Letters to the Editor - 2-22-24

Praise for article ‘Rethinking Big Lawns’

Props to Fritz Mueller for his timely paean to the forest we’d mostly be living in if things were left to their own devices (“Rethinking Big Lawns,” Lakeville Journal, Feb. 15).

Also a reminder that the NW Conservation District holds its annual sale of native trees and shrubs at the Goshen Fairgrounds April 19th-21st—online pre-orders start in March.

Now if we can just give the poor hemlocks a fighting chance—hug a deer hunter!

Spencer Reiss

Salisbury

Courtesy Pope Land Design Committee

Pope Land Design Committee Plan for Salisbury

The undersigned are members of the Pope Land Design Committee (“PLDC”), an advisory body formed by the Selectmen in September 2021, with the charge to: “…work with residents and consultants to advise the Board of Selectmen to develop a plan, based on recommendations from the Salisbury Affordable Housing Commission and Recreation Commission, for use of the developable land on the…Pope Property.”

Our Committee reviewed the January 2021 92-page report of its predecessor, the Pope Land Committee (“PLC”), and also reviewed the Town of Salisbury’s 2018 Affordable Housing Plan drafted by the Salisbury Affordable Commission (“SAHC)”.

We noted that as of 2018, 2.1% of the housing units in Salisbury were deemed affordable (one of the lowest percentages in Connecticut), and that Salisbury would have to add at least 75 units over the next ten to achieve an affordable housing goal of 5%.

In the Plan’s Proposed Sites for Affordable Housing, the SAHC listed “Salmon Kill Road” [the Pope Property] as accommodating “33-64 units”. In the subsequent 2023 Affordable Housing Plan, however, the SAHC noted that the dramatic increase in cost to rent or purchase a home since the pandemic, have made Salisbury even more unaffordable for its working-class residents. In this Plan, it listed the Pope property as capable of accommodating “up to 64 units.”

The PLDC, to assist in the planning process, retained FHI Studio, and charged its principal, Phil Barlow, with drawing up and presenting to the Committee varied “design concepts”, that accommodated, if possible, 64 units of affordable housing, as well as the additional recreational facilities sought by the Salisbury Recreation Commission (SRC).

Over the next ten months, FHI and Mr. Barlow presented to the Committee numerous preliminary designs for its consideration. After lengthy deliberations over the course of several PLDC public meetings with citizen input, the Committee chose Design Concept #6 as the plan that achieves optimal use of the Pope Property for the housing and recreational needs of Salisbury residents. Design concept #6 has been subsequently revised and is now the preferred design concept.

We are still at an early stage in the design process. When FHI develops more finished plans, these must be presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Historic District Commission, and the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission.

Although the Committee has made an informal presentation to these Commissions, none of them has approved Design Concept #6, and none will, until finished designs are presented, and public hearings are held to discuss them.

Given that, our Committee still plans to schedule a public discussion of its approach in the spring. We should point out, of course, that we are unlikely to reduce the number of housing units or recreational spaces now recommended via Design Concept #6. Our charge was to determine if “up to 64 [housing units]” and additional multi-purpose fields and related facilities could be accommodated. They can be.

Whether they should be is up to the elected and appointed town Commissions referred to above, and ultimately the citizens of Salisbury who will have to approve any plan in a Town vote before it moves forward.

Pope Land Design
Committee

Raymond G. McGuire, Chair

Vivian Garfein

Lisa McAuliffe

Tim Sinclair

Elizabeth Slotnick

Paving Lakeville’s Community Field

I am writing in response to the two articles that appeared in the Feb. 15. Lakeville Journal about Community Field.

The First Selectman says “There is no plan to pave 30% of Community Field. It’s absurd.” My question is how much is it planning to pave? Many of us do not want any of it changed from its green space, but let’s do the math, because under the proposals, he is right. It isn’t 30%. It’s 27% of the entire field.

Community Field is not exactly a square. It measures roughly 280’ x 490’. That is 137,200 square feet.

The Colliers Report calls for thirty-six parking spaces, each space of 9’ plus and extra 18’ for two ADA ramp accessible spaces and that measures 178’ x 70’ to allow for cars to back out of the spaces. If you picture eighteen spaces at LaBonne’s you can see it there. That is 12,460 square feet. To accommodate the inbound and outbound flow of traffic, it will require a roundabout and a two-way lane in and out. For the sake of argument, let’s assume another 12,460 square feet for that. There is also a recommendation to put in an 8’ wide track around the perimeter. That would consume 12,320 square feet making the total loss of green space, 37,240 square feet or 27% of the entire field.

The P&Z claims in the article that it is not officially proposing paving, but then why is it cherry picking some things and not others in the Colliers report, and why do they decide with no public input? I urge everyone who cares to go to the Salisbury P&Z section in the town website (www.salisburyct.us/planning-zoning-meeting-documents/), listen to the replay of the Jan. 2, 2024, meeting beginning at the 2:40 time stamp. You will hear the commission discussing specifically adding paved parking, the track around the field and paved walkways through Bauer Park to the POCD.

As to why, they say that it was including “things it liked” about the report and putting in items “we prioritize.” Adding we put them in because we felt “strongly” and adding there are some things “it didn’t like.”

For something as disruptive as paving a park, the Selectmen, and the P&Z need to solicit the views of the people who live in Lakeville, use the park and live next to it and not cherry pick items to add to the POCD.

Theodore O’Neill

Lakeville

Protecting our children from gun violence

Remember duck and cover drills? As children in the ‘50s and ‘60s, we hid under our desks for “protection” against nuclear attacks that, thankfully, never happened. But it was frightening all the same. Now, in Connecticut and nationwide, children practice active shooter drills, preparing for horrific, indiscriminate violence that they know can and does occur in schools and other public places. I am sickened by the prospect that my three small grandchildren will grow up with these fears and could even face such violence directly. The 11 children shot in Kansas City last week remind us yet again — not that we should need reminding — that this madness can only end when enough Republicans are voted out of office. Congresswoman Jahana Hayes is fighting for sensible gun safety laws and programs. By supporting her and others like her, we can help protect our children.

Pamela Jarvis

Sharon