Petitioners seeking a look at Mansfield's PZC plan

A planning and zoning commission subcommit­tee is currently looking at chang­es to the town’s main land-use document after a petition raised concerns about designations for Hunting Lodge Road.

The road is home to three major apartment complexes largely rented to UConn students. Two – Hunting Lodge Apartments and Celeron Square – have been the site of the controversial massive Spring Weekend parties in the past.

The PZC received a petition April 4 asking it to review its plan of conservation and development, last revised in 2006, and its medi­um/high-density residential devel­opment designation for Hunting Lodge Road.

State statutes require towns to have a plan of conservation and development to provide guidance for all land-use decisions and also states towns must update their plans every 10 years.

Mansfield’s 2006 plan’s designa­tion would allow for larger propos­als, such as the proposed 156-unit Ponde Place, assuming the plans are able to meet other town and state requirements.

But resident Alison Hilding, who started the petition and brought the issue to the PZC, said she received 255 signatures from resi­dents agreeing with her request for the PZC to re-examine the designation.

Town Planning Director Gregory Padick said state law does not prevent towns from revising plans before the 10-year requirement, but the PZC decided to send the issue to its regulatory review com­mittee to determine the next step.

The petition states that undeveloped land along Hunting Lodge Road should not be targeted for low-density residential development, especial­ly with “more than two decades of significant safety and social prob­lems in this neighborhood, which are a consequence of its already high population.”

The petition also raises concerns about water supply for additional large developments, and notes that there have been problems with wells pol­luted by UConn’s landfill and chemical that remained uncovered for 13 despite a consent order issued by the CT DEP.

The landfill has since been covered, but some locations in the area had to be connected to UConn’s water supply.

The petition states that other neighbors’ wells “might become compromised” if new community wells are installed to accommo­date large-density projects.

Developers for the proposed Ponde Place have had trouble get­ting state approvals for the project because water tests so far have shown the site cannot support community wells.

PZC member Gregory Lewis, though, said the plan of conser­vation and development is only “advisory” and that potential developers have to show their projects would result in no signifi­cant impact.

PZC member Joann Goodwin agreed, saying “planning should not be done on an ad-hoc basis” when residents in a specific area raise concerns.

But they also agreed with other commission members to send the issue to the regulatory review com­mittee.

PZC colleagues said they want the committee to consider a pro­cess for reviewing potential chang­es in the future.

“A plan that is written should not be written in concrete,” PZC member Peter Plante said.

Posted 4-20-2011

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Sending hugs to Japan – Mansfield students collect Beanie Babies for children displaced by quake

When Melissa DeLoreto began looking for people to collect items to aid those displaced by the Japanese earthquake and its aftermath, she could only find folks seeking monetary donations.

DeLoreto said she understands money is easier to collect, but the teacher’s fourth-grade class at Annie E. Vinton Elementary School was more interested in sending Beanie Babies to help cheer up children.

“We want to help them … to give them comfort,” said Shawn Paul Budzinski, one of DeLoreto’s pupils.

The pupils had been collecting Beanie Babies for a few weeks, ulti­mately collecting 254 of the small plush toys through a campaign that included posters and an assembly ask­ing for help.

DeLoreto said she finally found a support organizer in Nevada willing to help send the little toys to Japan and shipped them off last Friday.

She said her pupils began look­ing for a way to help victims of the Japanese earthquake after reading an article about it and the destruction that followed.

A 9.0- magnitude earthquake and tsunami March 11, as well as numerous aftershocks, have resulted in 14,000 deaths and thousands more lost, as well as other crises.

DeLoreto said pupils read the article, which also asks readers how they can help, while a substitute was teaching her class.

The fourth-graders said they were especially concerned about the Fukushima Daiicho nuclear power plant, which has been badly damaged and was causing radiation concerns in the area.

“Kids shouldn’t have to worry about that. They already have enough to worry about,” said fourth-grader Brian Williamson.

When DeLoreto returned to her class, she said the pupils wanted to help victims of the earthquake and suggested collecting stuffed animals.

Fourth-grader Lauren Helbring said her classmates knew about other efforts to collect money and other items for the victims and her classmates repeatedly said they wanted to focus on something to “cheer up” children.

DeLoreto said she then suggest­ed Beanie Babies because they are smaller and easier to ship.

Her class quickly began work­ing on ways to get the rest of the school involved.

They placed posters around the school and hosted an assembly to ask others for help.

Then, the class placed a large collection box outside the main office at Vinton.

DeLoreto said the articles she gives to students often ask them to think about ways they can help out on issues, but she said it was “neat” to see her class organizing such a large-scale effort.

“It’s not just service in Mans­field, it goes beyond our borders,” she said.

The pupils also attached tags to the Beanie Babies saying: “We hope this adds a little sunshine to your day. Love, 4th graders at Annie Vinton School, Mansfield, Connecticut.”

DeLoreto said she often tries to incorporate current events into her lesson plans, noting her pupils have been paying attention to news from Japan since reading the initial article.

