Here's the Latest Update on the Kensington

Grammar School Project

5/24/2012

We want to keep you informed!

• The development is just too dense and incompatible with the neighborhood. Despite the reports from the developers, many feel that it will make an already difficult traffic/parking situation in the neighborhood even worse.
• The engineering report provided by the developer on the state of KGS causes many to wonder if the building can even be redeveloped. An outside engineering company read the structural engineering report provided by the developer and suggested that these concerns might be valid and merit further study. One of the many questions of the day seemed to be, what would happen if this whole project was to go through only to find out six months down the road that the KGS building is not safe and must be torn down? Would even more apartment buildings be added? Many present wanted to know what kind of assurances, if any, the Town could give the citizens on this important matter. One speaker requested an independent engineering study to be commissioned by the Town to give these assurances before the zoning was granted.
• Many do not believe that there is a market in Berlin for apartments geared for young professionals, especially at the rental costs cited of $1,500 for a two-bedroom apartment and $1,250 for a single-bedroom apartment.

• Many citizens in Berlin feel that approval of this project would set a very bad precedent for the Town of Berlin and wonder how the project even got this far. This type of SPOT ZONING (creating a zone for one place in town) makes every neighborhood vulnerable. The use of the Town owned open space (Marjorie Moore Bird Sanctuary) in the site plan would make it easier for future developers to demand the same benefit.

• Many expressed doubt that the Berlin train depot would become the transportation hub that seems such an important component to this transit oriented project. It was felt by some that even if Berlin did become a transportation hub, the young professionals would still have cars and that the parking for the development is not considered adequate.
• The changes that Metro (the developer) provided were not enough. The Metro group came to the meeting last Wednesday with a significantly changed site plan. In the new site plan they changed the footprints of the buildings and lowered the height by one floor. They also reduced the number of buildings from 8 to 6. However, all of these reductions only decreased the number of units by two and reduced the density of the project from 22 units per acre to 21 units per acre. This is still beyond the current R11 zoning requirements. Many felt that the density was still too concentrated.
• As was noted in the Berlin Patch, in all of the testimony over two four-hour meetings, not one citizen of Berlin has spoken in favor of the project.

The Zoning and Planning Commission

has called for another special meeting on this development for next Tuesday, May 29th, at 6:00 PM at the McGee Middle School.

Please plan on attending...

God Bless You All !!!

As of 5/24 we had 1340 signatures
As of 5/21 9:59 PM we are up to 854 Petitions please do your best to get your petitions in ASAP so that we can turn them into the Zoning and Planning Commission.

Don't forget the next meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission is 5/23 in Berlin High School

Friday May 11, 2011

Last Thursday night, the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting was held at Town Hall. Local media outlets, a large number of neighbors and many St. Paul Parishioners were present. The room was quickly filled beyond capacity and the Fire Marshall felt it necessary to cancel the meeting.

The Chairman of the Commission apologized to the participants and the meeting was rescheduled for next Thursday, May 17th at 7:00 PM, its location to be determined. Berlin High School and McGee Middle School were suggested as possible sites. Hellyn Riggins, our Town Planner, stated that the location of the next meeting will be announced on Monday of next week. We suggest that you call the Berlin Town Hall (860-828-7000) to inquire where the meeting will take place. We hope to see you at this important meeting.

he first is that we are opposed to the renovation of the Kensington Grammar School for Senior Housing. Nothing could be farther from the truth. We wholeheartedly support Senior Housing in our neighborhood and are grateful to the Mayor for putting that on the table. We are very much in favor of this change.

The second is that all of this is somehow our fault because we did not purchase the building for $1.00 when it was offered to us by the Town. This happened way before my time, but I have listened attentively to those who were involved. The facts of the matter, as I understand them, are: yes, the building was offered to us for a very nominal sum, but the cost to abate the building even before it could be renovated or torn down was a huge unknown and deemed excessive. I have been told that at the time the Town did not have the resources to perform the necessary abatement and use the building for public purposes. Sadly, neither did the parish. In other words, we would have loved to have the building and/or property, but the real cost was way beyond our means when it was offered. So, as all of you know, the building has sat dormant for all these years, a blight on the neighborhood; and now, because it is not secured, the building is a dangerous hangout for children.

Some members of the parking committee will voice our concerns about the project as it is currently proposed at the next Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. As I have repeatedly said, it is important for everyone to be informed and speak their minds politely, as they see fit. Please plan to attend the next meeting and, if you are so inclined, express your opinion.