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709, please rise for the pledge if you're able.

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I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands,

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one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

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Mr. Axtra, if you wouldn't mind sitting in for secretary today.

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Yes, most certainly.

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Sorry, Dr.

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Kess.

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We're going to go through the roll call, Chairman Tom Patavina.

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President Vice Chair, Tyler X.

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President Secretary Nathaniel Spencer.

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It's absent.

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Regular commissioners, Elizabeth Emory.

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Absent Commissioner Morgan Monarcha.

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President Commissioner Andrew Regan.

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Commissioner Vinci Zincowitz.

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Alternates Commissioner Allen Cunningham.

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Commissioner Conradliner and Commissioner Emily McAvoy.

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Commissioner Conradliner, we'll be seated for Commissioner Spencer.

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Commissioner McAvoy will be seated for Commissioner Emery.

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Item three, items removed from the agenda.

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There are no no items that were removed from the agenda.

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And no items.

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Number four, public comment on items on the agenda which are not currently scheduled for a public hearing.

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There's nothing on the agenda that is not scheduled for a public hearing.

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Number five, confirmation that all hearing signs have been properly posted.

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Yes, all public hearing signs were amended and posted.

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That brings us to item six, public hearing.

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The item six point one, it's continued.

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Our public hearing for the petition for a zoning map amendment to

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Reson multiple parcels on Church Street, High Street and William Street from

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the DVD zone to the ID zone and Rezone William Street,

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map law 24-0138 from the DVD zone to the MX-C zone.

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African Agent Richard de Corrella,

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Esquire, Uptike Kelly and Splacy,

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Z-2026-5.

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Please take your name and address for the record.

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Good evening, Mr. Chair and commissioners.

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My name is Jesse Langer of Uptike Kelly and Spellacy.

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On behalf of Wesleyan University, I'm here in the instead of Richard Correllah.

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With me this evening is Jeff Murphy, who is the Campus Planner and Project Manager, Alan

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Rubica, the Associate Vice President of the Facilities and Brandy Hood, the Director of Campus

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Planning.

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And we're here to discuss further our application regarding Wesleyan University's application

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for his zoning map change application regarding properties bounded by William, High, and Church Street.

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I'll now defer to Jeff to respond to comments made by the public. Thank you.

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Really appreciate your time.

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Get close to the mic. Sure thing.

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Mark, can you pull up our slide deck?

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So, we have today a few slides to sort of recap the presentation from earlier this month,

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as well as sort of work through some of the feedback we heard during that session,

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how that has been integrated into our thinking and our general comments thereof.

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So, from my perspective, sitting at Wesleyan,

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The role of the Planning and Zoning Commission is really to influence, form and guide the development,

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redevelopment, and growth of the city of Middletown.

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At Wesleyan, as the campus planner, my role is similar to that in that we try to guide development that is consistent with the city,

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that address the needs, concerns, and aspirations of the university.

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And what we are here today to use to discuss or ask,

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our ask is active, is a change.

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It's something different than the default that is outlined today

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in the Zoning Regulations.

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So it is on us to provide that vision to outline the opportunity that it presents and to provide

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a rationale and understanding as to why this is both in the city's benefit and why it is

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to the benefit of the university to do so. And so with that sort of framework in mind, we

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can kind of jump right in.

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So going back to the project origins themselves,

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I think it's important to recognize that the parcels

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we're talking about, most notably,

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high rise and low rise, the sort of central commercial

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apartment buildings on the block of William,

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high and church, or what we call the junior village.

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It's the sort of unique community that's different

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then most of the other class years at Wesleyan, in that most

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class years sort of scattered across the campus, whereas

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junior village is really a critical mass of that junior

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community that lives together.

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And that was a really core component as we started thinking

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about this project.

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When we look at the inventory of buildings themselves,

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high-rise and low-rise are notable outliers in terms

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of condition.

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these buildings were built in the early 1970s, they are largely unchanged in that time, and

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really there is a need to either renovate high-rise, potentially replace it, and really

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our focus is in the near-term replacing low-rise, which is about 144 beds.

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We as a university recognize the importance of this location for student housing.

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The block that represents church, high, and William houses over 400 students.

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That's more than 10% of the student body at Wesleyan University.

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And so this interface between the city and the community is really important.

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We see this site given this proximity to the power plant and again that critical mass of the student experience as worth reinvesting in worth maintaining and not seeking alternate sites that retreat up the hill from Main Street.

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And so that in the context of I've been at the University about 12 years now, having started in 2015,

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early 2015, we see time and time and time again that the University has engaged with the CML Town on this idea of a William Street corridor.

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that the city and university both agree that this really intrigued corridor is an unrealized opportunity.

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For improving connections, improving that flow of student and community to and from downtown to and from the core of our campus.

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But little to no progress has been made in those opportunities and in those conversations over that 20 year horizon.

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So, with that sort of underpinning, with that understanding of Wesleyan's needs and historic

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dialogue with the city, our next step was to really take a look at the plan of conservation

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development, the guiding document for growth development and change within the city of

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Midtown.

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If you go to the next slide, we found a huge number of synergies that really and elements

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that really resonated with us.

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We talked about this last time, a thriving, vibrant, connected and sustainable city, really

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resonates with the work we're trying to do and resonates with the priorities of the university.

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As we dug into that POCD document further, next slide, please.

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We noticed that there is a graphic one back, a graphic that actually calls out that William

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court or as separate and distinct from the balance of the historical districts. Recognizing

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that the actual zoning map includes this, that's why we have a zoning map amendment before

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you. But recognizing the POCD itself outlines this block as something separate distinct from,

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say, the experience of walking down college street or court street. William Street is a different

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experience. Building on that, we can go back further to a planned document created by the

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city of Middletown in 2016, sort of a pre-planning document ahead of the return to the river

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bend, that again specifically calls out this exact same corridor. If you actually toggle

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back and forth between these two graphics, it's almost an identical out.

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That this calls for. It spells out targeted properties and parcels for redevelopment. Those parcels are amongst the two largest parcels we're talking about today. The high rise in low rise complex, as well as the property at 44amlin, includes our central power plant and other administrative and commercial buildings associated with the university's operations and educational services.

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So we then, with that as the backdrop, right, the backdrop of 20 years of dialogue about improvements to William Street.

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20 years of talking about the opportunity to build those connections.

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A POCD that calls out for a vibrant thriving and connected community with sustainability focused development in mind

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that prioritizes development of existing parcels as opposed to a sprawling outgrowth of the campus

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we started to hone in on a concept for a project.

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The first thing we looked at obviously is what can be built in this area.

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It is important to recognize that by right within this downtown village district,

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the universe of things that can be built are single family homes,

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two family homes, daycares, churches, and public libraries.

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that is the universe of things they can be constructed.

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What we are seeking to do here is

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rezone parcels owned by the university

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into the institutional development zone

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because the existing inventory of buildings,

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the existing uses of those buildings

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and the proposed uses of those buildings

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are much more consistent with the ID zone

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than the DVD zone.

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It also allows us to think holistically about the block and not worry about setbacks and things like that within university owned parcels.

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We can think about this block collectively as it relates to Wesleyan University properties.

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We are looking as we define this project to locate up to a 200-bed replacement project.

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Project, I think that's an important component.

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These are not new beds.

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These are not accounting for student population growth.

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This is a replacement of 200 beds on the William Street

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corridor.

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And with that, recognizing the importance of for an active ask,

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the definition of community benefit.

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We are thinking very holistically about this project

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to include street scape improvements.

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much like we'll see at church street and law and have replacing sidewalks, improving pedestrian

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safety, improving the pedestrian experience with street trees, increasing the amount of

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green space, I would encourage you all to visit this section of middle town is in dire need

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of green space. It would improve connections, physical connections has the opportunity to create

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improved programmatic connections and physical accessibility opportunities that don't exist

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today from our junior village back to the core, the academic core of the university and all

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of this in our view aligns very closely with the goals of the POCD and again those documents

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we reviewed earlier.

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So, that is a recap of our thinking. So, what do we hear at the

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last public hearing? We heard a variety of comments. Among them were statements that this

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is a land grab that this represents a burden to the city of Middletown that this is a call

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for spot zoning, that this would eliminate city oversight, that we should just utilize those existing

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DVD regulations, and I think most importantly that we should preserve the historic fabric

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of high street in two and two 14 high street. And so I want to walk through each one of

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those comments, specifically because I think they represent different perspectives, and in

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many cases a conflation of issues.

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And so if we go to the next slide, Mark, sorry to Russia.

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The idea this is a land grab, I think it's important to recognize that we are rezoning,

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you know, by regulation, we can only as an applicant request to rezone properties that we already

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own.

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So we are asking for nothing more than to rezone the things that the university already own

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and have own for many, many, many, many.

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Any years at this point? This project, again, doesn't represent an additive burden to city services.

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These are replacement beds. And I know one of the points of friction and conflict that I've heard in recent years

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is, specifically, around the fire department, and the role Woodframes play an outsize role that the Woodframe

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house is play in requiring fire service. By consulting this into apartment building, we can

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eliminate some of those nuisance calls that the city has talked to us about, especially

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in the last couple of years. And then it's important to also recognize that this project

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is not building in any additional student growth. This is to accommodate existing students,

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and this is to address existing buildings through a kind of renovation through replacement strategy

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with the low rise complex, specifically.

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We heard the critique that this is a spot zoning request, and I actually think it's quite the opposite.

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We are talking broadly about 14, 14, 16, we are talking about 17 different properties.

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The impacted properties represent a total of four, but we want to look holistically at this plot.

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we want to be honest about the inventory of buildings, the existing uses and the proposed

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uses, that are not consistent with the zoning requirements and limitations of the downtown

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village district. Again, the uses both existing and proposed are as well as the inventory

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of commercial buildings are more aligned with the ID zone or the MX-C zone than the DVD.

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It's worth noting here on the William High and Church-bounded block, 14 of the 16 properties

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on that block that the university owns are non-conforming uses within the DVD.

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Those include multifamily houses there are three and four families administrative uses

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like our central power plant.

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things like the student organizing building, public safety,

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rooming houses like a eclectic and open house.

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We have, again, 325 beds across two commercial apartment buildings

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in this block, as well as large-scale parking lots.

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None of those are outlined as permitted uses

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in the existing DVD regulations, and we're just trying to be,

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As a campus planner, I think it's disingenuous to go through a spot zoning effort so narrowly

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focused when we're talking about a block comprehensively that is owned by the university that

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is for institutional use, it's just disingenuous to not recognize that in our application.

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The next feedback we received, and I thought this was a very insightful critique,

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was that the city would lose oversight by moving this zone or these properties and parcels

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excuse me into the institutional development zone. I talked with Mark. I had misunderstood the

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role of the DRPB. The lore at Wesleyan has always been, if you can see a parcel from church

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history, high street, or Washington street, you gotta go to DRPB.

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They will review your application, they will review your elevations and your proposals.

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Turns out that's actually not the case.

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The DRPB has a more limited authority, however, as I dug into the existing regulations for

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the institutional development zone, a site plan review we are not there yet, but a site plan

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You must consider compliance with the POCD, which we'll talk about here, effects of

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you on the use and development of the adjacent properties, largely not a thing because

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it's a Wesleyan owned property, historically ID zones don't have a lot of conflict in that

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regard.

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The key here is effect on use and development of adjacent zones by defining the ID zone and these

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parcels, such that the DVD continues to be in adjacent zone, the planning and zoning

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commission has the authority by right to request and require DRPB review of any site plan

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or any proposed development that moves forward, given its location amidst the DVD's own.

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Lastly in that regard

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The site plan also requires the planning and zoning commission to consider compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods and uses, which, again, further provides leverage to the city to evaluate our project and our plan in that context within that neighborhood.

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I think it's worth noting, Wesleyan has acted adverbally and in good faith over the last 26 years.

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This is a list of virtually every major project that has happened at Wesleyan's campus in the last 26 years.

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And every single one of them went before the DRPB, whether it was required or not.

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We have a long history of active engagement with the DRPB, as well as compliance with the request of the DRPB.

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and adjustments to our plan based on feedback received.

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We also heard during that public hearing,

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that the university should utilize the existing regulations

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to do what we want to do.

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That is an interesting idea given how limited

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the universe of new construction opportunities

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are within the downtown village district.

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So, let's just look at 44 Hamlin, the former Idela Howell child development center, as an example.

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They went out of business in 2021.

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They called us and asked us to purchase their building.

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So they could consolidate their operations back to the Hartford area.

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We purchased the building because we are adjacent landowners on either side of them

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And since we have owned a building, we have worked with the YMCA to run their program out of that building so that they can enable their services to not be interrupted during their capital plan and renovations, which I would note.

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Increase the size of their infant, toddler, and preschool classrooms beyond what they existed in 2021.

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Additional changes since 2021 in the child care landscape,

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include Wesleyan's expansion of infant, toddler, and preschool programming at the neighborhood preschool located along Lane,

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which is open to faculty, staff, students, and all community members.

