A road that is 25 feet wide and 12.21 miles long has the same surface area of the proposed mall's impervious surfaces.
That's more than enough to drive the 9.5 miles from Cheshire's town hall to the Brass Mill mall in Waterbury.
The W/S proposal will result in 37 acres being either paved over for parking or roofed over. In any case, these are impervious surfaces that result in total immediate water runoff.
Most people have no idea of the size of 37 acres of impervious surface and most people that have made or will make the decision on this application don't know how significant this is either.
If you can imagine a road that has an equivalent surface area, you get the picture. Since many secondary roads are 25 feet wide, how long of a road would it take to equal the surface area of 37 acres?
To calculate it, multiply 37 acres times the square feet in an acre, 44,560, divide that by a 25 foot wide road to to get the length of the road in feet and then divide that by 5,280 ft in a mile to get the length of the road in miles.
MR = 37 * 43,560 / 25/ 5,280
MR = 12.2 miles of road
Does anyone want to calculate how many gallons of water runoff would result from 1 inch of rain?
One cubic foot of water contains 7.48052 gallons
An acre is 43,560 sq ft.
One gallon of water weighs 8.3453 pounds.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
Saturday, December 15, 2007
The interest is there, It's time for you to get involved.
After the full page add in the Cheshire Herald we have gotten over 1300 hits at the website. It appears that there is a lot more concern about this development than W/S realized.
This process will become a juggernaut, difficult to stop without a lot of public outcry.
The zone text change was a major door opening event for unfettered development. The P&Z people are way over their heads and I hope they do their homework and respond to the wishes of the town residents.
This development is going forward. It is going to take a lot of effort on the part of many to stop it.
If enough people speak out, we can make a difference.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
This is from the web site CantonCare.org
This group formed after the town started the development process of a golf course along Route 44 that became the "Life Style" center......for Canton. The Canton Care group has become a watchdog for further growth in town.
This excerpt from their website (it is quite extensive and gives some interesting insights into what citizen groups can do!) details the goings on while the project was going through the approvals back in 2003 and 2004.
The most important lesson from this is how it started out to be a "quaint village of shops" but box stores and a Shaws crept in to make it "viable". In other words, you have to have a lot of other stores around the "high end" stores to attract the critical mass of shoppers to make the place "viable".
Cheshire beware.
“Shoppes” developer asks again; Zoning Commission reverses vote. When developers of The Shoppes at Farmington Valley, under construction at the former Canton Golf Course, asked the Zoning Commission this January for approval to expand the shopping center by 15.6%, they were answered with a firm 6-1 denial. Three weeks later, the developer reapplied, seeking a 15.3% expansion. This time, the commission gave a resounding 6-1 approval.
In Jan. 2004, the Zoning Commission denied the request to expand The Shoppes by 49,435 q. ft. to accommodate Dick’s Sporting Goods. The developer re-applied on Feb. 13, asking to add 48,565 sq. ft. and divide the complex’s easternmost building into two buildings. The decision from the Commission on March 2 was “yes.”
The approval increased the shopping center from the original 350,000 sq. ft., and a subsequently approved 372,000, to 429,000 sq. ft. (an overall 22% increase.) Nearby Simsbury Commons, including Stop & Shop and Walgreen’s, is 290,000 sq. ft.
The developer asked the Zoning Commission to “rush” the hearing, Town Planner Sarajane Pickett informed commissioners at a Feb. 19 meeting. Commission Chairman Chris Winsor told commissioners they "should react to" the applicant’s request, and that the circumstances for the request would be made known during the hearing.
The developers of The Shoppes at Farmington Valley are Timothy Ellsworth of Simsbury and S.R. Weiner & Associates affiliate W/S Development Associates of Massachusetts. The project's land planner is Philip Doyle, Canton resident and member of Canton’s Board of Finance, whose business LADA, P.C. is located in Simsbury.
S.R. Weiner Vice President of Development Bob Frazier told Commissioners on March 2 that the developer is under immediate time and financial deadlines in order to finish the complex according to its desired schedule. He said the firm is committed to completing the project, with or without this approval, and that the widespread belief among town residents that the firm had threatened to leave the project incomplete if not given this approval is not the case.
