I did not get a chance to attend Wednesday nights IWWC meeting because of a heavy work schedule. I am up in Hartford doing a consulting job and it really is draining. I hate driving in Hartford. I always get lost. The traffic doesn’t bother me because believe me their worst traffic day up there is childs play compared to what goes on in Fairfield County, especially on the Merritt Parkway near Fairfield, Easton and Weston.

I know many people expressed concern that the IWWC will be making a decision without all the facts. Well, how many facts are there?

The bottom line is this property is the worst possible location for anything commercial other than a cranberry bog. Most of the property, especially on the West Johnson Avenue side, is under water when we have a significant rainfall or significant snowfall meltoff. Any sort of tampering with that ecosystem that will not be allowed to naturally repair itself will to me, have devastating flooding consequences to both man and nature.

I know most of you have seen my recent photos my daughter and I took of the Watch Factory Shoppes. What a beautiful building that defines Cheshires past and present. It is a shame it is not being used to its full potential. Well, it won’t be once the Lifestyle Center gets constructed and the main focal point of Cheshire gets shifted from West Main Street and the Watch Factory Shoppes where it should be, to the NORTH END OF TOWN.

You all know what will happen. The rest of the town will suffer. The state of Connecticut is giving a STEAP grant to fix up ugly West Main Street, but I wouldn’t count on getting any more money when this Lifestyle Center is built. Why should the state bother?

The town of Cheshire will be sending mixed messages. Well, we want the center of our town to look good, so everyone can ignore it and just go up to the North End and do the shopping and eating and entertaining there. What will be left for anyone to do in the other parts of town?

Now Planning and Zoning is scheduled to vote on this North End development proposal I believe on January 8th. I don’t care if they have to drag me in on a gurney, I will be there for that meeting.

At the final P and Z public hearing in September, Derf Kleist along with many others, asked some good questions of the P and Z. He received a copy of the minutes today from Suzanne Simone of the Planning Department. I want to share with you some of Derf’s questions and the answers he received.

D.K– How will educational access (to the site and to the arch) be allowed?

Response: Educational acces to the site, to the arch and other designated pedestrial areas will be accommodated, and it will be a public area. There will, however, be restrictions on individual activities imposed by the management for protection of the general public.

D.K–How many deer and fox and so forth and what is going to happen to them? What will happen to the expendable wildlife?

Response: This application is, of course, for an inland wetlands permit, and the guiding statute and regulations direct commissioners to balance potential physical and chemical impacts to wetlands and watercourses with the positive benefits of economic development.

The potential for impacts to wildlife, especially so-called “non-wetland dependent wildlife” such as white-tailed deer are not pertinent to the matter at hand. With that understood, the preservation of virtually all of the site’s wetlands and virtually the entire 100 foot riparian corridor along the Tenmile River offers substantial benefits for local and regional wildlife. This Environmental Assessment and earlier assessments of teh same site make it plain that the historic and ongoing disruptions here have resulted in both low numbers if individuals and low species diversity.

D.K.–Will low plantings still protect the wildlife? Are plantings for the people or are they for the wildlife?

Response: This is somthing of a misunderstanding. (editors note: oh, here we go). As the plans demonstrate, most of the existing trees along the banks of the river and Deep Pool were located by survey and will remain in place. The invasive species and entangling vines that threaten to kill and topple them will be removed. This is an important river conservation measure. The proposed plantings will provide a dense buffer areas adjacent to the river to repair the existing eroded condition as shown and described in the Environmental Assessment. this will add diversity to the preserved and planted buffers along the river. These buffers will provide food and shelter for wildlife, filter and infiltrate runoff, and eliminate broader use of the area by the visiting public.

For example, the plantings will limit public access to designated pedestrial areas to prevent over-use or abuse of the buffer areas adjacent to the river. The low nature of the plantings along the edge of the deep pool will augment the remaining tree canopy and allow for views of the historic arch and the river from the designated pedestrian areas. The proposal benefits both people and wildlife and protects the Tenmile River.

D.K.–Would a movie theater versus the (condos) have less impact?

Response: A movie theater and residential units are proposed as part of the development. The applicant believes the type of land use whether residential or commercial is more relevant as a planning and zoning issue althought significant buffers are provided between both types of uses and the river corridor. Neither use in and of itself has a greater environmental impact. The potential impact of either is dependent on site design and engineering which has been diligently undertaken to avoid environmental impact to the greatest extent feasible.

Editors response: WHAT???