This weeks opinions (source; Twin Boro News): UW property views not encouraging Dear Editor: I was not encouraged by Dominic Coluccis letter expressing his views on the United Water property. He feels it is currently not being used in a fashion that best serves our community. On that point we agree; and thats it. He does not want to see 24 units of housing on that property, but he is perfectly fine with the plan to build a mega-supermarket, a bank and parking lots there. Doesnt he get that 24 apartments are the least of the concerns for developing that property? Doesnt he get that ShopRite doesnt belong there, along with all of the traffic it will bring right next door to New Milford High School. Coluccis idea of compromising with the developer is to give him what he wants, and that is the ShopRite. The carrot that the developer extended was a ploy to get his way. This was made abundantly clear when the board of education learned a hard lesson when they tried to negotiate with the developer. The truth is that the portion of the property that the developer was offering to New Milford is the worst part of the property, the part that is planned for a flood retention basin. This project can’t be built without that basin. Colucci doesnt say how rezoning to commercial and allowing the ShopRite to be built would get around that requirement. The United Water property should be used in a fashion to best serve this community. And that means that the land should be used for recreational and open space, two areas that New Milford is seriously lacking, according to federal standards. No thanks, Mr. Colucci. I don’t want to rezone. I’ll take my chances in court where a judge will likely be more impartial than you are. Lori Barton New Milford Lack of UW action not understood Dear Editor: I don’t understand something. There were five Republicans on the 2011 council, including Councilmen Robalino and Colucci. They always voted together as a bloc. They had the power to vote to buy the UW property in early 2011 but barely even discussed it. They had the power to rezone the property the rest of the year, but all they did was discuss it over and over and over again. Had they acted and rezoned the property, there would have been no application before the Zoning Board, no twice-a-month meetings and no legal fees for an appeal of the board’s decision. So how do Councilmen Robalino and Colucci have the nerve to blame anybody but themselves for the current situation and the potentially high legal costs of an appeal? I don’t want their kind of politics in New Milford. Greg Normund New Milford Talk, no action created debacle Dear Editor: I am tired of hearing Councilman Colucci blame prior administrations for his and Councilman Robalino’s failures. His Republican-dominated 2011 council, under Mayor Subrizi, was the first council to have the opportunity to either purchase the UW property or to rezone it. His council barely discussed the former and talked endlessly and ineffectively about the latter, but did nothing, which left New Milford divided and angry, the Zoning Board exhausted and the residents facing a large legal bill when the board’s decision is appealed. This could all have been avoided had the 2011 council done more than just talk. Who cares that Colucci and Robalino were against 200-plus units of housing when that number was never before his council? That’s totally irrelevant and meant to distract us from the facts. Colucci and Robalino are embracing the mountain (the gigantic supermarket, bank and drainage pit) while scapegoating the molehill (24 units of housing) and ignoring their central role in this debacle. Harvey H. James New Milford Councilman shows dedication, trust Dear Editor: Dominic Colucci is my husband of 23 years and the father of our three children. He’s an honest, hard-working man who dedicates more than 70 hours per week to his personal business so he can provide for his family. He dedicates countless hours of his time to work for all of you, as a New Milford councilman. Whether he is at town meetings, public safety meetings, town functions or sporting events, he is always there for you, if you should need him. He has dedicated more than 20 hours a week since August walking through New Milford, meeting and speaking with the residents and listening to their concerns and answering some tough questions. No matter how hectic the day may be, Dominic always makes it a priority to sit with his family for our evening meal and reflect on the day. He is a proud man, and he stands by his family values. New Milford is his home and the residents have become his extended family. Dominic will continue to be dedicated to residents and their families if he is re-elected on Nov. 5. I ask you to trust in him and his running mate, Diego Robalino, as I do, to make those hard decisions for the betterment of New Milford. Thank you, Donna Colucci New Milford Three years later, still getting blamed Dear Editor: When a councilman, namely Dominic Collucci, cannot stand on his own record, he must blame someone else. I have been out of the politics of New Milford for three years now, the same time Dominic has been a councilman; and he still blames me for the things that he, his running mate and the mayor have done. The reason for the blame is that they collectively couldn’t make a decision for the betterment of New Milford to save their lives. They must draw your attention away from the matter at-hand. They are actually good magicians; they make you see and hear what is really not there. There is no decision-making, no strong leadership and certainly no reason to give them another opportunity to serve your best interests. Frank DeBari New Milford Developer’s plan ‘beyond me’ Dear editor: Whenever I pass the ShopRite complex at the intersection of Old Hook Road, I imagine what it would be like if it were transported to the United Water property, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Semis would be delivering goods around the clock; the complex would be lit up all night, every night; a natural sponge would be paved over, and traffic would be increased exponentially. All of this would take place directly across from high school classrooms and private residences, next to an arguably polluted flood plain, at the north end of town, full of post–Colonial historical homes. Messrs. Colucci and Robalino, who are clinging to the idea that New Milford’s COAH obligation would be fulfilled by a magnanimous shopping center developer, are using low–income people as pawns. Not only would the proposed development be unsuitable for residents, it would seem to be most unpleasant. To believe that taxes would go down is delusional, as our roads would be subjected to much heavier use than they were ever expected to bear, as well as the extra police and other services provided by property taxes. Considering that Madison Avenue, as it passes behind the high school, as well as Main Street, both routinely flood, the worst of the traffic would fall upon the residents of River Road, Main Street, Boulevard, Demarest Avenue and a host of side streets. If I were to plan an addition to my home, I would have to get not only permission from the town but also from my neighbors. If my addition were to infringe upon a neighbor’s peaceful enjoyment of his or her property, my construction would not be approved. Period. How a developer could be permitted to build a noisy, smelly supermarket and strip mall in the middle of people’s neighborhood over their objections is beyond me. The choice this year is clear: Only Thea Sirocchi–Hurley and Ira Grotsky are committed to protecting us from the abuse of a greedy developer, and New Milford residents need to support them in this goal. Sincerely, Donna Ann Hittel New Milford
Posted on: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 11:30:49 +0000
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