At the Jan. 29 meeting where the Zoning Commission first rejected this request, commission Chairman Chris Winsor, who voted to approve the application, said “it was regrettable” that a prior Zoning Commission approval authorized a change to the west end of the project, resulting in a loss of the original approval’s village-style design at that end. He said the applicant now says the increase in square footage is needed “to provide vitality” at the east end. “I think that’s probably a correct statement,” he added.
Other commissioners said on Jan. 29 the requested increase was too big and that it would stray from the original intent of a pedestrian-friendly complex:
-- Sandra Trionfini said developers had assured the commission that the project would not get “mammoth.” Now, she said, “All bets are off; anything can happen. At what point do we say, ‘No more’?”
-- Harvey Jassem said the development already has the two anchors that the applicant sought, and that the commission is not obligated to enlarge space for a third.
-- Jay Weintraub asked, “If this project had been proposed to us on day one as it is proposed tonight, would we have approved it? … For me, I don’t think I would have approved it.”
-- Kathy Hooker said the proposal was not in keeping with the town’s master plan policy regarding town character, and that she was uncomfortable adding more space, especially for use by one large tenant.
-- Leesa Lawson said, “I feel we’ve modified the integrity out of this project,” and added that she believes the project will be viable without the addition.
-- Peter Clarke said that based on the number of tenants who have signed leases, tenants “don’t appear to be concerned that it’s not going to work.”
On March 2, however, Commissioners had different opinions about the new application:
-- Chris Winsor said it met the regulation’s requirements, and he complimented the developer for improving the design.
-- Sandra Trionfini said that, while prior changes may have steered the design away from the original intent, this request seemed to be a natural progression
-- Jay Weintraub said the first application seemed to be just a long building with too big a mass, but that dividing the building and lowering the facade made the appearance conform with the rest of the project.
-- Kathy Hooker said that the buildings in the project “are all big boxes” and that the addition “isn’t really going to be noticeable. It’s big already.”
-- Leesa Lawson, the one commissioner to vote no, said the application had “come a long way” in its design but that without a significantly smaller size request it was too much like the recently-denied proposal. “We were adamant in January that this was a significant size. Why would this be different?”
-- Alternate member Tom Chouinard said the expansion would not be very noticeable.
-- Alternate member Mark Podesla said the applicant had made an effort to improve the plan and the size request was acceptable to him.
-- Glenn Barger, who Chairman Winsor chose to sit out the vote, although Mr. Barger has more seniority on the commission than Mr. Podesla, cautioned that 5 or 10 years down the road, keeping buildings of this size occupied could be a concern.
-- Commissioners Harvey Jassem and Peter Clarke were unable to attend the March 2 hearing. Mr. Jassem had asked Chairman Winsor to hold the hearing one day later so that he could attend, but Mr. Winsor insisted that the hearing be held on the 2nd.
Background information:
In 1989, the town declined an offer to purchase the golf course. The course was rezoned in 1998 at Mr. Ellsworth’s request, from Agricultural/Residential to Special Business. Mr. Ellsworth told the Zoning Commission he planned to build an athletic training complex called The Peak Experience. Mr. Ellsworth subsequently stated he was unable to obtain financing. Once rezoned, the 130-acre course remained rezoned. The SB zone allows a wide array of uses. On March 31, 2003, course owners the Lowell family sold the property to the developer for $4.77 million.
C.A.R.E., which formed after the course was rezoned, regrets the town’s failure to buy the parcel and the choice to rezone it. But given this set of circumstances, C.A.R.E. was pleased by the developer’s stated intention to attempt a walkable project, of only one quarter the size that regulations would allow, of multiple uses, and to actively recruit locally-owned tenants. The developer’s multiple alterations, however, have radically altered the project to one that is at odds with the promised development and incompatible with the town of Canton.