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Additionally, the City of Middle Town public schools have expanded their preschool programming, including

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at snow school, at Westley School, Bill Field, and other locations.

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So imagine what the future use of 44 Hamlin is to be.

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The daycare that was there closed down, they couldn't make ends meet.

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So, the future uses of a single story, 12,000 square foot slab on grade, masonry block commercial building,

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the universe of options, is of single family home, a two family home, a church, a daycare, or public library.

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From the perspective of the POCD, this again was called out in the 2016 planning document as a target property for redevelopment.

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The future uses of this site are inconsistent with what is permissible by the DVD.

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And thus, we are requesting a change of zone from DVD to MXC, which is an adjacent zone at the frontage of broad street.

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So that it can be utilized for art studios and classrooms, which is consistent with similar investments

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the University of Maine at 56th Hamlin with a renovation of that historic building that was long

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long overdue.

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So that's an example in 44th Hamlin.

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Looking at the buy-right options for existing regulations within that high-rise and low-rise complex,

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You know, by right, you know, Katherine Johnson at the last hearing noted that we can expand

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high rise and low rise by 100% up to 75 feet in height.

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This is a mass example of about 325, the same 325 beds that exist today,

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renovated in a phase approach because we don't just have 325 beds sitting around to

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displace these students while building their bill. And as I look at that, the limited

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building site really pushes this building to be five stories tall over the majority of the

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building. It is...

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Toleur than what our proposal suggests, it is more densely populated on the site itself, and it would

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eliminate the street scape improvements and much of the public benefit that we are trying

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to enact in those William Street corridors by essentially wiping that portion of the project off

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map. And I looked at, if you literally Google City of Middle Town, Traverse Square, one of

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the first pages that comes up outlines the city's goals for Traverse Square, among those

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goals listed, is a reduction in the neighborhood's density and a call for the university

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to play an active role in the improvement of this neighborhood. I believe that the plan

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as we proposed, improves this neighborhood more than the buy-right option that the DVD regulations

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currently allow for. If you go to the next slide,

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it's important to note here we also

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heard some positive feedback and some wouldn't it be nice if statements. The loudest, most

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consistent and clearing call statements was the preservation of 2-8 and 2-14 high street.

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Hurt it loud and clear, we have adjusted our plan as such the fabric of the historic

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high street that tapestry of buildings is unchanged in our proposed project, 2-8 and 2-14

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high remain.

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The other calls for, at that time, were also to restore cross-block connectivity, the

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hotch-custry cut-through, which we could enable, that would largely be impeded by an

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as of right, given how tight the site is and how close the billings would have to be

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to that corridor.

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We heard about establishing a protecting viewsheds.

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Viewsheds are a tricky thing in middle town, between subbonate tower, the existing

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high rise and other buildings. There aren't many actual viewsheds of the river itself from

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high street that remain, but we do have an opportunity to create some with this building.

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And then clearly prioritizing pedestrian safety, bike routes, and the like that's a part we

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talked about a lot last time, the complete streets concept. It is not within the right of the

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applicant to suggest changing the curb to curb distribution of parking and directional travel

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and how wide those are.

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That's not our job.

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That's the city of middle town responsibility.

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But from curb to building, we have a lot of flexibility and have a lot of opportunity

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to make those streetscape improvements and to create more green space across this site.

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Additionally, we heard both then and in subsequent conversations with community members that we should look at the central power plant site, big open field, as a site for constructing our building.

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I would note, as part of the DVD, the universe of things that can be built on the power plant site is a single family home, a two family home, a church, a daycare or public library.

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So again, if we're trying to replace 144 beds at low rise, that is inconsistent with what zoning

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requires, and is exactly what we're asking for today, a zone map amendment, to the ID zone,

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for these parcels, and to the MX-C zone, for 44-handle.

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If we move on to the last slide, I'm sorry, Commissioner Vinnie, I was not as succinct

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I think because you would hope to be the one where it answers.

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But we just want to wrap it up with, you know, what is it that we're asking for?

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Right?

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We're not asking for a zone, we're not asking for a site plan review, we are not there yet.

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We are at the exact first step to find a buildable area.

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The university has articulated a division, the universities articulated a value statement of the 400 students that live on this block and keeping those 400 students there.

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We see value in that. Both for the city, their impact on downtown businesses, the connections to the community, the Traverse Square Connection program, creating space for that, both within a building and on in green space.

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We see a vision, we see an opportunity that is consistent with 20 years of dialogue with the city of Middletown.

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This first step would create a definable site to build such a project with the oversight and partnership of the city of Middletown.

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The campus community and other critical stakeholders. It's worth noting these diagrams we've shown. These are not designs. You might notice there aren't windows. There aren't roof lines. There aren't doors. There aren't elevators. There's no dumpsters. There's no none of that. These are massings. This is, if we say, we have like 125 square foot bedroom with a living room and a kitchen and a corridor and four bedroom apartment.

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With the bathroom, this is about how much space that takes, and you can create Lego blocks that stack together, and that's what we're looking at, we're looking at massings.

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Once we have a defined, buildable site, we can then take the next step of design, where you all, as well as DRPB, have a chance to inspect, critique, and provide feedback on those designs.

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And again, that oversight is unchanged, whether this is the downtown village district or the ID zone.

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And with that, I will finish.

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Thank you very much.

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If you have a comment or question, please step up to the microphone, state your name and address

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for the record.

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And please limit your comments to five minutes or less.

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If anybody online wants to participate in the public hearing, please use the raise hand function

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on the WebEx platform, or if you're dialing in, press start three, no to recognize you

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as wanting to speak.

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Hi, my name is Jennifer Alexander, 110 Washington Street.

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I appreciate the opportunity to speak again on this, and thank you for keeping the public

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hearing open just a couple of quick factual things that were mentioned in the remarks that

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were just made. Jeff and Wesleyan have been great about inviting community members to view the

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plans. I've sat in on two private sessions and I feel like I've learned a lot about what their

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goals are. But he mentioned some things which I think are not the whole story. You know,

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he mentioned, oh, you have a lot of fire department calls that would frame houses and

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this would replace them. But we're not talking about replacing the wood frame houses. We're

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talking about high rise and low rise. So in that gets raised, I feel like it's a little bit

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not what that this is about. He talks about design review. You guys know, design review

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advisory, so saying that design review will be, we'll do a review, is just a review, it's

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the village district which actually has some teeth from design reviews, so that's not

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at all the same thing to say that the institutional zone offers a review from design review,

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because it has no teeth.

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I think that when you pull up the four points from the plan of

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can read those things a lot of ways, it talks about preserving our built history, not just

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the specific buildings, but the fabric, the streetscape, in our historic neighborhoods.

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So I don't think this supports the goals of the plan of development to put not just

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the houses on William Street and High Street, but also the houses on Church Street.

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I don't know how many structures it is, but if you picture everything from everything from

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Traverse Square to High Street, everything from Church Street to William Street would be

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in this zone change and that's a lot of property, it's a very blunt tool to use to accomplish

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one goal, so it puts a lot of those buildings at unnecessary risk and that gives me a lot

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of worry.

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I'm hoping that you are remembering the hearing two weeks ago, you heard really loudly and clearly from residents.

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The village district, it worked.

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It stopped the slide that that neighborhood was going through, where everything was getting torn down and converted into apartments.

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It stopped the slide.

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And it protected the houses that were left.

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And there has been, you know, if you've ever been in downtown Waterbury, or downtown Meriden,

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you know that you can have neighborhoods of gorgeous houses that do not work and that it we're

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very lucky. We're very lucky that that is not what we're living within this neighborhood.

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I live across the street from it. I live on Washington and Maine right on the corner in an old house.

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So part of that fabric is the community of historic houses, how they feel next to each other,

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the memory and just the imagination of the community of what it was like to be there. So I'm thrilled

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about hearing that houses on high street would be protected. They are significant. I can't imagine

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why it was ever proposed to tear them down. But there's no, once you change the zone,

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somebody can come along later and say, oh, we need that land. So you lose that commitment. That's

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happened many times. But the houses on William Street are also important. They're important

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specifically because

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They aren't a beautiful string of historic houses, like you might have on-core college and court. It's because they're threatened.

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So you don't want to keep going in that direction. And Wesleyan goes back and forth. Sometimes they buy historic houses. Sometimes they sell historic houses.

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I have lots of friends that live in community and buildings that houses that were owned by the university that they made available for sale to the public because they didn't want to own that anymore.

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So knocking those down and turning it into the institutional zone.

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This is what I'm hoping you took away from that hearing campus is on the other side of

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high street.

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It's very, very clear, it's just true.

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This side of high street coming towards downtown doesn't matter who owns the property.

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It's not campus.

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And so turning this whole area into an extension of campus is not in the interest of town.

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I don't think it's what the town wants.

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So I just had, you know,

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they do own low-rose low-rise and high-rise, they could build on the parking lot of high-rise and tear down low-rise.

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And, you know, they could develop that whole area if the goal is simply to replace the beds.

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They have the opportunity to do something.

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I'm just hoping as a proud Wesleyan alum and to vote it down town resident, Wesleyan goes back to the drawing board.

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this is way too blunt and ask, you know, maybe there are tweaks that are needed to what's

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allowed in the village district, maybe they're coming back to you with a code change that

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says, I don't know, daycares in schools and student housing, when it's adjacent to other

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student housing or something that, you know, I mean there's ways to do this that don't take

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all of this property off the plate for our future.

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So, thank you for listening.

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Thank you.

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Okay, we're going to actually rotate between online and in person. So we have an online person and then you'll be up next

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Thank you

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00:37:05,330 --> 00:37:08,750
Okay, I'm going to move on to online. We have a Brendan

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Yes

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project would actually give the city insight into exactly what.

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Mary, can we get it louder?

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Thank you for letting me know.

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Thank you.

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If this was an override, it would mean that there could be a

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committing to construct the project that they're proposing here today.

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But that simply is not the case.

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I love it.

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To understand, for reason, this entire parcel of land would give them extraordinary freedom over what exactly

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gets built here.

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It wouldn't mean that they could go anything consistent with the institutional development zoning regulations.

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Now, if you want to know what that looks like, you can just go into Wesleyan's campus.

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You can look at buildings like the Exley Science Library, just over a hundred feet tall and eight stores.

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It would be entirely consistent with the local character of the neighborhood.

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But that's the kind of zoning that we would be allowed here if the city actually did go ahead and entirely free some of this large parcel of land.

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It wouldn't necessarily be a 144-bed plus 40 extra-bed development.

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It could be essentially whatever the university wants to build.

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That is within the bounds of the institutional development regulations.

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Additionally, I find it very strange that the Wesleyan Proposes decided to mention the wood frame houses,

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specifically, and said that 40 beds would be moved from that development over here.

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Once again, we're not speaking about the wood frame development, and President Roth has repeatedly said that

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the senior class will maintain its access to these sorts of housing options.

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So it seems very, it seems strange that the university would make that kind of promise.

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And I think it also contributes to the underlying thing here where the university is actually

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not committing to much of anything in terms of the specificities of this project.

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All they're committing to, all they're really asking is for more power over what they want to build here.

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And being given a, for your hand by the city. And putting the city in a position where later on down the line,

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If Wesleyan does want to build something that is, you know, larger than what we would expect for our community needs, the city can't do much of anything.

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The process of an override gives the city the leeway, and flexibility in the power to consider the pros and cons of an individual project on its individual merits.

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Those options would be lost here.

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Additionally, I think there were a few things that the Rosers mentioned that I found strange.

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There was said that Wesleyan has acted admirably and in good faith over the past 25 years in terms of its construction projects.

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Well, we don't have to go back 25 years, we can go back just a few years and look at the new science centre, which was constructed without Union Labour.

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Despite calls from the city and from statewide labour organizations to constructed with unionized construction labourers.

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Now, the firm that the university did decide to go with the non-union firm was so unsafe

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that it contributed to a tragic accident last year, or scaffolding collapsed at the site

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of the construction, and two workers almost died.

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Now, I'm not sure what definition Wesleyan has of admirable and in good faith, but that's

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not consistent with mine.

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Additionally, it was said that rezoning this parcel of land would somehow help Wesleyan

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our five better day care services.

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That, especially I think, is in some ways outrageous,

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considering that just a few years ago,

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Wesleyan decided to shut down

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the Green Street Learning and Teaching Center,

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what was providing these day care services.

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President Roth said the expenditure was just too great

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for the university, who's about $1 million every year.

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It might sound like a lot,

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but we should consider that the university's overall budget

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is larger than middle towns, about it.

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and the endowment is growing meteoricly and is already $1.6 billion.

432
00:41:24,560 --> 00:41:27,160
The university has been consistently making more and more money,

433
00:41:27,260 --> 00:41:31,220
over the past 25 years, and yet they're consistently rolling back

434
00:41:31,220 --> 00:41:34,100
their commitments financially to the local community.

435
00:41:34,680 --> 00:41:37,460
And child care is one of the sectors that gets hit the hardest.

