Date: Fri 03-Apr-1998

By ANDY GOROSKO

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

WPCA-lawsuits-sewers

Full Text:

Dozens Of Lawsuits Contest Sewer Assessments

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

The Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) has been named the defendant in

more than two dozen lawsuits that challenge the sewer assessments levied by

the WPCA on 30 properties.

In the appeals filed in Danbury Superior Court, the many plaintiffs allege the

WPCA has levied sewer assessments on their properties that are too high.

Through the lawsuits the plaintiffs seek to have a judge reduce the sewer

assessments.

In general, the lawsuits contend that the WPCA has overestimated the market

value that will be added to the various properties by their access to

municipal sanitary sewers, thus adversely affecting the marketability of those

properties.

In the aggregate, the sewer assessments being contested amount to almost $4.4

million.

Most of the lawsuits have been filed by property owners with commercial or

industrial holdings, representing the real estate with the highest sewer

assessments.

The WPCA has set the standard residential sewer assessment at $9,900, rather

than attempting the complex task of calculating the specific value that access

to sewers adds to each residential property.

In the case of non-residential properties such as stores, businesses,

factories, schools, churches, and various public buildings, the WPCA

calculated the specific value that sewer access would add to those buildings.

In most cases, non-residential properties have much higher sewer assessments

than residences.

Contested Assessments

The highest sewer assessments being contested are: Newtown Shopping Village

Limited Partnership for Newtown Shopping Center at 6 Queen Street, $601,400,

and at 8 Queen Street, $54,090; Eton Centers Company for the Grand Union

shopping center at 5 Queen Street, $497,520, and 26 Church Hill Road, $22,209;

Nancy B. Keefe (Gypsum Specialists), 20 Commerce Road, $493,160; Charter

Communications/Entertainment I, Limited Liability Corporation, 11 Commerce

Road, $352,118; and The Taunton Press, Inc, 52 Church Hill Road, $171,684; 10

Mile Hill Road, $112,770; and 6 Mile Hill Road, $48,510.

Other lawsuits involve:

John Morganti and Sons, LLC, (office building) 30 Church Hill Road, $213,363.

Martin Bennett, (US Post Office), 5 Commerce Road, $208,980.

Sonics and Materials, Inc, 55-A Commerce Road, $176,490.

National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc, 11 Mile Hill Road, $175,770.

Five Industrial Park Associates, 14 Commerce Road, $173,790.

Pepper Partners Limited Partnership, (total of four sewer assessments,

$163,440); 37 Church Hill Road, $55,350; 47 Church Hill Road (Church Hill Gas

Stop) $38,790; 18 Church Hill Road, $35,460; 14 Church Hill Road, $33,840.

TUV Rheinland of North America, Inc, 12 Commerce Road, $153,546.

Michael and Valerie Sorrentino, (total of two assessments, $130,590), 59-61

Church Hill Road (Newtown Hardware/Drug Center) $120,690 and $9,900.

Lexington Gardens of Newtown, Inc, and George H. Cladis, Lexington Gardens, 32

Church Hill Road, $114,930.

Spiro Rountos, (shopping center) 43 South Main Street, $99,083.

Newtown Country Club Realty Corp, Newtown Country Club, 3 Country Club Road,

$96,390.

Technical Investments, Inc, 14 Church Hill Road, $81,900.

Bryson M. Filbert, Jr, and Richard and Nina Frankonis, (retail/office), 34

Church Hill Road, $68,130.

Newtown Chiropractic Health Center, Inc, 54 South Main Street, $58,140.

Exit 10 I-84 Associates, (John Morganti and Sons, LLC, and Quarter Mile

Company, LLC), (bank), 1 Commerce Road, $57,420.

William Pitt Real Estate Limited Partnership, (offices) 13 Church Hill Road,

$44,910.

Other Lawsuits

Besides the numerous lawsuits seeking reduced sewer assessments, two property

owners are suing the WPCA over damage they claim was done to their properties

as a result of sewer construction work.

James E. Knapp, owner of 22 Oakview Road, and Donald M. Cavanaugh, owner of 8

Berkshire Road, are seeking money damages. The men say their properties were

physically damaged as a result of the sewer construction project.

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Reed Intermediate Presents Sold-Out Performances Of 'Willy Wonka Jr'

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 03-Apr-1998

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