Update on P&Z vote from Keila Torres, CT Post: http://blog.ctnews.com/connecticutpostings/2012/02/27/hearing-deferred-for-testos-restaurant-zone-change/
State Rep. Jack Hennessy is scheduled to lead a demonstration today (Saturday) from 1 to 3 p.m. in front of Testo’s Restaurant, owned by Democratic Town Chair Mario Testa, for what Hennessy says is “residents concerns about encroachment on the integrity of the neighborhood.” Testa is seeking a zone change from residential to office retail that would allow parking and restaurant expansion.
Hennessy says the picket will be in advance of the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall “that, if passed, would allow for commercial development that would be inappropriate for the area.” The P&Z denied a similar application by Testa in November 2010. Denied applications can come back after one year.
Hennessy is urging residents to attend the rally and the P&Z meeting to “protect the neighborhood against the residential to commercial zone change that would affect quality of life in the area.”
Testo’s Restaurant is located at 1775 Madison Avenue.
Do you think Hennessy will wear a ‘Ranger’ tab? Mario went to Viet Nam. He might get angry.
Mario was there the same time I was … that’s what got him his citizenship. The rest is history …
I will be there Monday evening as I was almost a year ago. During the last Mayoral primary, this appeared to be a minor issue as the North End received literature regarding the Testo’s site. Mario Testa was outraged at the literature. Mary-Jane Foster was against any change to the Testo’s site. Last year only 3 people spoke, Chris Caruso, Jack Hennessy and myself. If it were in Black Rock you would have had an army there. I am hoping the North End residents go to the City Hall Meeting Monday. Too bad the Mayor has not voiced an opinion. I am still curious about the Councilman/woman. I would hate to think they are silent sycophants on such a prime piece of real estate. Testo’s is a nice place, but I wouldn’t want to live in the immediate area. We should all go and show support. With the recent corruptions and murders in the past few weeks, Mayor Finch certainly doesn’t need North End residents up in arms even if it means distancing himself from his main ass-kiss Mario Testa.
I e-mailed Michelle Lyons about this issue–she’s yet to reply. Word has it she says Testo’s isn’t her district–but some of the people who are affected by this nonsense are. Lyons wants Jack Hennessy’s job–she won’t get my vote if she doesn’t do anything about this!
Bummer. Went down at 7 pm to find it removed from the agenda.
Regardless of your military pedigree, appointments to land use boards are covered by CT statute that indicates City employees cannot serve on same. We have land use Boards in Bridgeport, like the Planning & Zoning, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Historic District Committees. So while the Mayor appoints to these groups, there is no conflict of interest on grounds of City employment. Though the Mayor through allowing the appointment to run beyond an expiry date can exert indirect pressure around a measure if a member fails to see it the City way. Re-appointment is out and so are you as a new appointment or vacancy takes your place.
The other thing to remember about land use is the broad discussion and hearings held to formulate a Master Plan several years ago. In this case the business finds itself grandfathered as is but that presents difficulty in expansion. I have not looked to see why the approach is to P&Z rather than ZBA but maybe the petitioners understand there is no real “hardship” involved.
The great thing about land use boards is they have hearings where petitioners and opposers are expected to appear and speak pro or con on the issue at hand. What a concept! A board or commission made up of City residents (elected or appointed) providing time in a meeting for John or Joanne Q. Citizen to speak their mind to the body, and the body listens in order to come to a community wise decision??? What if that concept were applied to all City meetings billed as public? What would happen? Upside and downside? Time will tell.
SPEAKING ABOUT CITY EMPLOYEES, WHAT’S UP WITH THAT???
City worker a suspect in scrap metal thefts
Daniel Tepfer
Read more: www .ctpost.com/policereports/article/City-worker-a-suspect-in-scrap-metal-thefts-3357554.php
Lots of Bad People with Bad Habits over in PFD. This looks like the tip of the iceberg! How high up will it go? All the way to the City Hall Annex is my bet!
Bob, there can only be one reason why this unnamed public facilities worker has not been named and has not been arrested. He must be one of the in crowd.
The owner of the scrap yard has been arrested and I am sure cooperating with authorities, so why nothing since October?