436
00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:38,280
One minute.

437
00:41:39,620 --> 00:41:40,300
Thank you very much.

438
00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:41,140
I'll be done soon.

439
00:41:41,480 --> 00:41:46,280
They also cut back funding to volunteer groups within the Jewish Center for Community Partnerships

440
00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:48,620
that also provided these childcare services

441
00:41:48,620 --> 00:41:51,720
in this very community within Traverse Square.

442
00:41:51,720 --> 00:41:54,140
The Traverse Square volunteer organization

443
00:41:54,140 --> 00:41:56,280
run by students on campus had to reduce

444
00:41:56,280 --> 00:41:59,540
the staff by half last year, because of these funding cuts.

445
00:41:59,820 --> 00:42:01,260
So for the university to say that somehow

446
00:42:01,260 --> 00:42:03,660
their rezoning here, their efforts are

447
00:42:03,660 --> 00:42:05,880
to improve the state of childcare

448
00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:08,880
and middle-town community is completely inconsistent

449
00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:12,240
with their previously demonstrated interests

450
00:42:12,240 --> 00:42:16,020
and is not something that they would be obligatoryly held

451
00:42:16,020 --> 00:42:20,060
to at any point in the actual design or construction process moving forward.

452
00:42:20,680 --> 00:42:23,460
Suddenly, they said that this was consistent with 20 years of dialogue.

453
00:42:24,040 --> 00:42:26,220
But we've seen that over these past 20 years,

454
00:42:26,340 --> 00:42:28,660
Wesley's commitment to the community has only diminished,

455
00:42:28,660 --> 00:42:30,920
and their burden on our city has only increased.

456
00:42:31,800 --> 00:42:34,700
I don't know if this is a legacy that we want to be consistent with.

457
00:42:35,660 --> 00:42:38,220
I think it's preferable for us to move forward

458
00:42:38,220 --> 00:42:42,100
in a middle-town Wesley relationship that doesn't consistently put the needs of the university

459
00:42:42,100 --> 00:42:45,420
above all others, and especially above our community.

460
00:42:45,420 --> 00:42:51,960
Okay, Mr. Very. Thank you. If you would like to come back on later, you'll be able to do that.

461
00:42:53,600 --> 00:42:54,560
Thank you.

462
00:42:54,620 --> 00:42:56,300
Thank you for listening to me.

463
00:42:56,300 --> 00:42:58,020
Melissa Shokie. Just grab the microphone.

464
00:42:58,400 --> 00:42:59,700
Yeah, I can do that.

465
00:43:00,060 --> 00:43:06,560
Melissa Shokie, I live at three Hubbard Street at the old firehouse at the corner of Hubbard in Loveland.

466
00:43:07,180 --> 00:43:11,760
So I live in the village district, put on the edge of it.

467
00:43:11,760 --> 00:43:16,800
And from experience, I saw what happened across the street for me on

468
00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:22,140
Lovelin Street. At the beginning of COVID, two houses were torn down.

469
00:43:22,460 --> 00:43:29,980
The developers promised that new construction would be there and it would

470
00:43:29,980 --> 00:43:36,560
architecturally fit in with the neighborhood. Guess what? COVID hit. Those

471
00:43:36,560 --> 00:43:43,740
properties are vacant. My neighbors are gone. There are missing teeth. Two missing

472
00:43:43,740 --> 00:43:51,440
teeth across the street and we have to look at vacant land that is often

473
00:43:51,440 --> 00:43:56,040
overgrown all the time. People cannot predict what's going to happen in the

474
00:43:56,040 --> 00:44:06,060
future. If you want to look at a zoning thing for a specific, happy solution, do

475
00:44:06,060 --> 00:44:13,080
I would encourage you to do it for the exact piece of property that they want to do it.

476
00:44:14,520 --> 00:44:16,560
I'll go back to my notes.

477
00:44:18,140 --> 00:44:21,840
It's now six years later from when that happened across the street for me.

478
00:44:22,040 --> 00:44:23,680
And COVID changed everything.

479
00:44:25,480 --> 00:44:27,680
Empty lots where neighbors just to live.

480
00:44:27,860 --> 00:44:33,560
A zoning change that includes 17 or 19 properties way over the top for me.

481
00:44:33,560 --> 00:44:42,220
I worked and lobbied in an effort to retain what was left of an architectural history that reflected the beginnings of Middletown.

482
00:44:43,040 --> 00:44:52,060
High Street is a national treasure, and the surrounding streets that support and reflect how special this neighborhood is.

483
00:44:52,060 --> 00:44:59,420
is important to me. Please, don't gut the village neighborhood feel. I don't believe.

484
00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:06,660
We can see what the future brings for Wesleyan or middle town. Like COVID, it could be well unforeseen.

485
00:45:07,260 --> 00:45:14,560
But zoning designations that could allow for a mistake that cannot be undone in the future is a mistake.

486
00:45:15,240 --> 00:45:15,840
Thank you.

487
00:45:15,980 --> 00:45:16,660
Thank you.

488
00:45:23,330 --> 00:45:25,430
Director Kazakowski, do you have an online participant?

489
00:45:25,590 --> 00:45:26,850
Yes, we have a few.

490
00:45:27,530 --> 00:45:29,650
One next move on to Diana Martinez.

491
00:45:42,060 --> 00:45:43,300
Can you hear me? Sorry.

492
00:45:43,780 --> 00:45:43,840
Yes.

493
00:45:46,070 --> 00:45:46,890
Hi, good afternoon.

494
00:45:46,890 --> 00:45:53,130
Good evening. My name is Diana Martinez. I live at 143 Prospect Street in town and I graduated

495
00:45:53,130 --> 00:45:59,430
Wesleyan almost 20 years ago. One thing that I learned there really well is that there's the truth

496
00:45:59,430 --> 00:46:04,690
and then there's the narratives people empower spin on so we call it history and we're seeing that

497
00:46:04,690 --> 00:46:10,970
here today. So Wesleyan's back today with the same exact plan from last meeting and despite saying

498
00:46:10,970 --> 00:46:16,610
that they heard and considered the public response from the last meeting they missed at least one

499
00:46:16,610 --> 00:46:21,270
a critical piece of feedback. And it's important because it's a piece of feedback that they've

500
00:46:21,270 --> 00:46:26,150
historically overlooked and what I'm quote forgotten to consider and that's the important

501
00:46:26,150 --> 00:46:32,070
to need for community input in their decision making. Over and over last meeting community members

502
00:46:32,070 --> 00:46:36,210
including their own students expressed disappointment that the vision that they're talking about

503
00:46:36,210 --> 00:46:41,550
today that they've worked so hard to turn into this plan, never actually included their feedback

504
00:46:41,550 --> 00:46:46,390
their input or their concerns. So to say that they've put this plan together and good faith

505
00:46:46,390 --> 00:46:51,150
goes directly against what their own students who they claim they've developed this plan for

506
00:46:52,250 --> 00:46:57,070
what those students have reported to this body. So they actually wanted to add green space,

507
00:46:57,370 --> 00:47:01,790
per their own language. There's nothing stopping them from doing that. They own the whole parcel.

508
00:47:02,310 --> 00:47:06,990
There's nothing in the P&Z rules that are keeping them from doing that. If they wanted to replace

509
00:47:06,990 --> 00:47:13,230
existing houses, there's nothing keeping them from doing that. That doesn't require a zoning change.

510
00:47:13,610 --> 00:47:19,230
They could have put together an exemption request, perhaps they could have put together a different plan.

511
00:47:19,390 --> 00:47:25,090
They could have come with some alternative based on what folks offered last month and they didn't do any of that.

512
00:47:25,230 --> 00:47:30,330
They came here today and they told you what your job is and what you have to do for them.

513
00:47:30,330 --> 00:47:35,510
And that's a pattern as well as that's a very well documented part of their history.

514
00:47:36,190 --> 00:47:41,130
So when the staff and the contract that folks that are here today presenting are gone,

515
00:47:41,590 --> 00:47:43,150
we also have to live with their choices.

516
00:47:43,870 --> 00:47:46,330
So once they get the rezoning, they'll start,

517
00:47:46,530 --> 00:47:49,170
it could be another 20 years of conversations with the city

518
00:47:49,170 --> 00:47:51,170
on how they can build bigger and better.

519
00:47:51,430 --> 00:47:53,590
And when their self-interest is on the line,

520
00:47:53,890 --> 00:47:56,950
they can apparently use Google to Google driver's square

521
00:47:56,950 --> 00:48:01,370
and pull up a page that's called for their engagement for over a decade because that page

522
00:48:01,370 --> 00:48:06,130
hasn't changed in over a decade, but they can't be bothered to walk down the hill and

523
00:48:06,130 --> 00:48:10,730
engage in conversations with the residents about how their plan would impact the lives of their

524
00:48:10,730 --> 00:48:11,150
families.

525
00:48:11,730 --> 00:48:15,450
And they've historically been unconcerned with the families in that neighborhood.

526
00:48:15,890 --> 00:48:17,710
That's not surprising considering their pattern.

527
00:48:18,030 --> 00:48:22,710
By the time the broader community realized the RT was shutting down their preschool, Wesley

528
00:48:22,710 --> 00:48:27,710
had already purchased the building and they kept the preschool collaborative folks from finding

529
00:48:27,710 --> 00:48:33,070
ways to keep the free of reduced preschool seats there and in community and we lost those seats.

530
00:48:33,490 --> 00:48:38,810
On the other hand, Wesleyan's preschool options have never been free and certainly have never been

531
00:48:38,810 --> 00:48:44,410
affordable. They note their generosity and allowing space for the why but they definitely didn't

532
00:48:44,410 --> 00:48:49,150
say they were allowing that space for free because in fact the university frequently charges

533
00:48:49,150 --> 00:48:54,010
our schools, our nonprofits, and our community leaders for use of the space that they take up.

534
00:48:54,270 --> 00:48:57,750
They've not changed how they engage. They're not interested in reciprocity.

535
00:48:58,090 --> 00:49:02,450
When their self-entices on the line, they'll come to our bodies and ask us for what they need,

536
00:49:02,770 --> 00:49:08,350
but they never pony up and offer what they could at no cost to them,

537
00:49:08,650 --> 00:49:13,430
at very little cost to them, in ways that would actually support student engagement and

538
00:49:13,430 --> 00:49:20,770
and education, they never offer enough. And I think this over and over and overwhelming

539
00:49:20,770 --> 00:49:26,390
sense that what they want is what they want on their terms and that we don't get to say.

540
00:49:26,670 --> 00:49:32,090
And we do get to say, even if they don't want one from us. They don't want to hear it, but we

541
00:49:32,090 --> 00:49:37,550
do get to say. I'm very much not in support of this plan. I would ask you all, so please ask them

542
00:49:37,550 --> 00:49:41,990
to go back to the drawing board and pull up a plan that actually considers things that people

543
00:49:41,990 --> 00:49:50,490
of ask for. Communication, input, community investment by way of union labor, union jobs and

544
00:49:50,490 --> 00:49:56,450
actual development, put something on its table that we can say, yeah, we gave them this

545
00:49:56,450 --> 00:49:59,950
ability to resolve this whole district and possibly build it up.

546
00:50:00,050 --> 00:50:21,170
In their vision, in 200 years, they could be that the whole downtown could be all of Wesleyan, but at least we got something out of it, a community center, a community space, three spaces for our kids to go to their university, three child care for our kids to have programming in their spaces. Something, put something on the table. Thank you.

547
00:50:21,370 --> 00:50:22,090
Thank you.

548
00:50:29,290 --> 00:50:34,770
Hello, my name is Aria Dancing Honey and I live at 72B Home Avenue.

549
00:50:35,450 --> 00:50:41,330
Growing up in Middletown, closer to the Cromwell area, it was never quite clear to me what the university did for the city.

550
00:50:41,990 --> 00:50:48,270
Now, being a student at Wesleyan, I see the intense wealth divide between Wesleyan and Middletown residents even more clearly.

551
00:50:49,010 --> 00:50:52,710
Especially in my role as coordinator for the Traverse Square after school program.

552
00:50:52,710 --> 00:50:56,210
I'm here today to ask the commission to deny without prejudice,

553
00:50:56,630 --> 00:51:00,090
Wesleyan's proposed rezoning of church, high, and William Streets,

554
00:51:00,490 --> 00:51:01,810
and or to continue this hearing.

555
00:51:02,610 --> 00:51:04,750
Over the last two years, as a student at Wesleyan,

556
00:51:05,010 --> 00:51:07,170
I've become a tutor and then subsequently a coordinator

557
00:51:07,610 --> 00:51:09,510
for the after school program at Traverse Square.

558
00:51:09,990 --> 00:51:12,670
And it worked with dozens of fellow students and community members.

559
00:51:13,110 --> 00:51:15,350
It's not just tutoring a couple times a week,

560
00:51:15,670 --> 00:51:18,130
but rather has become a central part of my everyday life

561
00:51:18,130 --> 00:51:20,190
both during this semester and breaks.

