the changes were not good because they were too targeted toward the Wake Robin, and therefore, were, “not an acceptable solution.” So PZC took charge and changed the relevant regulations. The date of the relevant zoning changes and the description of those changes is May 6, 2024.

The changes would meet all of ARADEV’s needs for scaling to a size uncharacteristic of our neighborhood, laying the foundation needed to add an event space and dozens of rooms and cabins.

On Aug. 27 neighbors received certified letters that the Wake Robin project was planned. The first PZC meeting with a public hearing took place on September 3, 2024. The first Inlands Wetlands and Watercourses Commission meeting was July 22, 2024.

This hotel and event space would:

• create excessive light and noise to the neighborhood;

• destroy wildlife habitat;

• add traffic to our winding roads, endangering walkers and bikers;

• dump thousands of gallons of waste into our limited treatment plant;

• provide unprotected run off to our roads and our lake;

• tax the volunteer ambulance and fire departments;

• burden our resident police officer.

We are not against improving the Wake Robin. But let’s have some real discussion. ARADEV LLC hopes that they have done things quickly enough to win-over the Land Use and PZC. It is up to us to say no. We have the signatures of several hundred people who agree with us. Stay tuned.

Judy and Leo Gafney

Lakeville

(Editor’s note: The quotations cited above from the Land Use Director and Chair of the PZC can be found at: www.salisburyct.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Memo...)