This investigation is not complex:
1. You arrested the owner of the scrap yard.
2. The items that were bought by the scrap yard belong to the city.
3. The authorities know who the city employee is and I am sure they have talked to him, even Dick Tracy would have talked to him.
Conclusion: The employee is part of the Public Facilities good old boy crew and they are doing their damnedest to keep him from being arrested. Two sets of laws, shame on the PD.
Bob, they suspended a public facilities worker for selling city property to the scrap yard. They won’t name this suspended employee; must be like I said, one of the in crowd.
Chief Gaudett, how come no arrest? This little case is 5 months old.
Oh tc, when is a HIM a HER?
Not so breaking news. It is reported the vacant Savoy Hotel (Palace and Majestic) has lost just about all of its antique plumbing fixtures including all of its cast-iron tubs and pedestal sinks. There are 109 rooms there. tc, where is Chief Gaudett and Donald “Demolition by Neglect” Neversley when you need them? What scrap yard took these items? How could this happen right down the street from the Police HQ? Depressing.
Connected to Mario. Guaranteed. Time will tell.
BEACON2 believes city Land Use Boards are beyond political interference because you cannot have city employees serving on them.
He also believes in the Tooth Fairy, Peter Pan and the Future of Stale Point.
I live near Testo’s restaurant. change the zoning and there will be a repeat of what happened behind Hillview Market on the corner of Madison Ave and Eckert St: a zoning change for medical offices that were quickly changed into apartments for SHU students. The word is there will be a zoning change for a tower dormitory (think of the one on the Bridgeport side of Park Ave near SHU) on the Testo’s site. I pay dearly to live in Bridgeport. I do NOT deserve to have a dormitory in my neighborhood. If SHU doesn’t have enough housing, then they shouldn’t admit more students than their dormitories can handle. I’m tired of the games that go on in this city …
*** It’s the “not in our neighborhood” old story again, in a city that’s desperately seeking more tax revenue any way it can get it. However, just how many commercial businesses already exist on Madison Ave? Soon there may be “no” zoned residential areas in Bpt due to lack of “BENJAMINS!” *** HERE WE GO! ***
Testo’s restaurant was grandfathered in because the old Three Door Inn existed on that property for years. To change the zoning just for that property to accommodate Mario Testa will destroy another neighborhood, just as building a super Stop&Shop on the site of the old Dewhirst Dairy destroyed another residential neighborhood. I choose to live in a residential neighborhood, not a commercial one. Spot zoning is not allowed in Bridgeport’s suburbs–why should it be allowed here? Am I a lesser human being because I choose to live in Bridgeport???
Bob,
Tomorrow the current City Council has called an Informational Session to discuss possible recommendations for revisions to the City Charter at the Private Dining Room at UB Student Center.
With your years of service on that body and your knowledge of the Charter, what would you say needs changing or reforming in the Charter? And why has no Council member found a way (until this year maybe) to see that “monthly financial reports” are issued monthly (at least perhaps 11 months)? How did you get by for all those years without a June, year-end report from Tom Sherwood? That info would be far more relevant to OIB than a humorous misreading of my statement above.
The Mayor doesn’t appoint me to a Board or Commission. That’s one form of getting your Mayoral political aims met. Control the participants. I ask questions. I look for answers.
The Council President did not want you on the B&A group. You ask questions. You are knowledgeable. But having a job with pay that is controlled by the City where a Council rep gets to vote on matters affecting your department head compensation levels, that is political “interference” and this City thrives on it.
What I am directing attention to is any way to gradually lessen that type of obvious interference or influence, especially when it comes to fiscal matters in the City. I enjoy fiction but not the stories put out from the Annex purportedly as the complete truth about anything.
So if you are into magical thinking in your Council retirement days, remember where you have so recently exited from. Inhabiting Fantasyland where Mayor Bountiful has all of the information worth knowing and is believed to share it generously with his 20 favorite Bridgeport citizens, two from each District, is an experience common to service on the City Council. Is that why they are looking for compensation these days? Perhaps I will suggest and endorse a “Bob Walsh Realism Award” for the City Council member who asks the most telling questions of fellow Council members. And presses for answers. And Bob, your nominations are? … Time will tell.
Will Lyons be served Straight Up?
Will T-MAC become a T-BONE with a rare objection???
B2,
Is the charter revision info session on Sunday? If so what time?