562
00:51:23,820 --> 00:51:29,500
me and many other students role in this program is showing up for and supporting local

563
00:51:29,500 --> 00:51:34,160
families and young people who will be directly harmed by this decision. I've supported

564
00:51:34,160 --> 00:51:37,760
families through some of their worst moments and I've seen firsthand the rightly

565
00:51:37,760 --> 00:51:42,840
deserved distrust they have for this institution. Families I've spoken to are

566
00:51:42,840 --> 00:51:45,860
worried about their future and being driven out by Wesleyan's rampant

567
00:51:45,860 --> 00:51:50,520
encroachment and runaway grade. The local residents of Traverse Square deserve to

568
00:51:50,520 --> 00:51:53,180
give their input at this critical juncture in the process.

569
00:51:53,860 --> 00:51:55,500
Wesleyan has a chance to make things clear

570
00:51:55,500 --> 00:51:58,400
and make things right with a binding community benefits agreement

571
00:51:58,400 --> 00:52:00,560
that meets the needs of local traverse residents.

572
00:52:01,240 --> 00:52:03,180
Furthermore, the Wesleyan students I know

573
00:52:03,180 --> 00:52:04,920
don't want to live in dorms built on ignoring

574
00:52:04,920 --> 00:52:07,480
and neglecting the concerns of our neighbors and our city.

575
00:52:08,220 --> 00:52:09,840
Wesleyan's argument tonight seems to be

576
00:52:09,840 --> 00:52:11,220
that they're not asking for much,

577
00:52:11,440 --> 00:52:12,840
that this is simply routine.

578
00:52:13,800 --> 00:52:15,720
They seem to feel entitled to whatever they want

579
00:52:15,720 --> 00:52:17,300
whenever they want it in a city

580
00:52:17,300 --> 00:52:18,740
where they don't pay a penny in taxes.

581
00:52:18,740 --> 00:52:24,160
They're trying to uphold an unequal and an equitable status quo that leaves Middlesham residents behind.

582
00:52:25,500 --> 00:52:25,780
Thank you.

583
00:52:32,200 --> 00:52:33,140
Director Kazakaski.

584
00:52:33,620 --> 00:52:33,960
Okay, thank you.

585
00:52:34,060 --> 00:52:36,000
We're going to move on to Maya Nelson.

586
00:52:41,100 --> 00:52:42,380
Oh, I'm Maya Nelson.

587
00:52:42,740 --> 00:52:46,920
And I am a rising senior at Wesleyan who is speaking against this proposal.

588
00:52:47,200 --> 00:52:52,080
I've worked at the Traverse Square after school program for the past three years,

589
00:52:52,380 --> 00:52:56,660
which provides after school five days a week to students ages four to 17.

590
00:52:56,660 --> 00:52:59,680
And this program has existed since the 1990s.

591
00:52:59,800 --> 00:53:01,260
It's been structured a number of ways,

592
00:53:01,560 --> 00:53:03,220
but one of our core commitments of program

593
00:53:03,220 --> 00:53:05,880
is creating a mutual respect and a positive relationship

594
00:53:05,880 --> 00:53:08,460
between the university and between Traverse Square.

595
00:53:08,960 --> 00:53:11,400
In the past, that's included things like Friday programming,

596
00:53:11,620 --> 00:53:13,580
which involve field trips and partnerships with both the

597
00:53:13,580 --> 00:53:16,180
groups like Sports Team, Science Club, Student Bands,

598
00:53:16,320 --> 00:53:17,320
and even Greek flight.

599
00:53:17,880 --> 00:53:22,500
So clearly one of our roles is to try to foster this positive dynamic,

600
00:53:22,620 --> 00:53:25,320
but throughout conversations with families of Traverse Square,

601
00:53:25,320 --> 00:53:30,200
I feel confident in saying that they've repeatedly felt betrayed and harmed by the university.

602
00:53:30,860 --> 00:53:35,240
Some examples of this include destruction of a playground that used to be shared with

603
00:53:35,240 --> 00:53:40,900
the Traverse Square families and students of Wesleyan Graduates, and the repeated intervention

604
00:53:40,900 --> 00:53:45,280
from Wesleyan Public Safety to Repremand and Threaten Traverse Square Kids.

605
00:53:46,000 --> 00:53:50,540
This increased construction noise and debris that could result through sort of construction

606
00:53:50,540 --> 00:53:54,920
projects that would be possible with this rezoning are a massive undertaking that would be

607
00:53:54,920 --> 00:53:59,580
other step towards harming these sorts of relationships. I believe the local community deserves

608
00:53:59,580 --> 00:54:04,640
a meaningful seat at the table, as well as basic protections and guaranteed community benefits

609
00:54:04,640 --> 00:54:09,600
for any project that would negatively impact their quality of life for years to come. This

610
00:54:09,600 --> 00:54:14,960
rezoning could be an opportunity to reshape the community between Middletown and Wesleyan,

611
00:54:15,720 --> 00:54:20,160
but only if Wesleyan comes to the table with a plan for fair, just an equitable development

612
00:54:20,160 --> 00:54:23,820
and if the planning and zoning commission forces them to the table.

613
00:54:24,340 --> 00:54:29,980
As a Wesleyan student, we don't want to live in dorms that are built on the backs of exploiting our fellow community members.

614
00:54:30,580 --> 00:54:36,560
We want to live in community with Middletown without causing them the massive damage that this reason would cause.

615
00:54:36,800 --> 00:54:37,820
Thank you for your time.

616
00:54:38,280 --> 00:54:39,360
Thank you.

617
00:54:42,950 --> 00:54:44,210
Good evening commissioners.

618
00:54:44,550 --> 00:54:47,050
I'm Renee Trevare, 10 Coval Hill Road in Portland.

619
00:54:47,970 --> 00:54:49,370
You saw me last time.

620
00:54:50,190 --> 00:54:59,910
So after that meeting, we did some of us have had that opportunity to speak with Jeff about the plans and discuss our concerns.

621
00:55:00,180 --> 00:55:10,020
And the primary, in my mind, at least the primary concern remains the potential change from the DVD and MX zones to ID.

622
00:55:11,280 --> 00:55:18,480
The rezoning petition, it's not just about one house or two houses or four houses or buildings.

623
00:55:19,200 --> 00:55:24,160
And it's also not about who owns these properties. That's irrelevant to the DVD.

624
00:55:25,600 --> 00:55:35,980
It's about losing the community review process that's provided in the DVD through the design review and preservation board.

625
00:55:36,900 --> 00:55:48,880
Connecticut's authorizing statute for Village District states that the regulations shall protect the distinctive character, landscape, and historic structures in them.

626
00:55:48,880 --> 00:56:07,240
And Middletown's 2002 design guidelines specify that the downtown villages distinct unique zoning designation gives the board special powers of historic preservation with respect to properties in this area.

627
00:56:07,240 --> 00:56:14,240
So, all good intentions on the part of Wesleyan aside, if the petition to

628
00:56:14,240 --> 00:56:23,120
rezone ID and MX is approved, the DRPB review against district guidelines will no longer

629
00:56:23,120 --> 00:56:24,180
be required.

630
00:56:25,300 --> 00:56:30,360
My understanding in his gen has said before is that the DVD zoning has worked as

631
00:56:30,360 --> 00:56:35,280
intended to protect and retain historic texture of the downtown area, and that there have

632
00:56:35,280 --> 00:56:41,980
few losses and demolitions of historic buildings since it was put in place, and I believe that

633
00:56:41,980 --> 00:56:45,240
some of those are most of those occurred because of unsafe conditions.

634
00:56:46,320 --> 00:56:52,580
Wesleyan has indicated that this is the beginning of a long planning process for upgrades to its

635
00:56:52,580 --> 00:57:00,560
student housing at low and high rise, and it's still conceptual. Given the city's mandate to protect

636
00:57:00,560 --> 00:57:06,580
the character landscape and structures in this district. I do not believe that it is appropriate

637
00:57:06,580 --> 00:57:14,320
to consider a zone change at this juncture. So again, I ask that you deny the request and

638
00:57:14,320 --> 00:57:21,360
not dilute the existing downtown village district. Thank you. Thank you.

639
00:57:25,650 --> 00:57:26,570
Director Kazakasi.

640
00:57:31,010 --> 00:57:31,770
Okay.

641
00:57:37,790 --> 00:57:40,270
So my

642
00:58:00,750 --> 00:58:12,470
name is Rowan Angela Roudabush. I'm a senior at Westview and I'm sharing this letter to the man at the commission say no to Wesleyan's rezoning request.

643
00:58:14,310 --> 00:58:16,590
So I just had to run off there.

644
00:58:17,330 --> 00:58:25,690
Throughout my last three years of my studies as an earthen environmental science major at Westview,

645
00:58:25,690 --> 00:58:31,770
I've noticed with the stains, the way that Wesleyan treats the lands they occupy and

646
00:58:31,770 --> 00:58:37,530
for its resources, it could be made readily available to address environmental and social

647
00:58:37,530 --> 00:58:39,410
crises facing a little town.

648
00:58:41,380 --> 00:58:46,060
Wesleyan is an institution, Wesleyan has an institution, is not to be trusted with the open

649
00:58:46,060 --> 00:58:51,600
guidelines, but a mixed use and institutional development zone allows, nor are they deserving

650
00:58:51,600 --> 00:58:57,660
of any more good faith from the town. They do not even pay taxes after all.

651
00:58:58,260 --> 00:59:03,240
The committee makes a decision based on POCD standards, and I will focus my comments specifically

652
00:59:03,240 --> 00:59:08,380
on the environmental considerations that this committee must make when approaching this decision.

653
00:59:08,740 --> 00:59:11,940
This committee has the commitment to protecting natural resources,

654
00:59:12,660 --> 00:59:17,560
encouraging sustainable development, and ensuring low-infect development standards.

655
00:59:18,380 --> 00:59:24,580
A enabling resume to operate within an institutional development zone across several blogs

656
00:59:24,580 --> 00:59:30,120
they have requested in the Sony will neither be sustainable nor low impact.

657
00:59:30,600 --> 00:59:34,760
The health impacts alone from the demolition and construction that was in the seeking to

658
00:59:34,760 --> 00:59:38,420
do after this rezoning are enough to reject the proposal.

659
00:59:39,360 --> 00:59:44,740
The Marlustian low rise was subject to all of Travers Square, a complex full of family and young

660
00:59:44,740 --> 00:59:49,380
children to hazardous dust, noise pollution, and put their health in safety at risk.

661
00:59:49,720 --> 00:59:54,520
Noise pollution for children is shown to increase psychological stress, blood pressure,

662
00:59:54,960 --> 00:59:56,800
sleep to disturbances and heart disease.

663
00:59:57,320 --> 00:59:59,980
Low rise was built before 1978, and all the time.

664
01:00:00,000 --> 01:00:09,020
Students residing there are warned of lead paint that has been painted on their walls. Their exposure is limited, unless the walls are disturbed or broken.

665
01:00:09,500 --> 01:00:15,840
The motion of exposing entire neighborhood, neighborhood, a lead and other hazardous dust.

666
01:00:16,700 --> 01:00:28,660
According to Countness studies, and in 2023 literature review, construction dust can lead to respiratory issues, lung impairment, ed, and skin irritation, and long-term complications,

667
01:00:28,660 --> 01:00:32,280
including silicosis, assessosis, and lung cancer.

668
01:00:32,660 --> 01:00:33,500
One minute.

669
01:00:35,020 --> 01:00:36,800
The residents of Travis Gray and Williams Street

670
01:00:36,800 --> 01:00:44,360
neighborhood have a rate to help the air and neighborhood that this committee has an opportunity to uphold.

671
01:00:44,720 --> 01:00:46,480
The state-level development does not mean allowing

672
01:00:46,480 --> 01:00:49,200
nursing to constantly and unnecessarily develop their cancer.

673
01:00:49,340 --> 01:00:55,520
There can't be this with no consideration, but the middle town community that spends more than, um,

674
01:00:55,520 --> 01:01:03,720
44am was once the child development senator offered comprehensive care for children and child care was the

675
01:01:03,720 --> 01:01:07,520
in bought out this building and we placed it with an underfunded and understaffed

676
01:01:08,280 --> 01:01:13,760
sodium program. They don't need to build more art studios. They need to build a child care

677
01:01:13,760 --> 01:01:25,500
for the community that they replaced it with. I'm not going to have to have enough for the rest of my

678
01:01:25,500 --> 01:01:28,600
as we jack this for. Thank you.

679
01:01:34,240 --> 01:01:37,640
Good evening commissioners and director. I'm Christian

680
01:01:37,640 --> 01:01:45,180
Winston. I live at 655 Bow Lane. I'm a retired faculty member from Wesleyan and I'm currently

681
01:01:45,180 --> 01:01:51,840
on the board of the Historical Society. I appreciate your willingness to keep this hearing open

682
01:01:51,840 --> 01:02:00,040
and I appreciate the Wesleyan planning teams willingness to talk to some of us offline and

683
01:02:00,040 --> 01:02:03,920
and listen to our objections.

