I know a lot of you are interested in the latest proposed age restricted housing development in Cheshire-”Richmond Glen” or “Serenity Ranch” as it is sometimes referred to by the developer Brodach, Inc.
God, this proposed development has more AKA’s than a lifer at Rikers Island!! WHAT IS THE REAL NAME OF THIS DEVELOPMENT?? IS IT RICHMOND GLEN or SERENITY RANCH?? WHY ARE THERE TWO NAMES??
WEIRD!!
I sort of have been following this-I know it involves the town of Cheshire granting an easement to Brodach for something in the area of $10. Boy, I remember when you could get an easement for a dollar!!
WHAT HAPPENED??
Well anyway, I decided to find out a little more about it-so I went over the the Town Hall after work. I went into the Planning office-they were nice as they always are to me-then I went into our Town Planner Mr. Voelkers office-he seemed a little defensive at first-but then he was fine.
You know this town has just GOT TO GET USED TO PEOPLE QUESTIONING. MOST OF THE TIME THAT IS ALL IT IS A QUESTION!!
It doesn’t necessarily mean because I questioned that I am now going to mount some offensive AGAINST the AKA Development!! NO, NOT AT ALL!!
You know why a lot of people in Cheshire Town Government get nervous when I show up?
BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT USED TO BEING SCRUTINIZED OR QUESTIONED BY OUR LOCAL PAPER!! THAT IS WHY!!
CHESHIRE IS LIKE A SPOILED CHILD AND I AM LIKE NANNY 911!
Well anyway, the bottom line is this age restricted development would consist of 41 units. The right of way is off of Buckland Drive-but ACTUAL ACCESS would be gained on Wiese Road-the actual address is 210 Wiese Road.
I have a link to Google Map of the area.
Just type in at the top left: 210 Wiese Road, Cheshire, Ct. and hit enter. A satellite image of the area will pop up. You will see an “A” that is where the entrance to the development would be. If you take the little white “hand” and scroll up-you will be able to see “Buckland Drive” and all of the wooded area in between.
Buckland Drive would just be used Emergency vehicles only-there would be a locked gate at the beginning of the road to the development at the end of Buckland-no vehicular traffic would be able to get through.
This is like the situation with Quarry Village. There is an “entrance” off of Peck Lane, but it is gated-you cannot drive through there. Only emergency vehicles, police, fire etc have a key to unlock the gate.
You have to enter through the main entrance of Quarry Village off of Rt 68-70-or if you are not familiar with this area-it is located across from the BP Gas Station, (now closed) or near the Notch Store.
NOW DO YOU KNOW WHERE I AM TALKING ABOUT-GOD-GET A LIFE AND DRIVE AROUND TOWN WILL YOU??
I believe there are 31 acres of land this proposed development would be built on.
The Planning office told me age restricted (55 and over) developments have different regulations-so you would have to read these regulations.
The reason why Buckland Drive is involved in this is basically because the sewer hookup is located at the end of that street, which is now a cul-de-sac. The town owns approximately 50 feet of the land from the end of the Buckland Drive cul-de-sac, so the developmer needed “permission” to go through town property in order to access Buckland Drive, otherwise it would be trespassing.
Here are the minutes of the April 14th Town Council meeting where Atty Fazzone speaks in detail about the AKA Development:
YOU WILL HAVE TO SCROLL DOWN TO PAGE 8 to read the minutes of this proposal.
Interestingly enough, the comments by former Town Council member Dave Schrumm are well noted. Believe it or not, when I heard this development would be overseen by a homeowners association-YEP, guess what FAMOUS other development came to mind-YOU GUESSED IT-STRATHMORE DAM!!
Oh blah blah blah-yes we have heard it all before-on the AKA Development apparently since they will be CONDOS, the condo owner will not be granted a certificate of occupancy unless they sign an agreement to establish a homeowners association.
That is all well and good, but what will happen if the association “dissolves” or just does not follow through??
IS THE TOWN LIABLE FOR ROAD RESURFACING, PLOWING?? WHO KNOWS??
I do not know any of the specifics about maps or who signed what, but Mr. Schrumm did make some good points which you should have read in the minutes by now.