Bridgeport’s mil rate is 39.64 which is almost double any other city or town in the region. Double! Everyone I talk to expects the administration to announce a huge tax increase next month which the city council will have to deal with. The tax base has to increase to generate more revenue therefore new development has to happen. The question is where. The City’s 2008-2018 Master Plan states that the new development with higher densities should happen in the downtown and ONLY along the major transit corridors. Those corridors include Main, Fairfield Ave, Stratford Ave, Park and Madison. I think there are 12-14 streets in total. Developers have to stay away from the neighborhoods; no more overbuilding in the neighborhoods. I don’t understand why the PZC hasn’t enacted the overlay zones for all of the major transit corridors. They need to make it clear what and how those major transit corridors are to be developed. Looks like Testa is once again tired of waiting. If it is spot zoning then it shouldn’t be supported but if the proposal is in concert with an overall zone it needs to be carefully considered. I encourage everyone to step back and think how Bridgeport must grow to increase the tax base. The inner neighborhoods are off limits. The way development happens along the major transit corridors should be cautiously encouraged. We can’t keep saying no or we will be paying a mil rate that exceeds 40 mils. That would be an awful burden for all Bridgeport taxpayers.
I agree, Bridgeport needs to increase its tax base. There is an area on Madison Ave that is commercial right now (Five Corners to North Ave). Testo’s is in the the middle of a residential area. How many residential areas are going to be destroyed in the name of commercial development???
NEG,
Given the new Master Plan, high-density development can only occur in the Downtown and along the Major transit corridors so the neighborhoods are not further impacted. Yes there are residences remaining on some of those major streets but that is the only place developers can focus. Bridgeport must grow its tax base. The properties along these major corridors will be able to command more value because the higher densities might be built. That is assuming the zoning will reflect the goals of the Master Plan. If there is opposition then the tax base will stagnate and the mil rate will skyrocket forcing everyone to pay higher taxes.
Testo’s restaurant is IN THE MIDDLE of a neighborhood, just like the old Dewhirst Dairy was. When Dewhirst burned to the ground, there was a plan to put a development of NEW HOMES on the property. Instead a Stop&Shop was built. This is what will happen to the Testo’s property if Mario Testa gets his wish. So you would have another neighborhood destroyed in the name of development???
Another neighborhood destroyed in the name of Mario Testa. Then he’ll sell the property to the highest bidder and go back to Newtown. He doesn’t give a rat’s ass what happens to that neighborhood. I’m sure Zoning Commissioner and Mario’s bud Joe Tiago will do his bidding for him. Are they going to bus in the East Side seniors again? Fugetaboutit.
Nancy, if the Charter can be constantly ignored by this administration, what makes you think zoning ordinances are any different?
We have a Planning & Zoning Commission that is illiterate when it comes to zoning ordinances. They are led by an incompetent chairman and for the most part staffed by political zombies who do what they are told.
From an economic development point of view we should reevaluate all projects that are on the drawing board, especially Steel Point. This administration is so out of touch I doubt if we will see any significant development. These idiots are still talking about the Seaview Ave corridor which is something that can’t be done because the costs are too high and it would put trains running through the lower East Side.
There is talk of building a Walmart at Steel Point. All the properties that were taken by eminent domain (and torn down!) to make way for grandiose plans of hotels and marinas–and all the East End is getting is a Walmart. How many neighborhoods must be destroyed before people finally understand what Mario Testa and the Democratic machine are doing to Bridgeport?
Hear Hear!
countdown,
The City Council met from 9-11:30 AM this morning at the UB Student Center to discuss and develop an approach on their issues with the Charter Revision Process. Eleven members engaged in a good discussion about issues and concerns and Steve Mednick, counsel to the Charter Revision Committee was present to comment, listen, take notes and answer questions. There was a healthy dialogue with the longest-serving Councilman present, James Holloway, sharing the history of the last major Charter revision and the newest member John Olsen coming forth with thoughtful suggestions. All present were heard from. They will meet again on the subject. David Walker, mentioned in a Tom Friedman article as an ideal centrist candidate for President this past week, attended as I did and listened.