684
01:02:04,820 --> 01:02:09,200
I happen to live in one of middle towns 18th century houses

685
01:02:09,200 --> 01:02:14,060
that has an early owner's name attached to it.

686
01:02:14,400 --> 01:02:16,860
And I'm intensely aware of the value

687
01:02:16,860 --> 01:02:20,040
of preserving our stock of older homes.

688
01:02:21,380 --> 01:02:25,020
I think there's no, there may be no better way

689
01:02:25,020 --> 01:02:27,860
to be connected with earlier times

690
01:02:27,860 --> 01:02:35,700
than to experience firsthand the material structure, design, and location of a historic building

691
01:02:35,700 --> 01:02:40,620
and to imagine how previous generations lived within its walls.

692
01:02:41,820 --> 01:02:47,980
The downtown village district, as others have said, was created with support from Wesleyan

693
01:02:47,980 --> 01:02:56,280
at the time to preserve precisely this sense of Middletown's past, which had been endangered

694
01:02:56,280 --> 01:03:04,340
over many years. The large parcel for which Wesleyan is requesting a zone change includes a considerable

695
01:03:04,340 --> 01:03:12,600
combination of older buildings that appear on the assessors list of pre-1975 buildings before

696
01:03:12,600 --> 01:03:21,680
1975 is now historic, just imagine that. And buildings that are on the list of historic buildings

697
01:03:21,680 --> 01:03:28,700
updated two years ago by the Historic Historical Society's Preservation Commission Committee

698
01:03:28,700 --> 01:03:36,880
under contract with the city. Without the protections that the district village, the downtown

699
01:03:36,880 --> 01:03:44,460
village district provides, it's inevitable that current and former residential structures

700
01:03:44,460 --> 01:03:52,500
would fall to the wrecking ball if they got in the way of Wesleyan's building or landscaping plans.

701
01:03:53,560 --> 01:04:02,360
Just recently, we lost several late 19th century or early 20th century houses on the west side of High Street to the New Science Center.

702
01:04:03,220 --> 01:04:09,180
We have seen no specifics as to what Wesleyan has in mind for the area between William and Church.

703
01:04:09,180 --> 01:04:17,600
Or the site of the former Idela Howell child care building promises from Wesley and made after

704
01:04:17,600 --> 01:04:24,500
the last hearing to preserve two of the historic buildings on high street are not enough.

705
01:04:24,960 --> 01:04:26,280
They're really just a token.

706
01:04:26,860 --> 01:04:33,700
I urge you to preserve and protect the downtown village district as it is currently constituted.

707
01:04:34,020 --> 01:04:34,900
Thank you.

708
01:04:35,140 --> 01:04:35,920
Thank you.

709
01:04:41,650 --> 01:04:43,890
I'm going to move on to S Stokes.

710
01:04:47,320 --> 01:04:48,620
Hey, can you hear me?

711
01:04:48,900 --> 01:04:49,420
Yes.

712
01:04:50,600 --> 01:04:50,980
All right.

713
01:04:51,680 --> 01:04:52,800
I'm writing today.

714
01:04:52,960 --> 01:04:54,320
I'm my name's Soran Stokes.

715
01:04:54,480 --> 01:04:56,220
I'm a student at Wesleyan.

716
01:04:56,400 --> 01:04:58,340
I'm a rising senior at Benifer 3 years,

717
01:04:58,600 --> 01:04:59,980
and I'm speaking from the perspective of...

718
01:05:00,000 --> 01:05:07,240
Somebody who has lived in the junior village, which is under consideration tonight. I'm writing today

719
01:05:07,240 --> 01:05:14,280
a really empty speaking. Two opposed Wesleyan's petition to rezone the areas around Church Street,

720
01:05:14,440 --> 01:05:20,440
High Street and William Street. In this petition, because I think that it's completely the wrong

721
01:05:20,440 --> 01:05:27,470
precedent to set for middle town with respect to its relationship with Wesleyan. As I said, I'm

722
01:05:27,470 --> 01:05:32,890
senior and in my time organizing on campus and in my middle town I've been consistently disappointed

723
01:05:32,890 --> 01:05:37,550
when Wesleyan has flippantly disregarded the wishes of the student body including some examples

724
01:05:37,550 --> 01:05:43,590
from the past couple years of divestment from genocide and fossil fuel, why it calls to save

725
01:05:43,590 --> 01:05:48,030
the human rights program and pursuing the prosecution of our peers for political free speech.

726
01:05:49,850 --> 01:05:55,490
I bring with you the to underscore that Wesleyan is neither a neutral nor an honest negotiator.

727
01:05:55,490 --> 01:05:57,870
As such, I believe it's worth calling to question

728
01:05:57,870 --> 01:05:59,150
Wesleyan's claim that it's

729
01:05:59,150 --> 01:06:01,650
proposalful further served to connect middle-time to Wesleyan.

730
01:06:02,070 --> 01:06:03,690
This is really what I want to talk about

731
01:06:03,690 --> 01:06:08,190
because of the point that was so underscored

732
01:06:08,190 --> 01:06:11,670
in Wesleyan's presentation of aiming to connect

733
01:06:11,670 --> 01:06:14,290
the community to middle-town, which I think is quite,

734
01:06:15,330 --> 01:06:16,370
which I think is the first.

735
01:06:19,490 --> 01:06:22,850
So the DVD district, the downtown village district,

736
01:06:23,790 --> 01:06:32,630
is precisely what allows, or middle towns intervention in development that would impact everyone.

737
01:06:32,790 --> 01:06:39,850
As it stands, the DVD designation serves to hold Wesleyan accountable to a body outside of its own institutional logic.

738
01:06:41,590 --> 01:06:49,610
Not only have experienced Wesleyan's unwillingness to negotiate in good faith, but I also lived in Butterfield's A during the 2023-2024 school year.

739
01:06:49,610 --> 01:06:56,030
Um, during which I was right next to the newly open science center, um, between church and

740
01:06:56,030 --> 01:06:58,870
one, uh, um, well, that was under construction.

741
01:06:59,090 --> 01:07:02,750
I was a Woken Bailey by loud, like, yeah, loud construction.

742
01:07:04,110 --> 01:07:06,810
Um, and I, you know, it was a common experience.

743
01:07:07,010 --> 01:07:09,890
I talk with many of my friends who are a Woken in the same way.

744
01:07:10,790 --> 01:07:16,590
Um, and I just think about what, uh, what Rowan already brought up about, um, talks

745
01:07:16,590 --> 01:07:18,610
the chemicals that would be diffused into the air.

746
01:07:18,770 --> 01:07:21,810
I think that that is far larger,

747
01:07:22,110 --> 01:07:25,070
a concern than even the balance of a historic neighborhood.

748
01:07:27,370 --> 01:07:30,650
And I also feel it really important to underscore

749
01:07:30,650 --> 01:07:35,830
that the junior village area is right now

750
01:07:35,830 --> 01:07:38,710
an isolated district from Middletown.

751
01:07:39,530 --> 01:07:41,850
Wesleyan's policy in place around junior village

752
01:07:41,850 --> 01:07:44,790
is that no non-student Middletown resident

753
01:07:44,790 --> 01:07:47,570
is permitted into the shared common area without a shaperone,

754
01:07:47,650 --> 01:07:49,750
effectively creating a legally gated community.

755
01:07:50,310 --> 01:07:53,270
The construction that Wesleyan Posit will benefit the entirety

756
01:07:53,270 --> 01:07:55,610
of Middletown will be open only to students

757
01:07:55,610 --> 01:07:57,630
in addition to disrupting the historical character

758
01:07:57,630 --> 01:08:00,310
of the DVD with its construction

759
01:08:00,310 --> 01:08:02,890
until the proposed 2031.

760
01:08:03,590 --> 01:08:05,270
Furthermore, the proposed renovation

761
01:08:05,270 --> 01:08:09,430
would serve to further enclose the central campus area

762
01:08:09,430 --> 01:08:12,350
and which is a place already quite functionally isolated

763
01:08:12,350 --> 01:08:13,950
from the rest of Middletown's ecosystem.

764
01:08:14,950 --> 01:08:19,190
While Wesleyan proposes to make William Street more accessible, they would also be providing

765
01:08:19,190 --> 01:08:21,970
less reason for residents to come up to campus in the first place.

766
01:08:22,370 --> 01:08:25,570
The plans at Wesleyan has put forward at this time, both the connection between student life

767
01:08:25,570 --> 01:08:29,590
and William's street and high street via a passage to the proposed landscaping.

768
01:08:29,730 --> 01:08:32,390
But once again, this connection would exist exclusively for students.

769
01:08:32,990 --> 01:08:35,270
One minute does nothing to thank you.

770
01:08:35,930 --> 01:08:39,210
It does nothing to promote a more connected Middletown.

771
01:08:39,210 --> 01:08:43,310
Even if this project did serve to connect middle town, the fact remains that the connection proves

772
01:08:43,310 --> 01:08:47,290
detrimental and even dangerous to permanent middle town residents, multiple times in my

773
01:08:47,290 --> 01:08:51,150
tenure at Wesleyan, students in junior village area of campus have called law enforcement

774
01:08:51,150 --> 01:08:55,690
on children playing in the neighborhood of Tra, in the neighboring travers square area,

775
01:08:56,050 --> 01:08:59,190
and playing that they felt threatened by residents playing in their own homes.

776
01:08:59,610 --> 01:09:05,790
I should not have to clarify the incredibly dangerous precedent that this sets for the treatment

777
01:09:05,790 --> 01:09:10,530
of youth at the hands of Wesleyan students, especially for people of color, fostering greater

778
01:09:11,130 --> 01:09:14,830
physical connection between the university and the city does not necessarily mean a more

779
01:09:14,830 --> 01:09:21,370
connected community. It actually has room to be met the opposite in the past. Also, as a student

780
01:09:21,370 --> 01:09:26,250
who has spent time organizing in the university, I can say, and living in the university, I can

781
01:09:26,250 --> 01:09:30,150
say that there are other buildings that are in far worse repair, including West College,

782
01:09:30,270 --> 01:09:34,930
Nicholson, and few residential halls, which were all built in the 50s, far before the 70s,

783
01:09:34,930 --> 01:09:38,790
have not seen any improvement despite a featuring black mold regularly.

784
01:09:40,550 --> 01:09:45,010
They are also, I don't know, those buildings also provide ample space for the

785
01:09:45,010 --> 01:09:51,790
inflated class sizes that was in continuous treatment and that this proposed renovation

786
01:09:51,790 --> 01:09:58,910
would make space for. So, yes, thank you. Sorry, I'm running up against time.

787
01:09:59,190 --> 01:09:59,490
Thank you.

788
01:10:10,870 --> 01:10:38,890
It's up a little here. I'm staying beveled. My voice is a little harsh tonight. Excuse me. You all heard me last time. I think you all looked familiar. I don't know if anyone's here, but I'm glad we were listening to. I'm glad the buildings on high street are remaining with AR. However, I spent the first four years in my life in middle town. And ironically, I lived on Williams Street.

789
01:10:38,890 --> 01:10:47,170
And we rented from the Bon Vino family, but my father worked upwards towards East Harford

790
01:10:47,170 --> 01:10:52,370
and Manchester, and now I've been blessed with a very 18-year-old lane.

791
01:10:53,390 --> 01:10:59,090
My business is saving old buildings and I saved old buildings from demolition.

792
01:10:59,270 --> 01:11:08,870
I cannot tolerate demolition, but I think you have a phenomenal little area, so I can

793
01:11:08,870 --> 01:11:17,650
I came here early today and I walked up and down every street and I took a number of pictures.

794
01:11:18,650 --> 01:11:23,390
I heard some stories that there might be something happening on William Street.

795
01:11:24,830 --> 01:11:27,950
So I took a number of pictures of the houses on William Street.

796
01:11:28,650 --> 01:11:33,130
One person might look at those houses and say, that's a nice far.

797
01:11:33,130 --> 01:11:41,930
I look at them and say under those altered facades is a household waiting to be restored.

798
01:11:42,930 --> 01:11:44,990
All the buildings had their chimney stacks.

799
01:11:45,950 --> 01:11:48,630
Two of them are Greek revivals, the lower buildings.

800
01:11:50,330 --> 01:11:58,730
One I date in the late 1850s and it has a terrible covering of the first four facade,

801
01:11:59,290 --> 01:12:00,770
but that could be easily removed.

802
01:12:00,770 --> 01:12:11,490
The second building is actually a semi-restored and pretty nice street revival, probably 1850s again.

803
01:12:12,290 --> 01:12:16,250
Then you have an Italian house, that's missing a lot of detail.

804
01:12:17,070 --> 01:12:22,910
But corbal details under the eve of a roof are not the hard to reproduce.

805
01:12:24,490 --> 01:12:29,710
And that building also had then you have the last building, the closest one to high street.

