What will Cornwall look like in another 10 years?

CORNWALL — Questions facing the future of the town were brought up at the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) forum held at Town Hall on Tuesday, May 27.

The turnout of about 35 people provided an ideal setting for deep discussion and debate among residents. But no concrete plans were agreed upon.

The forum will provide the basis for revisions of the Town Plan of Conservation and Development. The state requires towns to revise their town plan every 10 years; it is both a mission statement about how residents want to see their town develop over the next decade, and the basis for all Planning and Zoning regulations.

Committees are working on four specific aspects of the revised town plan and they expect to wrap up their work later this month.

Those aspects are housing, economic development, natural resources. Planning and Zoning Chairman Annie Kosciusko told The Journal the commission hopes to have a draft completed by August to pass along to Town Planning Consultant Tom McGowan for fine-tuning. Next spring is expected to bring a public hearing and a town meeting vote.

Too many town centers?

One problem, as P & Z Vice Chairman Pat Hare described it, is that the three centers comprising Cornwall are all “incomplete villages.

“This means that the people living within them cannot be fully sustained on the resources within the town.�

Tim Prentice began the discussion by posing the question, “What’s a village?� For him, a village is based on pedestrian distance; where one can get without having to drive determines the village area.

Jim LaPorta handed out a questionnaire to the attendees as a follow-up to previous research done within the town. Its goal: To determine the amount of available space that could potentially be zoned for commercial use.

This idea was met with some resistance from business owners, who had not heard of this plan previously. LaPorta reassured them that his purpose was not to propose any plans, but just look at the space that’s available.

Several hurdles face the expansion of the commercial zone, such as  parking needs and septic limitations.

“West Cornwall is in a troubled time,� LaPorta explained, adding that the idea of looking at the available space mathematically may be helpful in changing that.

McGowan, who will create the draft town plan, said the goal of the forum was to give town residents a chance to express their opinions and  concerns.  

He said he understands that Cornwall has historic, economic and scenic significance and therefore the integrity of the town should not be changed. New spaces must fit into the town as it is now.

One option he suggested was village district zoning, which would be  more flexible than other zoning regulations and could be adapted to specifically protect the character of the town.

McGowan opened the floor to the people with the words, “Are you game? Can we do this?�

Each person who attended was given a chance to speak, and their ideas were recorded.

Pedestrian access, speeding cars

Some felt that sidewalks would be an asset, others were not keen on losing parking space to make way for walkways. All agreed, however, that the problem of speeding drivers needs to end in order for anyone to walk safely. It was noted that these drivers include Cornwall residents as well as out of towners.

Pedestrian issues have been addressed by the Board of Selectmen, but the state’s attempt at slowing traffic through signs and flashing lights has not had much success. The physical nature of the village also makes solutions elusive.

Residents have had to resort to less practical measures in order to navigate safely through Cornwall. Driving has even become a gamble in areas such as the post office parking lot. Drivers need to look at the reflection in Barbara Farnswoth’s bookstore window to see if cars are coming, it was noted. And that’s not a good thing.

Finding strength in unity

Ian Ingersoll said the attitude in Town Hall needs to be addressed. He felt that there is not a welcoming attitude and that no one wants to help new businesses get started or help established businesses make upgrades. When businesses are trying to get started, he said, Town Hall responds with, “You can’t do that here,� instead of trying to work with those individuals.

Russ Sawicki, owner of the Wandering Moose, agreed with Ingersoll and said that Cornwall does not have the heart and soul it did when he and his family moved to town 16 years ago. He pointed out that, “We are all one Cornwall. And when we start separating it out, that’s where we have problems.�

April Stevens said she believesthat the people of Cornwall suffer because, “there is no place to gather.� She especially cited teenagers.

The fact that the town is less active than it was a century ago was something that many people commented on and wanted to address.

There are empty storefronts in Cornwall, it was noted, but high rents have deterred many from moving in. Those places could potentially become community areas if monetary problems could be worked out.

Ruthellen Griffin pleaded that the crowd not forget the beauty of the town and the fact that everyone must, “pay homage to that.�

Big and small business centers

The proposal to perhaps make Cornwall Bridge the commercial strip and West Cornwall a place for smaller businesses such as boutiques and galleries seemed to hold some promise.

This would stay true to the nature of both areas while also providing the commercial push that the town needs  to sustain itself.

Sawicki said that from his restaurant he has watched about 75 percent of visitors come across the Covered Bridge and then turn around at the rotary without seeing the rest of the town.

Those who are not familiar with the area cross the bridge and think they’ve seen all there is to see. But the reality is quite different, he said.

Ingersoll also raised the issue of the Torrington Area Health District. He believes the health district stands in the way of business, and many in the room seemed to agree.