The site plan initially approved by Zoning included a west anchor store (Kohl's, now under construction) and an east anchor store. Multiple smaller, individual buildings would have lined both sides of a street connecting the two anchors. As part of the original approval, the applicant stated an intent to create a “pedestrian-friendly” development. No tenant had yet been identified for the east anchor, but the applicant stated that a specialty foods store would be sought for that site. In 2003, the developer received Zoning approval to combine several buildings into one 83,000 sq. ft. building (next to Kohl's). The developer has since announced that Shaw's, the northeast’s second largest grocery chain, will occupy this building.
The originally approved application called for mixed uses, including retail, restaurant, office and an executive training golf course. W/S Development now says it has determined that an executive golf course will not be profitable and is instead weighing other possible recreational uses, such as batting cages or miniature
This group formed after the town started the development process of a golf course along Route 44 that became the "Life Style" center......for Canton. The Canton Care group has become a watchdog for further growth in town.
This excerpt from their website (it is quite extensive and gives some interesting insights into what citizen groups can do!) details the goings on while the project was going through the approvals back in 2003 and 2004.
The most important lesson from this is how it started out to be a "quaint village of shops" but box stores and a Shaws crept in to make it "viable". In other words, you have to have a lot of other stores around the "high end" stores to attract the critical mass of shoppers to make the place "viable".
Cheshire beware.
“Shoppes” developer asks again; Zoning Commission reverses vote. When developers of The Shoppes at Farmington Valley, under construction at the former Canton Golf Course, asked the Zoning Commission this January for approval to expand the shopping center by 15.6%, they were answered with a firm 6-1 denial. Three weeks later, the developer reapplied, seeking a 15.3% expansion. This time, the commission gave a resounding 6-1 approval.
In Jan. 2004, the Zoning Commission denied the request to expand The Shoppes by 49,435 q. ft. to accommodate Dick’s Sporting Goods. The developer re-applied on Feb. 13, asking to add 48,565 sq. ft. and divide the complex’s easternmost building into two buildings. The decision from the Commission on March 2 was “yes.”
The approval increased the shopping center from the original 350,000 sq. ft., and a subsequently approved 372,000, to 429,000 sq. ft. (an overall 22% increase.) Nearby Simsbury Commons, including Stop & Shop and Walgreen’s, is 290,000 sq. ft.
The developer asked the Zoning Commission to “rush” the hearing, Town Planner Sarajane Pickett informed commissioners at a Feb. 19 meeting. Commission Chairman Chris Winsor told commissioners they "should react to" the applicant’s request, and that the circumstances for the request would be made known during the hearing.
The developers of The Shoppes at Farmington Valley are Timothy Ellsworth of Simsbury and S.R. Weiner & Associates affiliate W/S Development Associates of Massachusetts. The project's land planner is Philip Doyle, Canton resident and member of Canton’s Board of Finance, whose business LADA, P.C. is located in Simsbury.
S.R. Weiner Vice President of Development Bob Frazier told Commissioners on March 2 that the developer is under immediate time and financial deadlines in order to finish the complex according to its desired schedule. He said the firm is committed to completing the project, with or without this approval, and that the widespread belief among town residents that the firm had threatened to leave the project incomplete if not given this approval is not the case.
At the Jan. 29 meeting where the Zoning Commission first rejected this request, commission Chairman Chris Winsor, who voted to approve the application, said “it was regrettable” that a prior Zoning Commission approval authorized a change to the west end of the project, resulting in a loss of the original approval’s village-style design at that end. He said the applicant now says the increase in square footage is needed “to provide vitality” at the east end. “I think that’s probably a correct statement,” he added.
Other commissioners said on Jan. 29 the requested increase was too big and that it would stray from the original intent of a pedestrian-friendly complex:
-- Sandra Trionfini said developers had assured the commission that the project would not get “mammoth.” Now, she said, “All bets are off; anything can happen. At what point do we say, ‘No more’?”
-- Harvey Jassem said the development already has the two anchors that the applicant sought, and that the commission is not obligated to enlarge space for a third.
-- Jay Weintraub asked, “If this project had been proposed to us on day one as it is proposed tonight, would we have approved it? … For me, I don’t think I would have approved it.”