806
01:12:29,710 --> 01:12:33,870
And that is a psychological counseling building.

807
01:12:34,630 --> 01:12:37,450
I assume that all those buildings are owned by Wesleyan

808
01:12:37,450 --> 01:12:41,150
or am I incorrect with that all four of those buildings,

809
01:12:41,390 --> 01:12:44,770
the first four buildings on the right, as you go down Williams.

810
01:12:45,610 --> 01:12:51,730
But I would ask Wesleyan why don't you restore these buildings?

811
01:12:52,490 --> 01:12:53,770
They're Emily Restorable.

812
01:12:54,970 --> 01:12:56,250
I would ask that.

813
01:12:56,310 --> 01:12:57,090
And they have the money.

814
01:12:57,290 --> 01:12:58,950
They can find the money to do it.

815
01:12:58,950 --> 01:13:04,430
And that could actually, you could house probably six students in each building.

816
01:13:05,750 --> 01:13:11,170
You know, one of them's kind of small. But why are humble buildings considered less?

817
01:13:12,090 --> 01:13:18,950
They're all part of a village. And I'm going to walk to streets again and look around, find out

818
01:13:18,950 --> 01:13:24,340
whether it's space. Katherine Johnson wanted to come here tonight. I spoke with her,

819
01:13:24,340 --> 01:13:28,320
but she's familiar with all sorts of space that's available.

820
01:13:29,400 --> 01:13:31,780
But I just ask why they're not looking elsewhere

821
01:13:32,340 --> 01:13:37,180
and why they have to go to the village district to do this.

822
01:13:37,500 --> 01:13:40,520
I don't have all this recent background that other people do

823
01:13:40,520 --> 01:13:42,920
as it was to what happened the last few years.

824
01:13:43,600 --> 01:13:46,920
But I see all four of those buildings that are commonly restoreable.

825
01:13:47,340 --> 01:13:53,400
A very worthy and a project that would be acknowledged

826
01:13:54,080 --> 01:13:56,180
by many throughout the state.

827
01:13:56,580 --> 01:14:03,000
Bravo Wesleyan, you saved four period buildings that have been here before Lincoln was

828
01:14:03,000 --> 01:14:11,200
president, actually the two others were probably 1870s, but and I also want to comment

829
01:14:11,200 --> 01:14:17,340
that every remote call and every person that's come up to the podium has been against

830
01:14:17,340 --> 01:14:25,400
to his plan. I have heard no one come forth to support his plan. This is an area that people

831
01:14:25,400 --> 01:14:31,740
like. This is still an area with great potential. And I plan to come back and walk the streets

832
01:14:31,740 --> 01:14:36,080
and put a few shots together, but thank you for listening tonight.

833
01:14:36,420 --> 01:14:37,320
Thank you.

834
01:14:43,350 --> 01:14:46,970
Okay, next we're going to move online to Sam Brett Schneider.

835
01:14:54,750 --> 01:14:59,990
Okay, my name is my name is Sam Brechnerider. I'm a Wesleyan student and I'm happy

836
01:15:00,000 --> 01:15:05,680
Health in the Commission to vote no, on rezoning. Wesleyan has stated their intentions of tearing down

837
01:15:05,680 --> 01:15:11,000
low rise and building an up to five-store building for student housing in its place. This towering

838
01:15:11,000 --> 01:15:15,500
student housing would be out of place with the surrounding architecture and aesthetics and

839
01:15:15,500 --> 01:15:21,060
undermine the POCD's commitment to preserving the beauty and cultural fabric of middle town.

840
01:15:21,700 --> 01:15:25,900
Wesleyan students in middle town residents have expressed their unhappiness with the ugliness

841
01:15:25,900 --> 01:15:27,540
of Wesleyan's New Science Center.

842
01:15:28,120 --> 01:15:32,620
This new housing initiative would be further evidence of Wesleyan ignoring Middleton residents

843
01:15:32,620 --> 01:15:37,480
concerns about the University ruining their sense of place, since this tall building would

844
01:15:37,480 --> 01:15:41,760
stand awkwardly over the surrounding houses of Traverse Square residents, as well as other

845
01:15:41,760 --> 01:15:43,560
houses on Williams and Broad Street.

846
01:15:44,580 --> 01:15:49,260
Wesleyan's proposed rezoning does not stop at Wayem Street, and would also erase protections

847
01:15:49,260 --> 01:15:53,040
for the historic houses on High Street that are a key part of Middleton's beauty.

848
01:15:53,680 --> 01:15:58,640
Furthermore, there is no reason to include the high-street houses in a zone change in the first place.

849
01:15:59,240 --> 01:16:03,600
Wesleyan has not even discussed the reason behind including these houses in their rezoning proposal.

850
01:16:04,300 --> 01:16:08,960
If it is to increase accessibility and make what they consider necessary adjustments for students,

851
01:16:09,480 --> 01:16:12,580
then that is even more of a reason to keep it within a DVD zone.

852
01:16:13,320 --> 01:16:21,920
Resoning would allow Wesleyan to both alter and demolish these homes without the necessary oversight that these homes need to preserve their historical integrity.

853
01:16:21,920 --> 01:16:33,280
Any necessary alterations to these houses that increase accessibility for disabled people can be made under the current DVD status while also preserving the home's beauty and history.

854
01:16:33,940 --> 01:16:45,000
Resoning to an ID status allows the preservation of these houses histories to be ignored in the decision making process whereas the DVD zone requires the consideration of history and culture.

855
01:16:46,360 --> 01:16:53,900
Also, the border between Traverse and Lower Eyes is already a site of massive inequality between the university and Traverse Square.

856
01:16:54,660 --> 01:17:02,000
In the past, a Wesleyan student at Lower Eyes called Public Safety on a Traverse resident, and predominantly people of color live at Traverse.

857
01:17:02,640 --> 01:17:12,420
Constructing an ugly five-story building that would tower over Traverse with worsening the relationship between Wesleyan and Traverse, a relationship already marked by racism and inequality.

858
01:17:13,560 --> 01:17:17,860
furthermore, Wesleyan's discussion of a possible green space at low-rise makes me

859
01:17:17,860 --> 01:17:21,700
worried that the university would not be comfortable with sharing the space with

860
01:17:21,700 --> 01:17:26,580
non-students and that this could result in discriminatory surveillance of the space

861
01:17:26,580 --> 01:17:30,680
by peace safe as well as students. I ask that the commission respect mail town

862
01:17:30,680 --> 01:17:34,520
for residents as well as the city's unique history and beauty by voting no on

863
01:17:34,520 --> 01:17:36,640
rezoning. Thank you.

864
01:17:43,370 --> 01:17:46,190
Hi, my name is Lucas Holman. I'm a sophomore at Wesleyan University

865
01:17:46,190 --> 01:17:47,770
in a member of its student government.

866
01:17:48,930 --> 01:17:53,210
I'm here to offer a brief but honest opposition to the university's petition for rezoning,

867
01:17:53,390 --> 01:17:54,390
I did not have without prejudice.

868
01:17:54,890 --> 01:17:58,550
Though the university offered compelling arguments at first, they ultimately hold the water.

869
01:17:58,930 --> 01:18:03,130
Updating a junior village has little to know impact on the senior oriented woodframes, and

870
01:18:03,130 --> 01:18:08,030
similarly, Wesleyan's property ownership does not supersede the city's rules in the zoning

871
01:18:08,030 --> 01:18:08,370
debate.

872
01:18:09,050 --> 01:18:11,810
Advocating change merely for change of sake makes no sense.

873
01:18:11,810 --> 01:18:15,290
these arguments serve as garnishes to an otherwise unappetizing meal.

874
01:18:16,750 --> 01:18:20,310
The university conveniently circumvents in their arguments the actual issues at play,

875
01:18:20,450 --> 01:18:24,430
the noise chaos and destruction created by this construction in favor of addressing

876
01:18:24,430 --> 01:18:28,730
much more palatable concerns. Ultimately, the impacts of this petition will be not

877
01:18:28,730 --> 01:18:33,970
well felt be felt not in the east burden on the university but instead by corresponding pain on the

878
01:18:33,970 --> 01:18:38,250
community. This rezoning would be sacrificing any control or autonomy of the city,

879
01:18:38,510 --> 01:18:41,630
throwing away the ace in our sleeves and handing it instead to a much wealthier

880
01:18:41,810 --> 01:18:46,250
much less conservative inhabitant. The university argues that this movement bring

881
01:18:46,250 --> 01:18:50,830
middle town in Western and closer together, confusingly by asking for a new line to be drawn

882
01:18:50,830 --> 01:18:55,950
in the sand. I merely ask commissioners a simple question. Why make a deal with an institution

883
01:18:55,950 --> 01:18:59,290
that pays nothing in return? Thank you.

884
01:19:06,040 --> 01:19:07,540
I'm going to move on to Jack Farrell.

885
01:19:11,740 --> 01:19:12,060
Can you hear me?

886
01:19:12,440 --> 01:19:17,880
Okay. Yes. All right, perfect. I'm going to be reading on behalf of a friend, a Connor

887
01:19:19,200 --> 01:19:23,360
I'm writing this letter to voice my deep opposition to Wesleyan's rezoning petition.

888
01:19:23,840 --> 01:19:27,840
While Wesleyan claims the proposal aligns with the POCD, especially by arguing that this

889
01:19:27,840 --> 01:19:31,460
project will increase commercial tax bases by connecting students to the Downtown Cultural

890
01:19:31,460 --> 01:19:36,460
Center and will support educational institutions, these empty claims prove unrealistic when

891
01:19:36,460 --> 01:19:39,680
examining the university's current and past failures to the middle-time community.

892
01:19:40,280 --> 01:19:44,660
Since Wesleyan is tax exempt, its further expansion into the city will not bring any continual

893
01:19:44,660 --> 01:19:46,760
flow of money or investment into the community.

894
01:19:46,760 --> 01:19:59,980
Well, Wesley and both support for the community and educational institutions, owning and continuing to increase the amount of non-taxable property in the city directly to tracks from public school funding which is already largely stratified across the city.

895
01:20:00,000 --> 01:20:27,500
With noticeable differences between the schools in wealthier and more impoverished areas. Over the summer, I attended, I interned with the Middletown Public Schools Food Nutrition and Wellness Department, during which I learned a lot about the food insecurity facing families and students, especially in areas considered food deserts with limited access to affordable grocery stores within walking distance. Since Middletown qualifies for the community eligibility provision, free breakfast and lunches are provided to all students.

896
01:20:27,500 --> 01:20:31,540
But for many students, this is the majority or only for the they will receive during the week.

897
01:20:31,780 --> 01:20:35,420
So it's incredibly important that funding can be secured for extra programs like free supper,

898
01:20:35,720 --> 01:20:38,160
the weekend backpack program, and the Farmers School program.

899
01:20:38,720 --> 01:20:43,360
Many universities like Wesleyan claim that bringing in students is more than enough of an economic benefit

900
01:20:43,360 --> 01:20:46,280
to outweigh their lack of financial support for this random community.

901
01:20:46,660 --> 01:20:49,660
But in reality, well, students can often bring a lot of business to local establishments.

902
01:20:50,380 --> 01:20:52,740
They are not a consistent economic base for middle-down.

903
01:20:52,740 --> 01:20:57,080
They are seasonal spenders and businesses who raise prices in order to cash in on their rivals

904
01:20:57,080 --> 01:21:02,280
often out-priced local residents, contributing further to the desert, the food desert, desert issue.

905
01:21:02,960 --> 01:21:07,520
Students also almost always make leave middle town. They do not become taxable residents.

906
01:21:07,640 --> 01:21:10,640
They do not start businesses and they do not lead to long-term growth,

907
01:21:11,020 --> 01:21:16,320
only short-term gentrification. Further, Wesleyan has shown their disregard for the community

908
01:21:16,320 --> 01:21:20,360
as they bought out the Traverse Square Child Care Program and replaced it with an underfunded,

909
01:21:20,360 --> 01:21:24,600
under-resourced and under-staffed student-run program with no child care professionals that

910
01:21:24,600 --> 01:21:28,360
cannot meet the community's needs thoroughly in the way that the child care before did.

911
01:21:29,000 --> 01:21:32,800
Going through with this zoning change will enable them to continue to strip the community of

912
01:21:32,800 --> 01:21:37,680
child care resources and support, making the neighborhood increasingly more unlivable for residents.

913
01:21:38,320 --> 01:21:42,840
Similarly, Wesleyan has proven themselves as unreliable stewards of community projects through

914
01:21:42,840 --> 01:21:47,560
the sudden closing in 2018 of the Green Street Teaching and Learning Center in the North End.

915
01:21:47,560 --> 01:21:51,960
This building was home to an after-school education and arts program for some of our towns

916
01:21:51,960 --> 01:21:54,100
most underserved youth, underserved youth.

