Date: Fri 14-Feb-1997

By ANDY GOROSKO

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

P&Z-Rollingwood-New-Lebbon

Full Text:

Third Phase Of Rollingwood Subdivision Is Approved

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members have approved the controversial

Rollingwood, Phase III, residential subdivision application, but have placed

many environmental conditions on the development plan.

At a February 6 session, P&Z members unanimously approved creating 17 lots on

a 273-acre parcel to the west of New Lebbon Road.

A new street, East Marlin Road, will be built to serve 15 of the 17 homes in

the third phase of the development. The other two lots will front on New

Lebbon Road.

The first two phases of the multi-phase project involved home construction on

Marlin Road and Beagle Trail. The overall project would contain more than 90

homes. The applicant is Blakeman Construction, LLC.

Voting in favor of the Rollingwood subdivision were P&Z Chairman John

DeFilippe and members Thomas Paisley, Heidi Winslow and Daniel Fogliano.

In approving the application, P&Z members are requiring that stormwater catch

basins have deep sumps; silt sacks be placed in those basins during the

construction of the subdivision; oil and grit separators be used to prevent

those substances from running off the site in stormwater flows; two-stage

stormwater detention basins be used where water runoff leaves the property;

reinforced, grass-covered swales be used for surface drainage instead of

conventional broken-stone swales; and drainage coming off roofs and driveways

on the development site must be fed into the soil instead of being allowed to

run off it. P&Z members set road bonding for the project at $340,000.

"This is a sensitive piece of property," Ms Winslow said, who added extensive

environmental measures need to be taken to protect the water quality of nearby

wetlands.

The development site drains toward Rowledge Pond, where a commercial fish

hatchery operates.

At a November public hearing on Rollingwood, Todd Bobowick, a co-owner of

Rowledge Pond, Inc, said the fish hatchery requires exceptionally good water

quality if it is to function properly. Additional residential development in

the area will degrade the water quality of Halfway River, he said.

Mr DeFilippe said although the developers are about to begin the third phase

of the overall project, P&Z has yet to learn the location of open space land

on the 273-acre development site. The developer is expected to provide the

town with roughly 27 acres of open space.

Developer Monty Blakeman said he has been discussing with town officials

physical changes he will make to improve sight lines at the intersection of

New Lebbon Road and High Bridge Road. Motorists exiting New Lebbon Road face

very limited sight lines when looking to the east.

Mr DeFilippe said the Z will address safety hazards posed by the presence of a

large pit to the west of New Lebbon Road when the developer seeks future

subdivision approvals. Area residents have complained the pit's presence

endangers public safety.

Members of the New Lebbon Road/Beagle Trail Neighborhood Association attended

a past hearing on Rollingwood to explain their concerns about the development

proposal.

In a letter to the P&Z, neighborhood association members stated they oppose

the paving and widening of New Lebbon Road; they are concerned about the

presence of the sand pit due to its steep slopes; cutting trees to build the

subdivision will hurt the environment; water wells should be drilled and

septic systems constructed before houses are built; and traffic in the area

will increase following the construction of more houses.

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Well that is some spin. The Democrats have a super majority on the LC and passed the Education Budget without serious consideration of if the voters could afford the multi million dollar increase. "Was the request justified?" rather than "is this needed?" and "can the voters shoulder yet another large increase?" The voters rightly sent it back. Then for some reason all the discussion around reductions to the increase seemed to be coming from the classroom, rather than administration and overhead costs. Is this a coercive tactic to manipulate parents into supporting the budget like tacit threat of cutting freshman sports was two years ago? Who believes the Democrats did not caucus privately before the meeting and came in with a number already worked out? This is the Dems budget, they own it.

Education Cuts: Who Voted For What

I think it is important that we do not villainize every black box seen around a home, business, farm, or municipal property. A black exterior station does not always mean rat poison is being used. These stations can hold a number of different products, including monitoring blocks, snap traps, non-toxic bait, anti-tick bait stations, organic salt- or cornmeal-based control products, and newer fertility-control approaches intended to reduce rodent populations without traditional poisons. The better conversation, in my opinion, is not simply “black boxes are bad,” but rather: what is inside them, who is maintaining them, and whether the rodent issue is being managed responsibly. Exclusion, sanitation, trapping, habitat reduction, and careful monitoring should all be part of a responsible IPM strategy. To be fair, on my own property I do use rodenticides, including Bromethalin and Bromadiolone, in secured bait stations. But that is a choice I make for my property, based on my circumstances and the risk I am trying to manage. I also believe property owners should understand the tradeoffs and be encouraged to use the least harmful effective method whenever possible. I support protecting Newtown’s wildlife. I also support giving residents accurate information and not assuming that every black box represents reckless or unsafe pest control. The goal should be responsible rodent management, not fear of the box itself.

Discusses Policy Against Rodenticides

Debora, thank you! I accidentally doubled the project prices by adding the bond to the appropriation. Thank you so much for catching that and pointing it out. With the corrected numbers, the voters approved a combined $1.32 million for a salt shed ($600k) and library pavement ($720k), while rejecting the $1.12 million replacement turf. Regarding the 80s, I truly respect the hurdle of 14% mortgage rates. My point is simply that the math has shifted: in 1980, while the rates were higher, the price of a home relative to earnings was significantly lower. We are facing a different, but equally crushing, financial wall. Ultimately, it is disheartening that voters who recognized safe sidewalks and parking lots as essential, dismissed a playing field in the exact same condition. The turf has passed its life cycle and is just as much of a liability as the library’s pavement, the only difference is that this safety concern affects thousands of children who, coincidentally, cannot vote. These are apples-to-apples needs. I was hopeful our community would agree that all Newtown residents deserve safe conditions, regardless of which facility they utilize. Again, I would be remiss not to mention that when 82% of residents don’t show up, we have to deal with the interests of those who did. Hopefully, the next referendum will have a bigger turnout.

The ‘Me’ Generation

Thanks for the reply. I meant the numbers you presented in your letter. I found one place where other numbers were listed: https://www.newtownbee.com/04232026/get-out-and-vote-on-the-2026-27-proposed-municipal-and-school-budgets/?q=\\\%22advisory%20questions\\\%22. In that article, the numbers were cited as: Treadwell field: $1,125,000 Library: $720,000 Salt Storage: $600,000 As one who started out in the early 80's when inflation was double digits, my 1985 mortgage rate was 14%, and child care costs were comparable (in present value), I shared your grief but never considered the voters ironic or shameful. PS. I agree college tuition is ridiculous. Thankfully, universities are offering (or considering) waiving all or most tuition for middle class families (upwards of $200,000 incomes). Hopefully, they'll also reconsider their need for those funds in the first place.

Sure! Child care costs: https://www.ffyf.org/2022/10/13/data-child-care-prices-continue-to-rise-ahead-of-midterm-elections-outpacing-inflation/ (also from 2021-2025 we had 2 children in a local daycare in Newtown and it cost us $3200 a month, so that's a number I am very familiar with) Home price / median price vs income source: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/home-price-income-ratios Tuition increase vs inflation: https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/noting-a-decline-in-middle-class-students-colleges-provide-more-aid/ Hope this helps :)

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Date: Fri 14-Feb-1997

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