Judge Radcliffe Overturns P&Z For Black Rock Spot Zone Change, Chides Chair’s Public Meeting Conduct

Judge Dale Radcliffe

Superior Court Judge Dale Radcliffe has ruled the Bridgeport Planning & Zoning Commission’s action to approve a zone change to build a seven-unit residential development in Black Rock constitutes illegal spot zoning.

In a 36-page decision he reserves his harshest criticism for Chair Mel Riley’s conduct at a November 26, 2018 public hearing declaring “In addition to tainting the record of a public hearing, the absence of fairness in the form of hostility and hectoring from the chair, may have the unintended consequence of deterring interested citizens and taxpayers from speaking at a hearing, for fear of incurring the wrath of the presiding officer.”

On November 2, 2018 Brennan Builders filed an application to change the zoning classification to a Residence C Zone in an area where Brewster Street and Bywater Lane intersect near Long Island Sound.

Following approval by the commission, an appeal was brought by adjacent property owners, William Miller, Debra Miller and Gary DeBrizzi.

Radcliffe, in detail, provides a history of the application, subsequent commission approval, and plaintiff’s appeal. Read his full decision: Radcliffeblackrockdecision

From Radcliffe’s ruling:

… Conclusion

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11 comments

  1. Getting a new chair of the P & Z should be reason enough to vote Joe out.
    Mel Riley has been like this since I was on the council. He seems only to have gotten more obnoxious with time.
    Time togo Joe & Mel.
    We want Moore!

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    1. Hey Bob.. I just read the article posted on OIB. Moore is being misty-mushy about Perez. There should have been a black and white statement. A.J Perez HAS GOT TO GO. You seem to have the ear of the Moore campaign. What kind of pablum was released today.

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  2. Ganim and Trump have many things in common, one being a lack of understanding of the judicial branch of government. In Trump’s case he’s just a dumb ass. In Ganim’s case he’s a self important jerk that can’t stand being smacked around in court.

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  3. I do not speak for the campaign. But first of all she said she would prefer that Ganim fired him.
    If that doesn’t happen she simply said give him enough rope to hang himself. She doesn’t want to make the same mistakes that Ganimdid with having three chiefs. So it is safe to say she will give him the opportunity to shape up or else she will have cause to get rid of him.

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      1. If Marilyn Moore equivocates about A.J. Perez then I will not vote for her in the primary or whatever line she might hold in the November General Election.

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  4. For years I’ve experienced the pain of speaking in front of this Commission -all in vain
    How these guys with no education and obviously not listening and Reilly is so abrasive..
    – these guys were rude and disrespectful-never voting the right way. Big community opposition to the demo of the GE Plant, the proposal to put a marijuana dispensary in the former North End Library, putting a corrupt housing project on a community garden, approving DeFillipo’s inappropriate liquor store

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