(The following are two open letters to Mayor Richard Moccia sent to NancyOnNorwalk by Mike Mushak.)
Mayor Moccia,
In response to my letter below dated September 23rd about the current unscreened and blighted condition on the former Elinco property on Main Avenue (where the BJ’s was proposed), including the transparent fence and huge piles of weed-covered and eroding dirt, I received a prompt response from Corporation Counsel Maslan on the same day, which you were copied on, stating Norwalk does NOT have the power to regulate commercial or industrial blight because of state law. A response from the State of CT Office of Legislative Research on October 2nd, after a request I had made through Senator Duff on Sept. 24th, concluded the following which confirmed my own opinion (since we already have many ordinances dealing with “blight” issues on commercial and industrial properties in Chapters 94 and 95):
“State law gives municipalities broad authority to regulate commercial and industrial blight under the municipal powers statute (CGS § 7-148).”
It is a shame Norwalk did not include commercial blight in its recent blight ordinance, which was desperately needed as members of the public and several Common Council members stated, and which state law WOULD have allowed, according to the highly respected Office of Legislative Research. However, my letter below addresses other specific issues beyond whether a blight ordinance should have addressed commercial blight on abandoned properties all over the city, including at many major gateways off of highway exits, which establishes a bad first impression.
The other issues included specifically whether any other ordinances were being violated on the former Elinco property, including “dust control, erosion and sedimentation control, storm water runoff, height or steepness of storage piles, or health code violations.” No responses from any city officials regarding these matters have been received as of today.
I also requested that the city look into requiring the owner to add a dark green fabric screen to the fence (I attached a photo to that email) to screen the blight, so it was not such an obvious eyesore in the community. The fence appears to be on public property, and I asked if the city can simply add the screen itself as an option if the owner would not do it. We should not be forced to look at this eyesore, which many members of the public stated was a reason they were for any development of this site regardless of its real impacts. Our decisions for the future of this property should NOT be based on the current deplorable visual condition, which is easily corrected, as I am sure you would agree. A couple of days with an excavator to reduce the piles of dirt, and a fabric screen on the fence costing less than $1,000, is not a lot to ask for especially considering the many public economic and quality of life benefits.
Please let me know if any action is being taken by city officials or the property owner in addressing this serious situation, which has huge negative impacts on local businesses, residents, and visitors, including negative economic impacts on surrounding property values.
Thank you,
Mike Mushak
(The following is the letter to which Mr. Muhak referred in his above letter)
Mayor Moccia,
A letter to the editor on Saturday in The Hour about the BJ’s subject mentioned a common complaint about the Elinco site, that it is blighted, and that anything that would fix that should happen including a new BJ’s. I heard many folks say publicly that the BJ’s should be approved because of the current sad condition of the property. It seems some folks are more desperate for something to happen there based on the current blight than on the other potential impacts of any proposed project here. If the strategy of the owner was to create an intentional eyesore to gain support for their project, it is clearly working.
If the towering, eroding, weed-covered piles of dirt, dumpsters and transparent fence that allows a full view of this mess were addressed, this property would not be the annoying eyesore that it currently is until a viable project gets built there someday. The same could be said for many other properties around town, including the old Howard Johnson’s site at Exit 16, the water tank property next to Swanky Frank’s at Exit 14, the deplorable state of the Riverview Office Building on Belden next to Avalon (the last three mentioned are all at major gateways to the city where “first impressions” of our city are made) and the numerous weed-choked and trash-covered abandoned and neglected properties (often old service stations and banks on prime corners) along our main commercial strips of Westport and CT Avenues.
What is the city’s strategy, if any, to deal with these numerous eyesores, including the Elinco site, that negatively impact surrounding property values, quality of life, and the city’s image to visitors, residents, and potential investors alike?
Are there currently any violations of state or city regulations at the Elinco site, in terms of dust control, erosion and sedimentation control, storm water runoff, height or steepness of storage piles, health code violations, or blight? I understand the recent blight ordinance you supported excluded commercial properties, but this is currently just a vacant piece of land. Would our new blight ordinance apply here?
Also, … a woven green fabric … can be attached to the existing cyclone fence to screen the site, which a property survey I have indicates may actually be on public property, as the property line may be several feet or more back from the sidewalk edge where the fence is positioned.
This product is available online for $1.32 a linear foot, 6 feet high, and would cost $792 for the approximately 600 feet of fencing along the length of the property on Main Avenue. This is less than the cost of just one of the new large flower pots on West Avenue.
If the fence is on public property, can the owner be required to install this green fabric, or can public officials just install it themselves? For such a minimal investment with huge public benefit, especially to the residents and businesses that use Main Avenue or live nearby, doesn’t it make sense to make this happen as soon as possible?
Thank you for your time and attention in addressing this serious issue.
Mike Mushak
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