Talk about raising City Councilman Michael DeFilippo’s spirits.
From Brian Lockhart, CT Post:
More than three years after his new North End liquor store was forced to close, City Councilman Michael DeFilippo has the city’s OK to try again.
The Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday approved DeFilippo’s application to re-open Vitro’s at 1044 Brooklawn Ave.
“I’m done waiting. It’s crazy,” DeFilippo said in an interview. “This is ‘go time.'”
Vitro’s opponents, however, are not done fighting. A coalition of competing package stores is appealing in court the recently passed, re-written liquor regulations the Planning and Zoning Commission used to review and approve DeFilippo’s proposal.
And their attorney, Joel Green, also appeared to lay the ground work Monday for a lawsuit against the vote on Vitro’s, should the liquor rules be upheld.
Full story here.
Want to circumvent the laws? Run for office, use less than reputable counsel, invent ways to have city boards and agencies such as OPED and Zoning do your bidding, wait it out- in this case more than 3 years, and hope for the outcome you want. Every article printed about this over the past 3 plus years clearly shows that my comments are spot on.
Hey Joe Schmo: try doing the same thing. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to place all the articles in a scrap book for his “legacy” unless he points to them and explains to his offspring how to game the system.
An appeal has been filed already so the outcome is still not over pending a Superior Courts decision. The last time it didn’t work out so wel for the councilman.
. We’ll see and as his counsel stated : there are some risks.
Please see my comments under the body camera story for the parking issue at his location. And….. as always:.. ………..
More to come.
As if Bridgeport needs another liquor store…
The Board of Education unanimously voted to oppose the liquor store changes. Joe Larcheveque gave compelling testimony against it as did Dr. Johnson. We also sent two letters.
Yes that’s true and was GREATLY appreciated. You all appeared before the zoning board and opined as professionals and as community representatives of large constituencies as to why the liquor rule should not be changed. The NRZ unanimously voted similarly. The director of real estate, planning, and development for Rutgers University testified as well noting that the change could negatively affect Bridgeport’s neighborhoods. The Cathedral parish and other church groups also wrote letters against this. There were members of some church groups who stood up to speak against it at zoning meetings as well. Many council members past and present attended several zoning meetings and spoke against it. Ernie, Eneida Kyle and others as well appeared and spoke at several zoning board meetings- all against. Etc etc. Thus just proves that the fix was always in. This was always known but the fight is still on. The appeal in Superior Court will follow. Defilippo has to apply to the State Liquor Commission to get his liquor license. The State actually makes the decision as to the granting of any liquor license irrespective of local zoning rules. Letters to the State from any citizen, group, or organization asking the liquor commission to deny the application based on all the the facts in this case would have to be considered by the commission.
More to come….
Who should we address letters to and what is the email address?
The liquor commission requires at least 10 persons over 18 to write or fax their reasons against any location and or permit. It must be signed etc.
address:
Dept of Consumer Protection- liquor control
450 Columbus Blvd 901
Hartford ct 06103
Attention: Mr John Suchy; Director, liquor control
Email: DCP.Liquorremonstrance.ct.gov
or fax: 1-860-706-1267
………… more to come
Rich,
Thank you for the info. I will be writing a letter. I am reaching out to others to write letters.
I hope others on OIB will be pro-active and send letters and reach out to others to send letters. This is a perfect example of what is wrong in BridgeportTESTA governance. This rots to high heaven. Worse, I am coming across things which stink equally.
Count me in. The last thing Bridgeport needs is another liquor store.
Also: any Bridgeport resident who does not desire to have a liquor store open in any residential location in the city for reasons such as : traffic and safety issues; parking issues; added congestion to your area; fear of the possibility of creating dangerous situations due to the types of clientele who may start to frequent the area; lower property values for residential dwellings etc.-can express their comments to the liquor commission as well. You don’t have to live near the subject location because what this “new” zoning rule that they pushed through now allows for is for liquor stores to be place only 750 feet apart, that’s 2 blocks!!, which of course could happen in ANY neighborhood in the city!! OPEDs claim that they have more control to look at applicants is totally false. The state liquor control board are the only entity that decides who gets a license. The location needs to be approved by the state AND local authority and this is what OPED and ZONING have done to allow Defilippo to get an OK on his location which was not allowed before all the political maneuvering started. So feel free to send in your complaints, (remonstrances) as the state liquor board calls them, to the state liquor control board.
More to come……
Councilman Defilippo’s package store is called “Vitros” located at 1044 Brooklawn Avenue Bridgeport. Not sure yet who he will use as the “permittee” but will post that as soon as the info is available. When he initially opened for that short period of time HE WAS NOT the permittee and I believe the name on the permit was Linda Troiano, possibly his aunt. Why he would not be the permittee since HE SAYS he owns the store AND the small strip mall across from Testos begs another question.
More to come…
Just in case you missed Rich’s earlier post:
The liquor commission requires at least 10 persons over 18 to write or fax their reasons against any location and or permit. It must be signed etc.
address:
Dept of Consumer Protection- liquor control
450 Columbus Blvd 901
Hartford ct 06103
Attention: Mr John Suchy; Director, liquor control
Email: DCP.Liquorremonstrance.ct.gov
or fax: 1-860-706-1267
I’m surprised Auerbach hasn’t chimed in to say how good this is for Bridgeport…
So as it is my understanding that the Liquor Control Board needs ten letters from citizens in order to commence an appeal, I am writing a letter and sending it today
I don’t need this atrocity in my neighborhood.
The houses around that strip mall are being bought up by him as well….
Hmmmmm!!
Future expansion?? Willinger says his store won’t impact the neighborhood. Yeah right. The empty Stop&Shop on Madison was a good idea as well!!
More to come.