This afternoon at 2:00 PM Andy Fardy and I will be present at Bridgeport Library, main Burroughs-Saden location downtown, to present Bridgeport Finance 101 again. New slides. Time to get your questions answered. Time to think about what needs repair in our system. We will share the concerns of the City Council, heard this morning, regarding how they can adequately work with any administration with limited expert assistance. A good sign from conscientious Council persons, frankly.
And a tip of the hat to Nancy for keeping us focused on mil rates and tax payments. Our Finance 101 presentation indicates how the budget that gets passed each year interacts with Net Grand List and your own assessed value to result in semi-annual tax payments to the City. Come and learn. Today at 2:00 PM. See you there. Time will tell.
Nancy doesn’t understand you need to protect residential areas. Almost the entire downtown was taken over by eminent domain and NOTHING has been done to build new with the exception of the People’s Bank building. Politicians like Nancy Hadley have never been able to generate positive tax dollars. Housing is NEGATIVE tax dollars. You need more fire, police and public works expansion. Commercial and industrial tax dollars are positive tax dollars and this administration and the administrations for the last 40 years have either been unwilling or unable to entice legitimate construction for this.
And FINCH IS THE BIGGEST OFFENDER!!!
Bob,
I respectfully disagree. The neighborhoods have to be protected and the tax base has to grow. The Master Plan concluded in order to achieve both goals, new high density development must be focused only on the Downtown and the 14 major streets/major transit corridors. Those developments must be high quality with lots of buffering and set backs to shield the residential uses on the smaller residential streets. The residential neighborhoods must not be impacted.
Personally, I have lived in the Downtown since 2007. I would have loved to have the Downtown buildings filled with offices but the office vacancy rate in Stamford has been way too high to send companies to Bridgeport where access to the train, bus and ferry is within walking distance. The Bridgeport mil rate, which is DOUBLE every town around here has sent office buildings to Bob Scinto’s office parks in Shelton where those workers rely on cars as gas prices head for $5 per gallon. They go there because the land is not environmentally challenged and the mil rate is really low. The economics for offices and industrial uses still doesn’t work for Bridgeport. The high real estate taxes and personal property taxes crush the economics. We must grow the tax base in order to reduce the pressure on the mil rate while protecting the neighborhoods.
There are now 1000 new market rate residents downtown; mostly workers and empty nesters. Very few children. We eat in the restaurants; buy wine and cheese in the new stores at 323 Fairfield. We are anxiously waiting for the supermarket that is promised for the Arcade. We are part of a Downtown neighborhood full of folks who have disposable income. All good in my opinion. All good. This does not make me a politician. No. I am walking the talk. Are you?
If–as you say–neighborhoods are to be protected, why should there be a zoning change for Testo’s which is IN THE MIDDLE of a residential neighborhood? The medical office complex turned student housing is IN THE MIDDLE OF A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD right next door to a school. I will gladly meet you there to prove my point. Spot zoning like Mario Testa wants for his property would never ever be allowed in the suburbs that surround Bridgeport. Only in Bridgeport (sorry Lennie!) can palms be generously greased to allow this wanton destruction of our residential neighborhoods.
NEG,
I am not up to date on whether the Planning and Zoning Commission adopted the overlay zones for some or all 14 of the major transit corridors that are cited in the Master Plan. If they have then Testa is applying under the strict requirements of the overlay zone. If the PZC hasn’t adopted those overlay zones then I don’t understand how Testa can come in as one property asking for a dramatic increase in density. I haven’t read their petition. I do know the first time they came in, the PZC hadn’t done their work on the regulations governing the overlay districts.
My only point is Madison, Park, Main Street, Fairfield, Stratford, Part of Huntington Turnpike and a few other major streets are the only places outside of the Downtown where higher densities need to be properly zoned so there is some growth in the tax base without further screwing up the residential neighborhoods. Those major corridors, where there is frequent bus traffic, are the only places that can accommodate higher densities. If everyone resists development along those major corridors, the tax base will stagnate and the mil rate will skyrocket. It is the higher densities and large commercial/industrial uses that generate the additional tax revenue to pay for the city services. As I wrote in an earlier post, attracting commercial and industrial uses to Bridgeport has been difficult and will remain difficult unless the mil rate can come down. Even though Bridgeport is eligible for a bunch of State and Federal incentives, it still doesn’t make the commercial and industrial uses economically sound for investment.