917
01:21:54,960 --> 01:21:59,000
The center was supposedly closed due to a lack of funding, which feels unfaithful in

918
01:21:59,000 --> 01:22:02,600
the face of the several hundred million dollars recently spent on the construction of the

919
01:22:02,600 --> 01:22:04,960
news science building and prize art building.

920
01:22:05,660 --> 01:22:10,840
This decision was made with little input from student workers and community members as both

921
01:22:10,840 --> 01:22:14,360
felt blinded, blindsided by the closing of this beloved pillar in the community.

922
01:22:14,360 --> 01:22:27,020
Both the announcement of the Centers closing and the proposal for this rezoning were made during the summer when most students are gone and unable to push back and voice their opinions, which speaks to the level of respect Wesleyan holds for its relationship with students and the town.

923
01:22:27,320 --> 01:22:36,100
Time and time again, Wesleyan has proved an unreliable, unkind and unfair member of the middle town community, was falling through their promises of community engagement and support.

924
01:22:36,100 --> 01:22:41,240
The rezoning of the area from DVD to ID would allow for construction and development without

925
01:22:41,240 --> 01:22:45,380
the same rigid and necessary protections and oversight, meaning that there is no guarantee

926
01:22:45,380 --> 01:22:49,600
that Wesleyan would value anyone to be back or implement anyone's contribution to the project,

927
01:22:49,960 --> 01:22:52,580
especially if the input only concerns non-sudent residents.

928
01:22:53,020 --> 01:22:56,260
It is for these reasons that I urge you to consider the nature of Wesleyan's relationship

929
01:22:56,260 --> 01:22:58,400
to the town and deny their rezoning position.

930
01:22:59,040 --> 01:22:59,420
Thank you.

931
01:22:59,660 --> 01:23:00,240
Thank you.

932
01:23:05,970 --> 01:23:13,430
Catherine Johnson, 161 College Street. I would just note that 31 people spoke last time and

933
01:23:13,430 --> 01:23:19,710
nine new ones this time. There has not been a single person in support. Second, everyone

934
01:23:19,710 --> 01:23:25,370
who's spoken, please email your letters to the land use department to someone called

935
01:23:26,410 --> 01:23:29,530
Corinne Miller. I'm sorry, Corinne Milardo.

936
01:23:32,300 --> 01:23:36,160
I'd like to read from the institutional

937
01:23:36,160 --> 01:23:42,900
development zone. It says the facility should be compatible with its

938
01:23:42,900 --> 01:23:50,840
setting in scale and design. Constructing a five-story dorm either behind

939
01:23:50,840 --> 01:23:58,020
those four houses, maybe they'll be removed, or behind the church street houses

940
01:23:58,020 --> 01:24:05,540
including Shabbat House, that's not compatible with scale. The building should

941
01:24:05,540 --> 01:24:13,860
sizes that match. They don't propose this. Mega buildings destroy the appeal of living in human

942
01:24:13,860 --> 01:24:21,140
scale buildings. You know that I'm going to quote the students from last time. Fugly science

943
01:24:21,140 --> 01:24:30,180
building is proving to teach us a lesson. The way it is imposed right behind that the exquisite

944
01:24:30,180 --> 01:24:34,560
little greenhouse, which is the, um,

945
01:24:35,240 --> 01:24:35,620
Argus?

946
01:24:36,420 --> 01:24:37,140
Is this still the Argus?

947
01:24:37,800 --> 01:24:38,140
OK.

948
01:24:39,120 --> 01:24:43,460
The point is, that building has nothing to do with this little thing.

949
01:24:44,360 --> 01:24:51,720
And oh my god, so many architects would have loved to get their hands on that sight to show what you could do.

950
01:24:51,840 --> 01:24:56,700
You can put labs in a building that gets along with these sweet little buildings in the front.

951
01:24:59,520 --> 01:24:59,800
So...

952
01:24:59,800 --> 01:24:59,940
So...

953
01:24:59,940 --> 01:24:59,980
So much...

954
01:25:00,000 --> 01:25:08,620
Once missing, they're dropping the ball there. The problem with the ID zone is that they can do whatever they want.

955
01:25:10,320 --> 01:25:17,220
We were told earlier, our goal is to make non-conforming parcels conforming. You know, this is about use.

956
01:25:18,300 --> 01:25:27,380
We can change use to accommodate 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, unit apartment houses. That's what we have downtown.

957
01:25:27,380 --> 01:25:33,700
If Wesleyan wants to do something like we already have, I say yay.

958
01:25:35,520 --> 01:25:42,920
Number two, you don't have to take down buildings because you think they're nuisance

959
01:25:42,920 --> 01:25:47,020
calls, houses are the lowest risk.

960
01:25:48,180 --> 01:25:54,620
When you have people living in a dorm, that's a lot of people together, I mean, this is

961
01:25:54,620 --> 01:26:03,560
ridiculous. This is like when someone has preemptive surgery to take out a potential future

962
01:26:03,560 --> 01:26:13,960
cancer that hasn't been predicted yet. We can also add uses that include offices. This

963
01:26:13,960 --> 01:26:22,920
non-conforming is an abstract idea. And we have in the last 30 years moved away from zoning

964
01:26:22,920 --> 01:26:30,880
as the way to use in zoning as a way to organize development to the form of building.

965
01:26:33,520 --> 01:26:39,400
This making a green, someone mentioned it very beautifully put.

966
01:26:39,800 --> 01:26:44,880
The public is not going to be allowed to go there, putting some grass behind some buildings

967
01:26:44,880 --> 01:26:48,640
in the middle of a block has nothing to do with William's street.

968
01:26:49,060 --> 01:26:49,760
One minute.

969
01:26:50,240 --> 01:26:50,860
Thank you.

970
01:26:50,860 --> 01:26:57,080
The four houses on William Street are important because they make a welcoming street.

971
01:26:57,840 --> 01:27:02,320
They contrast with the large academic buildings, and they say, here's downtown.

972
01:27:03,320 --> 01:27:04,700
You start walking downtown.

973
01:27:06,040 --> 01:27:10,440
The Planning and Zoning Commission has an obligation to protect the neighborhood.

974
01:27:10,680 --> 01:27:11,840
How is that done?

975
01:27:12,640 --> 01:27:19,660
We cannot erase these parcels that is the property lines between the buildings.

976
01:27:19,660 --> 01:27:22,460
That is how you establish the scale.

977
01:27:22,700 --> 01:27:25,860
You're going to have a building that's only 40 feet wide.

978
01:27:26,460 --> 01:27:33,860
That's only a three stories tall that has a defined front yard in a backyard.

979
01:27:34,920 --> 01:27:36,240
Should I continue later?

980
01:27:38,100 --> 01:27:38,180
Yes.

981
01:27:44,740 --> 01:27:46,820
We're going to move on to Yale.

982
01:27:47,520 --> 01:27:50,500
I see you on Toys, hopefully I click on the correct one.

983
01:27:55,710 --> 01:27:57,010
My name is Yale.

984
01:27:57,010 --> 01:28:02,370
I'm a recent graduate of Wesleyan and a former resident of 185 High Street, and I'm asking

985
01:28:02,370 --> 01:28:04,690
this commissioning board to say no to this petition.

986
01:28:07,650 --> 01:28:08,810
Hi, can everyone hear me?

987
01:28:09,070 --> 01:28:09,190
Yes.

988
01:28:09,850 --> 01:28:10,030
Okay.

989
01:28:10,190 --> 01:28:10,370
Perfect.

990
01:28:10,930 --> 01:28:14,510
I would like to address the July meetings plane that this petitions redevelopment will

991
01:28:14,510 --> 01:28:19,010
aid the 2016 Complete Streets Plan and it was revered or re-added tonight about creating

992
01:28:19,010 --> 01:28:22,790
other mixed-use infrastructure that will integrate middle-town with Wesleyan.

993
01:28:22,990 --> 01:28:27,810
I lived at 185 High, which is part of Greek life on campus during the development of a warming

994
01:28:27,810 --> 01:28:32,390
shelter at 184 high directly across from me this year, which went unaddressed night by

995
01:28:32,390 --> 01:28:36,770
Wesleyan's attorney. I can say from personal conversations with warming shelter residents

996
01:28:36,770 --> 01:28:40,890
that this shared sidewalk has not benefited whatsoever from Wesleyan's already present

997
01:28:40,890 --> 01:28:41,970
redevelopment.

998
01:28:42,250 --> 01:28:46,270
Warming shelter residents have instead told me that they've been kept up at all hours by

999
01:28:46,270 --> 01:28:51,550
students partying, Greek life, the presence of campus safety, police, and overcrowded pedestrian

1000
01:28:51,550 --> 01:28:52,130
corridors.

1001
01:28:52,710 --> 01:28:57,390
This area is already much less multi-use and but biker friendly than other DVD's own traits

1002
01:28:57,390 --> 01:29:03,270
of middle town. I have seen firsthand how Wesleyan's tax-exempt development has no incentive to support

1003
01:29:03,270 --> 01:29:08,870
residential and social services. In short, we don't need to see what IDV zoning looks like to know

1004
01:29:08,870 --> 01:29:13,890
their version of integration is not equitable or sustainable and anything else is revisionist history

1005
01:29:13,890 --> 01:29:19,130
on the part of the university. If Wesleyan was actually interested in implementing the complete streets plan

1006
01:29:19,130 --> 01:29:23,370
or developing a sense of place in middle town, they would consider developing the large

1007
01:29:23,370 --> 01:29:26,150
such as of lawn and grass located by the power plant.

1008
01:29:26,290 --> 01:29:28,350
These grass lawns are not only underdeveloped,

1009
01:29:28,350 --> 01:29:30,090
but they take up an endless amounts of water.

1010
01:29:30,310 --> 01:29:30,930
They're not sustainable.

1011
01:29:31,210 --> 01:29:33,750
They cost taxpayer dollars to light.

1012
01:29:34,550 --> 01:29:36,590
Me and the vast majority of the student body agree,

1013
01:29:36,590 --> 01:29:38,290
as you've definitely heard tonight,

1014
01:29:38,650 --> 01:29:40,990
that we support retaining the current GVB status,

1015
01:29:41,270 --> 01:29:43,170
which already allows for alterations

1016
01:29:43,170 --> 01:29:44,470
to make buildings accessible,

1017
01:29:45,110 --> 01:29:47,070
while still guaranteeing historic preservation

1018
01:29:47,070 --> 01:29:48,510
and Wesleyan's accountability

1019
01:29:48,510 --> 01:29:50,370
and transparency to the communities.

1020
01:29:51,030 --> 01:29:59,970
I'm speaking to you all even after I've graduated because I'm so deeply concerned about this petition causing a reprobable damage by enabling Wesleyan decides that middle

1021
01:30:00,000 --> 01:30:06,040
House purview. It's building sinkings and protections of the rights of residents. I would be devastated

1022
01:30:06,040 --> 01:30:10,740
to see this rezoning pass shortly after my graduation and to see this place that I care about

1023
01:30:10,740 --> 01:30:14,260
so much change for the worse after I've left it. Thank you.

1024
01:30:14,300 --> 01:30:15,400
Thank you.

1025
01:30:26,790 --> 01:30:27,370
Thank you.

1026
01:30:27,750 --> 01:30:34,690
I won't reiterate a lot of the things that have been said already and said so well. I live

1027
01:30:34,690 --> 01:30:40,390
in a 19th century house on Pearl Street. Let me tell you about my block.

1028
01:30:40,390 --> 01:30:43,350
There are four or five other 19th century homes.

1029
01:30:43,510 --> 01:30:44,270
There is a cross street.

1030
01:30:44,450 --> 01:30:45,750
There's an 18th century home.

1031
01:30:45,990 --> 01:30:46,490
Found the street.

1032
01:30:46,630 --> 01:30:48,070
There's a 17th century home.

1033
01:30:48,650 --> 01:30:53,230
And the beautiful thing about the block is that it is completely diverse.

1034
01:30:53,510 --> 01:30:54,830
There's a great streetscape.

1035
01:30:55,290 --> 01:30:56,330
All the buildings are different.

1036
01:30:56,830 --> 01:30:58,510
All the people live in the buildings are different.

1037
01:30:58,870 --> 01:30:59,690
We have trees.

1038
01:31:00,150 --> 01:31:01,250
It's a narrow street.

1039
01:31:01,710 --> 01:31:02,850
Wesleyan is a cross street.

1040
01:31:02,870 --> 01:31:04,030
There is an institutional building.

1041
01:31:04,150 --> 01:31:06,730
There's an old stable across the street.

1042
01:31:07,870 --> 01:31:09,330
It's just a great place to live.

1043
01:31:09,330 --> 01:31:14,630
as Jen said, the Village District works, and I can attest to it because I live there.

1044
01:31:17,130 --> 01:31:21,770
I think she also said that she called the changing the zone as a blunt instrument.

1045
01:31:22,550 --> 01:31:27,310
And I believe Jeff and I do want to thank Jeff for including us into discussions.

1046
01:31:28,430 --> 01:31:32,090
And I do believe he wants to preserve those buildings that we were so concerned about.