“They need to be informed and 9-year-olds can do something,” she said.

DeLoreto had her class read a story about a young girl living in Japan after the two atomic bombs were dropped at the end of World War II.

She also included lessons on making origami figures such as paper cranes, which the students have also sent to Japan.

Posted 4-20-2011

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Mansfield Mayor says major decisions need to be made on school project

The town’s top elected official said the town council must decide “where we’re going” with the town’s schools after seeing a wide range in potential costs to maintain the existing four buildings.

Still, Mansfield Mayor Elizabeth “Betsy” Paterson said she does not see the council having any “in-depth dis­cussions” until after the state has passed its budget.

The town council last month was on the verge of sending a proposal to build two new schools to a referendum next month.

Ultimately, it voted to wait on a proj­ect after some councilmen raised con­cerns about Mansfield’s ability to fund the project.

The project also would have includ­ed renovations to Mansfield Middle School.

Councilmen have since been discuss­ing how to handle the current needs at each of the three elementary schools and MMS.

Last Thursday, councilmen at a special budget workshop talked with school and building project officials to get cost estimates.

Councilmen have said they need to determine whether they want to make short-term repairs while waiting for the economy to improve or make larger renovations to improve the buildings.

Paterson noted the council has ex­pressed “mixed opinions on the issue,” with Mansfield Deputy Mayor Antonia Moran reiterating her view that building new schools remains the best option.

She said the school board should not take March’s decision “as a loss for the idea of new construction,” which she also called “wiser” than renovating.

Mansfield Facilities Maintenance Director William Hammond told the council that costs could vary greatly depending on their timeline because of potential replacements and upgrades.

He estimated periodic mainte­nance costs at $337,000 over the next 10 years if the town plans no upgrades, but said unplanned repairs could raise the costs to $6.2 million.

Hammond said unplanned re­pairs would include major work or replacements to boilers, roofs, the septic system and other major components to the schools.

He said the short-term plan was “reactive” instead of “proactive” to minimize costs if the council’s intent would be to try sending a project to referendum in the next few years.

Hammond also estimated reno­vations to keep the four schools operational for the next 20 years could cost the town $13.12 mil­lion after grants.

But he said the figure could also be higher if the council wanted to renovate the library/media cen­ters.

Paterson said the council will need to wait on the state’s budget before deciding its plans for a school building project.

Some councilmen wanted to send a project to referendum this year after Gov. Dannel P. Malloy proposed reducing reimburse­ment rates for school construction projects next year.

But the council ultimately voted, with a 5-4 decision, not to send a project to referendum this May amid concerns the town may not be able to afford the cost of a two­-school project, especially with other projects pending.

The two-school project had an estimated price of $57.63 million and – with a state reimburse­ment grant of 58.4 percent – the town would have been responsible for $23.98 million of construction costs.

Paterson said councilmen will likely want to see reimbursement rates for new construction and renovation projects in the state’s new budget, among other finan­cial impacts.

She also said the council will need to make a decision soon, because town and school officials need to know if they should focus on making repairs or begin plan­ning for larger renovations.

“I think we’re going to have to make some decisions on where we going,” she said.

The council could also be look­ing at other projects and expense increases in the near future, including a water and sewer proj­ect in the Mansfield Four Corners area and possible changes to its police force.

Councilmen and school offi­cials, meanwhile, both have said the council needs to consider other factors, including projected enrollment decreases in future years.

Posted 4-20-2011

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Get rid of sensitive documents responsibly on Earth Day

A free shredding and paper recycling day will be offered on Earth Day, which falls on Friday, April 22 this year.

The service is being offered by the Easter Seals Capital Region & Eastern Connecticut and its subsidiary company, EnviroShred.

Shredding provides a safe and secure means for disposal of personal, confidential, or sensitive information.

EnviroShred operates as an affirmative business of Easter Seals Capital Region & Eastern Connecticut and directly employs individuals with disabilities in support of fulfilling their goals of self-sufficiency  and community integration.

EnviroShred is a regional leader in providing safe, secure and environmentally-friendly document destruction. The company operates in accordance with all state laws and regulations and maintains compliance with Federal Government standards for document disposal.

An important part of this service is preserving our environment. Each ton of paper that EnviroShred shreds and recycles saves 17 trees, 100 gallons of gas, 60 pounds of air pollutants, 7,000 gallons of water and 4,200 kilowatt-hours of electricity.

EnviroShred will also accept office materials, corrugated cardboard, X-Ray film, magazines and newspapers to be shredded and recycled.

The Earth Day shredding and recycling event will be held at EnviroShred’s facility, located at 22 Prestige Park Circle in East Hartford.

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., you can bring in bags, boxes, or containers of paper to be shredded on-site, so you can feel confident your documents are destroyed.

As an introduction to EnviroShred’s services, local businesses are also invited to bring in up to four (4) boxes of papers to be shredded free.

Questions? Contact Rosemary J. Aielloat (860) 833-9861 or visit the Web site at www.enviroshredct.com.

Posted April 20, 2011

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