-- Kathy Hooker said the proposal was not in keeping with the town’s master plan policy regarding town character, and that she was uncomfortable adding more space, especially for use by one large tenant.
-- Leesa Lawson said, “I feel we’ve modified the integrity out of this project,” and added that she believes the project will be viable without the addition.
-- Peter Clarke said that based on the number of tenants who have signed leases, tenants “don’t appear to be concerned that it’s not going to work.”
On March 2, however, Commissioners had different opinions about the new application:
-- Chris Winsor said it met the regulation’s requirements, and he complimented the developer for improving the design.
-- Sandra Trionfini said that, while prior changes may have steered the design away from the original intent, this request seemed to be a natural progression
-- Jay Weintraub said the first application seemed to be just a long building with too big a mass, but that dividing the building and lowering the facade made the appearance conform with the rest of the project.
-- Kathy Hooker said that the buildings in the project “are all big boxes” and that the addition “isn’t really going to be noticeable. It’s big already.”
-- Leesa Lawson, the one commissioner to vote no, said the application had “come a long way” in its design but that without a significantly smaller size request it was too much like the recently-denied proposal. “We were adamant in January that this was a significant size. Why would this be different?”
-- Alternate member Tom Chouinard said the expansion would not be very noticeable.
-- Alternate member Mark Podesla said the applicant had made an effort to improve the plan and the size request was acceptable to him.
-- Glenn Barger, who Chairman Winsor chose to sit out the vote, although Mr. Barger has more seniority on the commission than Mr. Podesla, cautioned that 5 or 10 years down the road, keeping buildings of this size occupied could be a concern.
-- Commissioners Harvey Jassem and Peter Clarke were unable to attend the March 2 hearing. Mr. Jassem had asked Chairman Winsor to hold the hearing one day later so that he could attend, but Mr. Winsor insisted that the hearing be held on the 2nd.
Background information:
In 1989, the town declined an offer to purchase the golf course. The course was rezoned in 1998 at Mr. Ellsworth’s request, from Agricultural/Residential to Special Business. Mr. Ellsworth told the Zoning Commission he planned to build an athletic training complex called The Peak Experience. Mr. Ellsworth subsequently stated he was unable to obtain financing. Once rezoned, the 130-acre course remained rezoned. The SB zone allows a wide array of uses. On March 31, 2003, course owners the Lowell family sold the property to the developer for $4.77 million.
C.A.R.E., which formed after the course was rezoned, regrets the town’s failure to buy the parcel and the choice to rezone it. But given this set of circumstances, C.A.R.E. was pleased by the developer’s stated intention to attempt a walkable project, of only one quarter the size that regulations would allow, of multiple uses, and to actively recruit locally-owned tenants. The developer’s multiple alterations, however, have radically altered the project to one that is at odds with the promised development and incompatible with the town of Canton.
The site plan initially approved by Zoning included a west anchor store (Kohl's, now under construction) and an east anchor store. Multiple smaller, individual buildings would have lined both sides of a street connecting the two anchors. As part of the original approval, the applicant stated an intent to create a “pedestrian-friendly” development. No tenant had yet been identified for the east anchor, but the applicant stated that a specialty foods store would be sought for that site. In 2003, the developer received Zoning approval to combine several buildings into one 83,000 sq. ft. building (next to Kohl's). The developer has since announced that Shaw's, the northeast’s second largest grocery chain, will occupy this building.
