Opponents to a planned 177-units of market rate housing gathered on Sunday at the site of the former Testo’s Restaurant in the heart of the North End.
Mayoral candidate John Gomes as well as North End City Council members Michelle Lyons and Jeanette Herron also protested along side the placard-wielding residents.
Developers are poised to demolish the building citing a zone change made more than 10 years ago that allows for the construction. North End neighbors claim the density will impair qualify of life in a largely residential area.
The Office of the City Attorney is expected to render a legal opinion this week on the development proposed by developer Amit Lakhotia and local contractor John Guedes.
Either way, this issue is likely to end up in court.
Looks like loyalty to the DTC chair and Mayor does not avoid a final slap in the face from Mario, and hopefully, pending the election, a final slap by Ganim.
Wonder how many tax incentives are in play this time.
Joe must go.
Vote Gomes
Are we finding ourselves wondering how the public inclusive of the taxpaying, residence owning citizens of Bridgeport apparently never had a chance with a Board or Commission hearing or presentation for TOOOOOO….long. But representation for the former owner of the property and the Office of Planning and Development were able to sit down and discuss the development of such property. And potential development was indicated as available, but it was a secret, Apparently deal was done in proper legal fashion, but 177 units presented are not in neighborhood keeping and likely would never have been permitted by grandfathering or otherwise with out a public session showing what could happen through proposed zoning changes?
Employees retire who worked for us. People on boards or commissions, supposedly representing fairness and equality under the law, continue in place beyond expiry until replacement AND WITH NO EVALUATIONS OF THEIR ABILITY, PUBLIC SPIRIT, TRAINING, and/or SENSE OF THE COMMON GOOD AND LARGER PICTURE. Why has Ganim done the least he can relative to Board and Commissions: Appointments, productvity, or annual evaluations of some kind so that voters can see a Mayor’s underlying motivations in attending to his official appointments?
Why will property owners of neighboring homes have to hire legal council at their own expense to fight City attornies at taxpayer expense for inability to answer a simple question. Without public hearings to expose major changes in zoning, and ask questions about down the road development, who represents this public? Is it a local innocent bumbler without avarice in mind, or is it a canny political leader, unelected by City voters, but rather those politically active in one party, getting ready to quit the scene according to popular comments and forfeit a desirable neighborhood for his own financial betterment? How can the rule of law benefit all parties to this revolting situation? Time will tell.
This development will upgrade the North End’s image. Bridgeport needs more housing stock and this is Mario’s parting gift to the city he loves. Protesters are unjustly upset — this will enhance property values.
In addition, Jack Hennessy looks like he dressed for a Grateful Dead concert.
Hennessy has morphed into mountain man Grizzly Adams.
Hey Lennie, this is news? Today I signed off on my retirement after 26 years and 1 month. I heard about 41 Police Officers are leaving and a significant number of firefighters too. I lost my house (purchased from the city in an auction) and about .5 million, thanks to corruption by Detective Podpolucha who solely heads the Financial Crimes Division. WHO WATCHES THE INVESTIGATORS? Where are the feds? What happened with the Internal Affairs complaint I filed against the Russian midget heading the finacial crimes division as ordered by former Chief Rebbeca Garcia? Who was the “detective” who filed a complaint stating I was acting “erratic” causing Chief Mcgruff to take a bite out of me instead of crime. Speedy, what are you going to do now that you’re retired? No, I’m not going to Disney World. I’m going to El Salvador. I shall re-invent the wheel a clean the world. Mark my words.
By the way, whats your take on Brian Lockhart’s (Ct Post) article on Danny Pizzaro’s Party at John Gomes’ party central (formerly Red Rooster)? Despite all I’ve had to deal with the last 8 years, I will urge El Salvador del Mundo to save Bridgeport if at all possible. Nine (9) Volcanos are waiting for me, I hope I’m not thrown in one of them the way I’ve been thrown under buses in Bridgeport. Then again, I may like it. No pain, no gain!
Congratulations on your retirement! Plenty of time to stick around and make some more good trouble.
Joel: Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
Add one more Lennie and you have a full BOE slate.
Congrats on retirement Joel. Sorry to hear that the “ace” detective you mentioned did you wrong. I had an incident with him once when he was supposed to do his job at the time handling a bad check investigation which was a standard, easy thing to do, unless you lose the evidence. You know, the bad check itself! He “lost” it or so he said. No warrant for the locally known city resident so no arrest and I was out
$1000. No biggie compared to your encounter I suppose. I threw the idiot out of my store after that when he came in looking for his “police discount”!! 😂
On the Testos issue: serves those opposing it right if they were Mario’s ass kissers!
On Mario’s boy Defilippo: I thought his voter fraud trial was scheduled for June. Where’s that Lenny? Or would “they” like to keep that out if “the news”?! 🤷♂️
On both issues: Willinger you rascal!! 😂 🤣 😂
Common Good says:
September 12, 2012 at 11:08 am
To clarify a couple of factual issues:
I think “Bob” means Musto, not Russo.
On a square-foot basis Main St. may be more profitable than Madison Ave. If you recall S&S tore down and rebuilt Main St. after Madison Ave. opened–and Madison Ave. didn’t make sense after S&S acquired Finast. We tried to get Blumenthal to stop S&S on Madison Ave. saying the two stores were too close. Demographically, people East of Main St. will go to Brookside but not necessarily the Madison Ave. location–and even Easton suburbanites will go to Brookside. Fairfielders going to Madison Ave. will now go to Tunxis Hill.
While dense housing might be proposed for the site, apartments and condo construction I think would require a zone change. An apartment building would be allowed as of right now because the property is zoned commercial, similar to the Hillview switch that occurred.
I would hope for some creativity. Convert the property to an office complex similar to the Pantry Pride property in Fairfield, currently it’s a large box with limited uses.
I don’t think the economics are correct for a tear down and rebuild of residential housing–apt or condo–right now.
The more looming issue will be the potential eyesore the property will be once empty.
And PLEASE turn off the signal light on Madison Ave. once the store is closed.
Reply
Andrew C Fardy says:
September 12, 2012 at 1:24 pm
You see, you need tenants for an office building, tenants come and tenants go. With a high-rise dorm you have a captive tenant and a steady income.
Where were Michelle Lyons and Jeanette Herron when this zoning change went through? Their protests now are too little too late.
This projet will not be 177 units of housing stock for the North End. any more than the building on Eckert St next to Hillview market is a medical office building. That project became a dorm for SHU. And so will this
For having bold opinions about timely topics, I nominate lisawhite as OIB’s Blogger of the Day.
So has allot of homes in the area. Homeowners/landlords fear competition.
What-does-he-know department:
In 2010, Joel thought I was a narcotics agent for the BPD