Another issue-the sewer usage situation. CAN OUR SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT HANDLE THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT OR SHOULD THEY HAVE SEPTIC??
If you read the minutes you see Mr. Schrumm making a real good point about the character of this town-THEY NEED TO SPEAK UP AND MAKE SOME NOISE ONCE IN A WHILE AND NOT CARE ABOUT HOW THEY LOOK OR SOUND TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD!!
What this town has worked so hard to “become” WILL VERY SOON BE THEIR UNDOING!!
First of all-this town comes up with ideas-TOO LATE!!
For example: the Northend Lifestyle Center-GREAT IDEA 25 YEARS AGO!! NOT NOW.
But we know some people who were just DEAD SET AGAINST IT THEN!! GOD FORBID WE ATTRACT THE WRONG CROWD TO OUR PRISTINE PEYTON PLACE!!
So, everyone else around Cheshire jumped on the bandwagon and developed their commercial areas.
Same with this Age Restricted Housing-FORGET IT NOW!!
The economy is down the toilet so LETS BRING UP THE IDEA FOR YET ANOTHER RESTRICTED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
I have NO problem with this development-BUT NOT NOW!!
I am linking you to an article entitled: “Aging in Place” hence the title of my post, that explains the reason why CHESHIRE SHOULD NOT ALLOW THIS DEVELOPMENT AT THIS TIME!!
Click here for “Aging in Place is Becoming More Popular”
And maybe Cheshire should start requiring some of these bigger developments to be self-sufficient-like my development in New Hampshire-Gunstock Acres.
We have the Gunstock Acres Association-we have our own water district-our own artesian wells-we do not rely on the town of Gilford AT ALL.
In fact-the ORIGINAL GUNSTOCK association-which is now defunct-OK!! only now applies to the BEACH and to the GUNSTOCK VILLAGE ASSOCIATION WATER DISTRICT!!
The homeowners association is gone!!
In fact, the association approximately 15 years ago, faced a situation where they could not afford to pave the roads-we had to do it ourselves, I remember because most of the roads in this 400 home development were dirt. My road was when I first bought my lot in the late 90′s.
In order to pave the roads, the ASSOCIATION had to SELL 22 acres of pristine land RIGHT ON LAKE WINNEPESAUKEE in GILFORD off Rt 11A to a private developer. We almost lost our beach rights to the lake.
After that, the Town of Gilford took control of the roads in the Gunstock Acres Development.
Luckily, the attorney the association hired SAVED our rights to our little spot on the lake.
Click below to see what is now left of the 22 acres.
Now Cheshire should make these new developments as independent from the town as possible as is with my development in Gilford.
Make them have sewers!! My house in Gilford does!! What is WRONG WITH IT!! AND THIS IS A RESORT AREA!!
We even pay for our garbage pickup!!
Speaking of being independent: I think it is high time the Correctional Center BECOME INDEPENDENT FROM THE TOWN OF CHESHIRE-PUT IN THEIR OWN SEWAGE TREATMENT FACILITY OR SEPTIC SYSTEMS.
PUT IN THEIR OWN WATER SUPPLY!!
If the State refuses to pay their fair share than the town, which is now saying the state is paying up BUT I KNOW THEY ARE NOT!! the town should disconnect the state from the sewage treatment plant!!
For God’s sake, Kansas State University has its OWN NUCLEAR REACTOR, ITS OWN FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS, and GENERATES ITS OWN ELECTRICITY AND SEWAGE TREATMENT.
WHY CAN’T THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT??
NO EXCUSE!!
And if you look at the Google satellite map, you DO SEE several farms that are in between the proposed development. I believe one of them is Norton Farm.
I do understand the people who are concerned that the picturesque beauty of the vista will be destroyed.
IT IS SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT!!
Just make sure to put a whole mess of stinky horse manure “around the perimeters”
That should do it.
Finally-how FIT is your brain (Chief Cruess)?
Play Busy Bistro and find out!!
P.S. DON’T CHEAT BY WRITING DOWN THE LIST OF INGREDIENTS!!