Nancy–your mind is made up. Commercial development belongs on Madison Ave, regardless of where zoning will be changed to accommodate the wishes of certain developers, land use attorneys and the chairman of the DTC. If you lived in a residential neighborhood that would be destroyed by a spot zoning change, you would be as irate as I am. Obviously you don’t give a damn …
I walked as far as 5 administrations would allow and stayed in downtown Bridgeport as long as it was physically possible. There are too many vacant and decrepit buildings … there is NO commercial development.
All your plans are for naught and are pie in the sky as you have no idea how to generate substantial interest in rehabilitating the downtown. I made many suggestions over the years to the powers-that-be and one and all they shrugged. No one was interested. All you have to do is look at New Rochelle, NY. They developed New Roc City from the ashes of the shopping mall near the train station. That developer took a look at Bridgeport and its corruption and helped develop the Waterbury Brass Mall.
Say what you will, your involvement in developing Bridgeport is a failure.
Bob,
Not sure of everything you are for and against.
I believe you think current zoning for any areas, whether residential or office or industrial, for instance, should be respected in the main per the latest Master Plan.
I believe you see commercial or industrial development and taxation as a positive for the City, but still (with Bridgeport’s mil rate double many competing communities) find it difficult to understand why legitimate businesspeople avoid Bridgeport’s high-tax sites.
Is it only our mil rate shock that causes current City expenses mainly onto residential tax base, that also loses out relative to home values when we go to sell relative to other communities with lower taxes on land and home values?
You state more fire, police and public facilities expansion is called for. Why? How will these be paid for? How will these dramatically assist the economic development effort (whatever that is) in the City at a given time?
Those are some of the questions a trained, educated, independent Board of City resident taxpayers might tackle as a Charter authorized Board of Finance. By current CT Statute none of them could be a City employee. They would focus solely on financial City matters 12 months of the year, without other Council or sub-committee duties as at present: budget review and monitoring, bonding, other capital transactions, digging into trends in departmental costs, discovering ‘best practices’ that earn other communities much better financial ratings, developing and monitoring actual progress towards rebuilding the City’s “unrestricted fund balance,” encouraging public questions and comment at each of their meetings, turning public ‘listening only’ meetings into genuine dialogue that will increase fiscal understanding for many points of view. And they in above fashion can serve a magnificent function for the City Council members, especially those on the Budget and Appropriations Committee who at this moment have no practical support in slicing and dicing what is delivered regarding fiscal items from the administration. We get a weak stew unfortunately. That is some of what ails us. The Charter Review Commission is still meeting. They look for input. What are your thoughts? Time will tell.
When you have more residential development you need more fire, police, schools and public works to maintain the safety of those properties.
When you have industrial and commercial development you don’t need additional schools and public works. Those properties are self-responsible for mechanicals and maintenance. That’s less of a burden on a municipality to provide services. Additionally, they provide jobs and therefore more income tax to the state and spending money for local businesses in ancillary services to those employees.
Therefore, residential development, taking in fewer dollars and not providing jobs and business taxes, is a negative gain for a municipality.
NEG,
Please read carefully what I wrote. I do care. Lots. This is the information that will help you ask the questions to find out whether this petition is really spot zoning or part of an overlay zone for a major transit corridor. Depending on the answer to that threshold question all else follows.
Nancy, you’re right on all the legalities and zoning info. However, despite all this, and I mean it in a politically observant way, you don’t know how to generate revenue. Politicians have no clue how to do that because most never were responsible for running a business. And … you can’t be so dependent upon the good graces of the government above your municipality. There’s always a vig to pay. And all that dependency means is more taxation and more government.
Bob,
How many babies (with future schooling needs) are resident in the downtown market rate residences available in the past several years? Same, more or less than occur in single family or condo type residences created in past years? Downtown has targeted a different type of occupant, who maybe carless (but not careless), who is into a more vibrant art, music and theater scene than is available in the suburbs but does develop in a core urban environment, and who has time and money to spend on these interests. I don’t see school costs or public works increased by this new City dweller, per capita, do you? But they will pay rent, fees or taxes that feed the Grand List. Those are additional revenues net it seems to me. And then businesses to serve those tenants follow and the best of them establish a solid base, and also contribute to an increased downtown tax base. Does this make sense now? Time will tell.