Planning Connecticut: A Subject in the POCD deliberations of Newington, Ct.: CEDAR MOUNTAIN RIDGELINE

4/29/10

A Subject in the POCD deliberations of Newington, Ct.: CEDAR MOUNTAIN RIDGELINE

TIMELINE FOR CEDAR MOUNTAIN SINCE 2000
by Justin Reich

Cedar Mountain is part of the Metacomet Trail (New Hampshire through Branford, CT). It is one of 7 trap rock ridges in CT. The blue stone is very valuable and is a high priority for conservation. Cedar Mountain has approximately 680 acres of undeveloped land with several owners: State of CT (approximately 50 acres), Balf Quarry (Tilcon Tomasso) (approximately 600 acres) and Marcap Industries (28 acres).

2000 A proposal came before the Town Planning & Zoning Commission to develop as a commercial site. The plan included removing tons of the trap rock from the mountain to prepare for development. The TPZ turned down the application.

2002 The first grant was applied for $500,000.00. At that time the grant was for 59 acres (30 acres of Balf property and 29 acres of Hartford Hospital property). Balf pulled out after the grant was awarded and at that time the dealings fell apart.

2007 DEP approves grant on the 28 acre parcel for $500,000.00. The 28 acre parcel owned by Hartford Hospital was negotiating with the Town of Newington. The Town was working with Humane Society to purchase property. As negotiations were taking place, Marcap Industries swooped in and bought for 1.2 million without an appraisal in April, 2007.One of the principals of Marcap Industries (Stanley Cohen) was on the Board of Directors of Hartford Hospital.

In July two appraisals were done by Marcap Ind. One of the appraisals came in at 2.8 million, the other at 1.8 million. The appraisals stated they were based on the extraordinary assumption that the town would change the zoning from Commercial to residential.

2008 In August, Stanley Cohen writes letter to Town of Newington stating Marcap Industries would sell 7.5 acres of land (extremely steep slopes) for 3 million dollars ($250,000 cash and the balance will be recognized as a charitable contribution to the Town of Newington). Town turns down offer.

2009 In September, Toll Bros. requests zone change from TPZ for 28 acres from commercial development to residential. Sale of land from Marcap Industries to Toll Bros.
contingent on zone change. Toll Brothers withdraws application after public outcry. I’ve received information that Toll Bros. had contacted Tilcon Tomasso (Balf property) to purchase property from them as well. Tilcon property is already zoned residential.

In August, the 10 year Town Plan or Plan of Conservation and Development is in process of being approved by the TPZ. Because of public input, all high density housing references are eliminated and high priority is placed on conservation.

2010 Open Space Committee formed in January to look into all undeveloped properties in Newington with the focus on Cedar Mountain. This committee can only make recommendations to the Town Council but can research grants and land trusts.

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Glossary

Concurrency Management
This is a growth management policy with a goal of requiring adequate infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer lines, to currently exist or to be planned for an area to be developed. Concurrency management keeps the capacities of local services from being strained and promotes more compact growth of the town closer to the urban core.

Conservation
Conservation is the preservation, restoration, management, protection and ongoing care of a particular resource. For example, the state of Connecticut requires each town to have a Plan of Conservation and Development; the conservation part of the plan protects and manages the town's resources.

Corridor
A corridor is the land connecting two towns or cities. For example, think about driving along rt. 175 from Newington to New Britain. What is the first thing you see when crossing over the New Britain town line? This is one of New Britain's corridors.
A corridor can also refer to a heavily populated area along a well traveled route used by railroads or airlines.

Euclidean Zoning
The most pervasive zoning technique in the United States, Euclidean Zoning divides a town into uniform land use districts--usually based on residential, commercial, and industrial uses. Many American communities are thus divided into spaces that are solely residential or commercial or industrial. Euclidean Zoning is named for the town of Euclid, Ohio, which became the focus of a 1926 Supreme Court decision supporting the right of a town to enforce such zones .

Growth management
This refers to specific regulatory policies aimed at influencing how growth occurs, mainly within a locality. These affect density, availability of land, mixtures of uses, and timing of development. Growth management seeks to accommodate growth rationally, not to prevent or limit it. That is growth control. (definition from Brookings Institution)

Infrastructure refers to the fundamental facilities and systems serving a country, city, or area, such as; transportation systems, power plants, schools, sewers, power lines, highways, etc.
Source: www.dictionary.com
www.answers.com

Overlay Zone
Overlay zoning creates a special zoning district which overlaps an existing zone or zones. For example an overlay zone will alert the developer, property owner, and public officials to the presence of critical habitat and migration patterns of animals regardless of an underlying character district.

Perceived Open Space
A category of land use. Land that has nothing built on it and appears to be open space yet is not designated as such and can be developed. Community members can overestimate how much open space they actually have available due to this misperception. For example, there is privately owned land on Cedar Mountain that is not developed, which can add to the perception that more of the land is designated as open space than is actually the case.

Personal property, roughly speaking, is private property that is moveable, as opposed to real property or real estate.

Real property and personal property are the main classifications of property in the common law. Real property refers to land and the improvements made by human efforts—buildings, machinery, the acquisition of various property rights, and the like. Real property is also termed realty, real estate, and immovable property.

Smart growth refers to an overall set of broad goals designed to counteract sprawl. These usually include (1) limiting outward expansion, (2) encouraging higher density development, (3) encouraging mixed-use zoning, (4) reducing travel by private vehicles, (5) revitalizing older areas, and (6) preserving open space. Promoting more affordable housing can be a goal, but usually is not (definition from Brookings Institution).

The Grand List is a listing of all real estate parcels and business personal property within a particular municipality—or, as defined by the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management, “The aggregate valuation of taxable property within a given town.”

Watershed
A watershed is an area of land where all the water on it or below it drains by gravity into the same place; like a large river. Watersheds come in all shapes and sizes and can cross town or state boundries. For example, in Connecticut the Mattabesset River watershed encompases nine towns and empties into the Connecticut River.

Zoning
Zoning is the process of making a set of laws that control the land use within a certain land area. Some examples of zoning can be; residential, commercial, industrial, and farming. Each of these areas would then have their own set of rules to following when developing or preserving land.

Planning Connecticut

4/29/10

A Subject in the POCD deliberations of Newington, Ct.: CEDAR MOUNTAIN RIDGELINE

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