The originally approved application called for mixed uses, including retail, restaurant, office and an executive training golf course. W/S Development now says it has determined that an executive golf course will not be profitable and is instead weighing other possible recreational uses, such as batting cages or miniature
Sunday, December 09, 2007
It might be interesting to compare the petition with the Calcagni employee directory below
Name Ohttp://www.calcagni.com/find_agent/ourteam_results.aspx?FirstName=&LastName=&Location=Cheshire
Baillie, Chrisffice Telephone
Bauer, Kathy
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 359
Bogin, Betsy
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 333
Calcagni, Steve
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 302
Calcagni, Doug
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 324
Demos, Sarah
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 310
Gomes, John
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 363
Levine, Debra
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 362
Luna Zayas, Joan
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 374
O'Leary, Cheryl
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 353
Pomarico, Karen
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 378
Urbano, Camille
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 368
Name Office Telephone
O`Neill, Ed
Commercial 203 234-9000 Ext. 618
Worth, Thomas
Commercial 203 234-9000 Ext. 615
Baillie, Chris
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 313
Coleman, Cathy
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 355
Coughlin, Sharon
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 322
Criscuolo, Paula
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 306
Davis, Barb
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 320
DeAngelis, Stacey
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 367
DeDominicis, Deborah
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 338
Demeter, Ruth
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 334
DuChette, Doreen
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 319
Fiordelisi, Sheila
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 332
Flyntz-Morehouse, Amy
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 303
Forstrom, Heather
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 343
Golden, Dana
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 369
Hermann, Carol
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 325
Herzing, Patrick
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 326
Iorio, Laura
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 318
Karska-Piech, Dorothy
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 373
Kennedy, Sandy
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 336
Kranyak, Joan
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 360
Levada, Ellen
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 364
Leventhal, Fran
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 356
Loehmann, Carol
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 335
Lordi, Rose
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 314
Luddy, Lea
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 321
Lydell, Nancy
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 349
Malin, Mary
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 308
Matusik, Heidi
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 340
McParland, Lee
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 305
Nesson, Irma
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 312
O`Neill, Pat
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 309
Pannullo, Jean
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 383
Paulsen, Cheri
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 365
Reilly, Penny
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 317
Rock, Marilyn
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 307
Rollins, Debbie
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 337
Sakonchick, Carolyne
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 323
Shantz, Dan
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 379
Shaw, Karen
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 311
Shay, Margaret
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 350
Smirnoff, Sally
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 316
Smith, Timothy
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 330
Stern, Brette
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 320
Strumpf, Doreen
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 376
Vita, Pat
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 346
Wagner, Sandy
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 329
Watts, Lori
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 339
Welch, Beverly
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 341
Williams, Melanie
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 328
Zielski, Lynne
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 315
Name Ohttp://www.calcagni.com/find_agent/ourteam_results.aspx?FirstName=&LastName=&Location=Cheshire
Baillie, Chrisffice Telephone
Bauer, Kathy
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 359
Bogin, Betsy
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 333
Calcagni, Steve
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 302
Calcagni, Doug
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 324
Demos, Sarah
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 310
Gomes, John
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 363
Levine, Debra
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 362
Luna Zayas, Joan
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 374
O'Leary, Cheryl
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 353
Pomarico, Karen
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 378
Urbano, Camille
Corporate 203 272-1821 Ext. 368
Name Office Telephone
O`Neill, Ed
Commercial 203 234-9000 Ext. 618
Worth, Thomas
Commercial 203 234-9000 Ext. 615
Baillie, Chris
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 313
Coleman, Cathy
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 355
Coughlin, Sharon
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 322
Criscuolo, Paula
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 306
Davis, Barb
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 320
DeAngelis, Stacey
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 367
DeDominicis, Deborah
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 338
Demeter, Ruth
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 334
DuChette, Doreen
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 319
Fiordelisi, Sheila
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 332
Flyntz-Morehouse, Amy
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 303
Forstrom, Heather
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 343
Golden, Dana
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 369
Hermann, Carol
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 325
Herzing, Patrick
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 326
Iorio, Laura
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 318
Karska-Piech, Dorothy
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 373
Kennedy, Sandy
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 336
Kranyak, Joan
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 360
Levada, Ellen
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 364
Leventhal, Fran
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 356
Loehmann, Carol
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 335
Lordi, Rose
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 314
Luddy, Lea
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 321
Lydell, Nancy
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 349
Malin, Mary
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 308
Matusik, Heidi
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 340
McParland, Lee
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 305
Nesson, Irma
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 312
O`Neill, Pat
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 309
Pannullo, Jean
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 383
Paulsen, Cheri
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 365
Reilly, Penny
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 317
Rock, Marilyn
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 307
Rollins, Debbie
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 337
Sakonchick, Carolyne
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 323
Shantz, Dan
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 379
Shaw, Karen
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 311
Shay, Margaret
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 350
Smirnoff, Sally
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 316
Smith, Timothy
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 330
Stern, Brette
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 320
Strumpf, Doreen
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 376
Vita, Pat
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 346
Wagner, Sandy
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 329
Watts, Lori
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 339
Welch, Beverly
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 341
Williams, Melanie
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 328
Zielski, Lynne
Cheshire 203 272-1821 Ext. 315
What will you sell your quality of life for?
