State Police activity for Oct. 1- 12, 2008

Police made arrests for DUI, investigated thefts and reported several accidents on Mansfield’s main roadways.

Following is a list of some of the Mansfield incidents and accidents responded to by State Police Troop C between Oct. 1-12, 2008:

* Oct. 10, State Police responded to a call from a cell phone reporting the erratic operation of a vehicle on Mansfield City Road. The operator of the vehicle, 57-year-old William A. Palmer of 206 Crane Hill Road in Mansfield, was tracked to his home and according to the police report, failed a sobriety test. He was charged with operating under the influence and released without bond, and is scheduled to appear in Rockville Court on Oct. 20.

* Oct. 10, 22-year-old Stacy Bergeron of 79 Spring St., Willimantic was arrested and accused of shoplifting shoes at Kohl’s department store in the East Brook Mall.

* Oct. 11, an accident that occurred at the intersection of Route 89 and Mount Hope Road is under investigation. The report states that cars driven by 82-year-old Carol Phillips of Storrs and 45-year-old Kenneth J. Stickney collided and had to be towed. No injuries were reported.

* Oct. 12, the car driven by 21-year-old Jonathan Mohrbacher of Mansfield Center was at the intersection of Route 89 and Mount Hope Road when it was struck by 21-year-old Megan L. Berube of Columbia who, the report states, made a left turn onto Mount Hope Road, causing a head-on collision. Both cars were heavily damaged and had to be towed. No injuries were reported.

* Oct. 12, the car driven 55-year-old Max Freyer of Middletown was struck by 19-year-old Robert E. Kay of New York when he made a left turn and swerved into Freyer’s car. The accident occured near the interesection of Routes 195 and 44. The report states that Kay failed a sobriety test and was arrested for driving under the influence and failure to grant the right of way.

* Oct. 7, Andrew Stair of Baxter Road in Mansfield reported the theft of three laptop computers from his home that took place sometime between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. The police report states that there was no sign of forced entry. Police spoke to neighbors, and a possible suspect has been identified, but the theft is still under investigation as of Oct. 12.

* Oct. 3, a three-car collision occurred on Hunting Lodge Road when the car driven by 30-year-old Dana E. Barrow of Willimantic hit the car driven by 21-year-old Jacqueline A. Bertozzi of Massachusetts pushing it into the car driven by 36-year-old Yang Ho Choi of Vernon, who had stopped for traffic. Barrow received a written warning for following too closely.

* Oct. 2, on Stearns Road in Mansfield the car driven by 16-year-old Michael Nicolas, with passengers 46-year-old Michael Nichols and 34-year-old David K. Stearns, left the road and hit a stone wall at 40 Stearns Road. There were minor injuries, and the driver was cited for failure to drive right.

* Oct. 2 at 12:41 a.m., the car driven by 21-year-old Kaisone Phouthasy of Westbrook failed to negotiate a corner on Hunting Lodge Road in Mansfield and entered the shoulder, “resulting in a collision with a grove of trees, prior to coming to a final rest,” the police report states. He was charged with making an improper right turn and failure to drive right.

* Oct. 2, at about 8 p.m. the car driven by 21-year-old Vanessa Lachappelle of Hampton drove into the oncoming path of the car driven by 22-year-old Jason Tedesco of Lebanon, causing severe damage to both vehicles. The accident occurred on Route 195 approaching the Route 6 East on-ramp in Mansfield. Tedesco’s car was forced off the right shoulder of Route 195; it struck and uprooted a fixed traffic signal, the police report states. Both drivers refused medical attention.

* Oct. 2, 54-year-old Terrie Carpenter of Coventry was stopped at a red light at the intersection of Routes 44 and 320 in Mansfield when her car was struck by another driven by 20-year-old William Tucci of Seymour. Tucci was cited for failure to maintain a reasonable distance.

For More Information

http://mansfield.htnp.com/news/state_police_log_oct1-12.html

Attracting developers to Four Corners

An advisory committee could pave the way for a referendum to fund design and construction.

The Town Council is expected to consider a resolution at its Tuesday, Oct. 14 meeting that could boost efforts to bring in more development at the Four Corners section of town.

One of the largest hurdles the town has faced in developing that part of town – the intersection of Routes 44 and 195 – is that there is no water/septic system to serve new businesses.

For more than a decade, the town has been trying to reach an agreement with the University of Connecticut to extend its services to Four Corners in order to solve that problem.

Improving relations between the town and the university has brought that possibility a little closer to reality.

Now, Town Manager Matt Hart wants the Town Council to put its stamp of approval on the formation of a 9-member Four Corners Sewer Study Advisory Committee – an ad hoc committee that would keep the ball rolling. “The long-term impacts of sewering the Four Corners area would be investigated by this committee and staff,” Hart explains.

The committee’s members would include two members of the Town Council, a representative from the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission, the Town Manager, a representative from UConn, a representative from the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, and three citizens (with preference for at least one from the town’s business community).

In a memo to the Town Council introducing this idea, Hart writes that such a committee will:

• open up further discussion with UConn about issues concerning water supply
• allow for better data collection on which to base cost estimates for connecting to Four Corners
• provide a forum for public input when it comes time to design a “sustainable” project
• and develop information that will be important in informing voters prior to a referendum.

Hart’s proposal comes while the Town Council prepares to review and set priorities for the strategic plan known as “Mansfield 2020: A Unified Vision.”

He argues that an ad hoc committee can temporarily work on this project while the Town Council works on its task. Should the Town Council decide to restructure its existing advisory committees and commissions, the ad hoc committee could be combined with or replaced by a permanent committee or commission.

The first part of the two-part resolution notes that, “planning for this project is continuing and will likely result in a bond referendum within the next year to approve funds for the design and construction of sewers.”

The committee would be empowered to:

• help create and review economic development scenarios;
• keep in contact with the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, “so that the proposed Storrs Center development and any Four Corners development are coordinated”;
• work with the council’s Finance Committee on any recommendation for the town’s financial participation in the sewer project;
• help solicit public input from Four Corners property owners and business owners, as well as the larger community and assist town staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission when it comes time to adopt a special design district for Four Corners, as well as other tasks.

The Town Council meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 14 and there is an opportunity for the public to speak at the beginning and at the end of the meeting, which is held in the council chambers at the Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building, 4 South Eagleville Road.

[Note: to read the complete wording of the resolution, view the attachment to this article entitled Four_Corners_2008.

For More Information

http://mansfield.htnp.com/news/prposed_four_corners_committee.html