The Mall – The Fiscal Impact
What will you sell your quality of life for?
$1 million?
$2 million?
The Mall developer says the town would get $2 million in additional “net” (after municipal expenses) taxes.
The Town Manager says $ 1.6 million net additional taxes (costs for additional sewer capacity have yet to be calculated and deducted from the $1.6 million “windfall”). These tax projections assume that the mall will be built as shown in the preliminary plans, that it will be able to attract “high end” stores and that the hotel and fitness center actually get built……both very speculative propositions given the economy, location and demand for this type of development.
Is this a big deal for the town’s finances?
Current Town Budget for FY 2007-2008 - $90.5 million
Mall taxes after deduction for municipal expenses (including sewer costs) will likely be around $1.3 to $1.4 million net and would represent about 1.5% of total town budget.
By comparison:
A. Town’s Budget Surplus from Fiscal Year- end June ‘05 $1.54 million
Fiscal Year- end June ’06 $2.14 million
Projected Surplus Fiscal Year- end June ’07 $2.0 million+??
Bottom line: this “Windfall from the Mall” doesn’t even equal the typical “leftover” revenue from town operations!!
B. The one year increase for the Board of Education budget this year was $1.97 million.
Bottom line: this $1.4+/- million tax “Windfall from the Mall” is not that significant in the overall town fiscal picture.
Is the tax money worth the many downsides to this project?
No.
Finally, the developer is presenting this project as if it was the “only” potential source of revenue from the north end of town. However, it is not a question of
And remember: Town financial reserves (Fund Balance (our municipal “savings account”), pension programs, debt reserves, etc.) have never been in better shape.
We are not some backwater community desperate for tax revenue that must take whatever “deal” a developer puts before us.
Let’s not sell our community’s future for a few pieces of silver.
Monday, December 03, 2007
The following was in today's NH Register.
We spend billions to improve our highways only to have mall operators turn them into parking lots. Is this what our gas taxes are for, to provide driveways to the mall s?
Is this what we can expect in Cheshire on those holiday sales days, when the stores offer special deals starting at midnight thru ...? How do we get this to P&Z? Why should W/S be allowed to have special regulations for few parking spaces.
Funny how the Clinton Crossing Mall manager thought this was a great success.
The W/S impact study, didn't include the impact of spending another 20 minutes sitting in traffic while you burn $3 plus gas on the road to nowhere or the additional insurance cost due to accidents occurring within the Cheshire town limits. I'm pretty sure that our car insurance rates are based on the number of accidents in our town. Of course our loss of time, waste of gas, additional insurance costs and the stifling of our highways does not affect the W/S botttom line.
Enjoy
We spend billions to improve our highways only to have mall operators turn them into parking lots. Is this what our gas taxes are for, to provide driveways to the mall s?
Is this what we can expect in Cheshire on those holiday sales days, when the stores offer special deals starting at midnight thru ...? How do we get this to P&Z? Why should W/S be allowed to have special regulations for few parking spaces.
Funny how the Clinton Crossing Mall manager thought this was a great success.
The W/S impact study, didn't include the impact of spending another 20 minutes sitting in traffic while you burn $3 plus gas on the road to nowhere or the additional insurance cost due to accidents occurring within the Cheshire town limits. I'm pretty sure that our car insurance rates are based on the number of accidents in our town. Of course our loss of time, waste of gas, additional insurance costs and the stifling of our highways does not affect the W/S botttom line.
Enjoy
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