1047
01:31:32,450 --> 01:31:38,890
However, I know that since I've been in middle town 25 years ago there have been five mayors.

1048
01:31:38,890 --> 01:31:43,290
There have been a few planners with different ideas.

1049
01:31:44,690 --> 01:31:49,210
There have been planning and zoning boards that have shifted several times.

1050
01:31:50,290 --> 01:31:56,170
So what happens over time, what happens when Jeff leaves and it's an institutional zone.

1051
01:31:56,630 --> 01:31:59,010
And someone says, well, we don't need those buildings.

1052
01:31:59,530 --> 01:32:01,530
And then the blend instrument comes into play.

1053
01:32:02,590 --> 01:32:07,090
So I want to thank all of you for your patience

1054
01:32:07,090 --> 01:32:15,330
in listening to us and listening to our concerns, and having the patience to understand the

1055
01:32:15,330 --> 01:32:19,990
power of the zone to preserve something that is so great in middle towns.

1056
01:32:20,830 --> 01:32:21,870
So thank you so much.

1057
01:32:22,210 --> 01:32:24,150
I also want to say thanks to all the Wesleyan students.

1058
01:32:24,710 --> 01:32:30,950
It's to me it's a great thing to see the students so engaged in an issue in town that they're

1059
01:32:30,950 --> 01:32:35,270
down here before the semester starts even, so thanks so much to the Wesleyan students.

1060
01:32:36,230 --> 01:32:37,270
Thank you.

1061
01:32:42,820 --> 01:32:43,980
We're going to move on to Liam.

1062
01:32:51,430 --> 01:32:51,490
Hi.

1063
01:32:51,750 --> 01:32:52,470
Can you hear me?

1064
01:32:52,790 --> 01:32:52,910
Yes.

1065
01:32:53,970 --> 01:32:54,170
All right.

1066
01:32:54,490 --> 01:32:54,530
Awesome.

1067
01:32:55,210 --> 01:32:55,470
Hi.

1068
01:32:56,730 --> 01:32:57,810
My name is Liam Dorian.

1069
01:32:58,010 --> 01:32:59,710
I'm a rising senior at Weston University.

1070
01:32:59,990 --> 01:33:02,190
I'm going to be living on Cross Street this year.

1071
01:33:02,570 --> 01:33:05,890
And I'm asking the Council to reject Weston's proposal of amending their zoning

1072
01:33:05,890 --> 01:33:10,330
and to place conditions on any future site plan that might come before the commission

1073
01:33:10,330 --> 01:33:13,870
to require community benefits such as consultations,

1074
01:33:14,270 --> 01:33:16,750
delivering pedestrian improvements and green space percentages.

1075
01:33:16,750 --> 01:33:21,310
that Wesleyan claims they're going to provide with this, you know, William Street redevelopment.

1076
01:33:21,790 --> 01:33:25,170
I'm not against redevelopment of site, and I know that pedestrian improvements on William Street

1077
01:33:25,170 --> 01:33:29,890
are sorely needed. I have bike down that street several times and almost pop the tire because of

1078
01:33:29,890 --> 01:33:37,610
how bad the sidewalks are. And the proposed green spaces that would be opened up by any increased density,

1079
01:33:37,750 --> 01:33:42,550
you know, I'm sure those would be great. Services, however, there's no guarantee that those green

1080
01:33:42,550 --> 01:33:49,210
faces would be publicly accessible and these questions aren't really part of the zoning change

1081
01:33:49,210 --> 01:33:49,790
application.

1082
01:33:50,430 --> 01:33:56,230
Their promises that are made as part of this presentation to justify what, you know, show

1083
01:33:56,230 --> 01:34:00,050
what could be done with an ID designation, but they're not any guarantee.

1084
01:34:01,050 --> 01:34:06,470
What the university is essentially asking the commission to do is to give up some of its review

1085
01:34:06,470 --> 01:34:08,830
powers and I don't see why that's necessary.

1086
01:34:10,610 --> 01:34:14,630
at this current stage. If the university were to be making changes that it claims it wants

1087
01:34:14,630 --> 01:34:18,190
to make, it could apply for a special extension of the current zoning, which they've already

1088
01:34:18,190 --> 01:34:22,910
done with previous construction. And I don't think the city should give up its additional

1089
01:34:22,910 --> 01:34:30,350
authority that the DVD zoning gets without any binding commitments. Yeah. And if they decide to do so,

1090
01:34:30,470 --> 01:34:34,430
I would encourage them to place any strong conditions on the approval of any site plan,

1091
01:34:34,850 --> 01:34:38,410
which would require the university to follow through on what they say they're going to do.

1092
01:34:38,410 --> 01:34:44,430
in terms of pedestrian improvements and publicly accessible of green space as well as adding

1093
01:34:44,430 --> 01:34:49,030
requirements for community consultation and encouraging local union hiring, which have been lacking

1094
01:34:49,030 --> 01:34:53,310
in past projects and would go a long way to win the support of middle-time residents, which

1095
01:34:53,310 --> 01:34:58,630
as you see many are not in support of the current project. Since any future construction would be

1096
01:34:58,630 --> 01:34:59,970
as mentioned by W-

1097
01:35:00,000 --> 01:35:08,420
Sents Campus Player. Construction impacts will be extended for any nearby residence, particularly in Travers Square, could be over several years.

1098
01:35:08,920 --> 01:35:11,820
Therefore it's all a more important to get this process right.

1099
01:35:13,260 --> 01:35:17,220
So again I'm encouraging the zoning, commission to reject the proposed change as it is.

1100
01:35:17,500 --> 01:35:24,180
And continue to do so until any binding commitments for community benefits are one essentially.

1101
01:35:24,840 --> 01:35:27,800
And yeah, that's the end of my time, thank you very much for sending through this meeting.

1102
01:35:28,140 --> 01:35:28,660
Thank you.

1103
01:35:33,860 --> 01:35:39,560
Hello, good evening. My name is Saul Fairholt-Con, and I live at 49-Home Avenue in Middletown.

1104
01:35:40,020 --> 01:35:45,460
I'm here today as a rising senior at Wesleyan and as the chair of the Wesleyan Student Government's Community Committee,

1105
01:35:45,620 --> 01:35:49,740
which works to collaborate with the community and to build community on campus as well.

1106
01:35:50,260 --> 01:35:56,040
I'm here today and I want to first start with a lot of appreciation for everyone who has shown up to testify for the commissioners

1107
01:35:56,040 --> 01:36:03,140
for being here and for all your thoughtfulness in this matter and to the Wesleyan staff who have come here to present this proposal and been thoughtful as well.

1108
01:36:03,140 --> 01:36:12,360
But I think this petition falls far short of what is necessary to chart a pathway for equitable development and to repair the town-down relationship that we've heard tonight has

1109
01:36:12,360 --> 01:36:14,160
Frayed pretty significantly

1110
01:36:14,160 --> 01:36:18,760
I live in low rise last year, so I certainly believe that we need new dorms for juniors.

1111
01:36:18,960 --> 01:36:26,220
My opposition is not to building new dorms for juniors, even on this proposed site, but my opposition is to building dorms unjustly.

1112
01:36:27,000 --> 01:36:33,100
And I believe that this rezoning without any binding commitments from the university would put us on a path toward that kind of development

1113
01:36:33,100 --> 01:36:44,180
And so, I'm opposed to a new mega construction project that happens with non-union construction workers who don't have basic safety protections and are not paid prevailing wage for hard and dangerous work.

1114
01:36:44,680 --> 01:36:50,460
I'm opposed to new dorms that come at the expense of our neighbors quality of life and safety and is not made with them in mind.

1115
01:36:50,880 --> 01:37:01,180
I'm opposed to building brand new state-of-the-art dorms for juniors while doing nothing to support the Traverse Families who have lived next door for decades and deserve actual repairs.

1116
01:37:01,180 --> 01:37:04,960
They deserve community services, they deserve community center, they deserve a playground,

1117
01:37:05,460 --> 01:37:11,120
and really to have their needs met as part of this process with Wesleyan's wealth at the table.

1118
01:37:11,440 --> 01:37:16,560
And finally, I'm opposed to Wesleyan missing this moment and this opportunity to reset the relationship,

1119
01:37:16,720 --> 01:37:20,580
particularly with regards to development, with the city and with all of our residents.

1120
01:37:21,080 --> 01:37:25,420
So I'm opposed to this because I believe that the college, I applies you now four years ago, which is crazy.

1121
01:37:25,420 --> 01:37:30,420
I believe that a college that practices practical idealism can show up better, can do better,

1122
01:37:30,640 --> 01:37:34,960
can afford to do better, and really should do better, because we kind of equitable growth,

1123
01:37:35,160 --> 01:37:39,560
but that's not what we have here on the table today, and I hope all the commissioners will take that seriously.

1124
01:37:40,000 --> 01:37:45,320
So I think if Wesleyan were to show up, if this is a hearing that's continued with a rezoning,

1125
01:37:45,520 --> 01:37:50,400
as well as a real and binding commitment, to be a good partner to this city, being a good neighbor,

1126
01:37:50,720 --> 01:37:54,120
to our local community members, this would be a totally different conversation,

1127
01:37:54,120 --> 01:38:02,300
But that means a pre-high or labor agreement that means a community benefits agreement that is finding and substantial and perhaps some voluntary payments to the city of Middletown

1128
01:38:02,300 --> 01:38:05,840
And I agree with what Mr. Murphy said that we should not retreat up the hill

1129
01:38:05,840 --> 01:38:13,200
But when you come down the hill, what you hear is that we can't afford to retreat back to what we've been doing for so many years as an institution as Wesleyan

1130
01:38:13,200 --> 01:38:20,640
Which is not meeting the needs of the surrounding community not caring coming and asking for something from the city and not giving anything substantial in return

1131
01:38:20,640 --> 01:38:29,800
So I encourage the commission to keep this hearing open or to deny it without prejudice and for the university to come back to the table with the rezoning proposal that actually has some binding commitments

1132
01:38:29,800 --> 01:38:37,640
So that we can have local union labor on any project that happens and to give back to the community members right next door. I appreciate your

1133
01:38:37,640 --> 01:38:40,780
Being here tight and having my testimony. Thank you.

1134
01:38:47,440 --> 01:38:49,260
We can move on to Blight 11.

1135
01:38:54,480 --> 01:38:55,840
Hello. Can you hear me all right?

1136
01:38:56,220 --> 01:38:56,420
Yes.

1137
01:38:57,800 --> 01:39:02,600
Hey there, my name is Clyde Lavin. I'm a sophomore at Wesley University. This fall, I'll

1138
01:39:02,600 --> 01:39:06,920
be living at 43 Homeop a new. One of the things that led me here, the reason I was speaking

1139
01:39:06,920 --> 01:39:11,140
to you today, as a student, is the way that Wesley and upholds its history of student engagement

1140
01:39:11,140 --> 01:39:15,660
and involvement. The university is rightly very proud of the leadership and passion in some

1141
01:39:15,660 --> 01:39:19,380
to communicate with each other, and like to champion that. I'll talk about that very publicly.

1142
01:39:20,200 --> 01:39:24,100
But, not yet, we're facing a house in plan that was created without the support or input of

1143
01:39:24,100 --> 01:39:29,240
students as supposed to benefit and without the support or input of the community that it impacts.

1144
01:39:29,800 --> 01:39:34,060
That reality hurts the contrary to the fact that I want to be true, and that I think we all want

1145
01:39:34,060 --> 01:39:38,280
to be true. That wasn't not only encourages its students to invest in their local community,

1146
01:39:38,620 --> 01:39:43,560
but leads by example. As a student, I do not want my presence on campus to be a burden,

1147
01:39:43,760 --> 01:39:48,920
the town I call home for these four years, and so I urge you to vote no today. The university is allowed

1148
01:39:48,920 --> 01:39:53,140
precious little opportunity for those to shape this proposal, and each of those brief opportunities

1149
01:39:53,140 --> 01:39:56,320
has been met with an overwhelming, outpouring of opposition.

1150
01:39:56,900 --> 01:39:59,620
No proposal was such a great and lasting impact should proceed.

1151
01:40:00,000 --> 01:40:16,200
On its support and by no one, community ed effects, except the single institution it serves. This proposal must not continue until it includes a clear and specific commitment, the commitment to union workers, historical and cultural integrity, and to economic investment in the city of Middletown.

1152
01:40:16,900 --> 01:40:25,460
We must demand intentionality from Wesley's full of it. Wesley came to table a few weeks ago and again tonight offering nothing that asking for free reign.

1153
01:40:25,460 --> 01:40:31,920
Beyond the dust, noise, and chaos of the construction pyramid, this decision will impact Milltown for years to come.

1154
01:40:32,700 --> 01:40:39,540
Do not sign a way your oversight on this property and it's then stand with every single voice heard here tonight, and vote no.

1155
01:40:40,080 --> 01:40:41,860
Thank you so much for hearing my comment. Thank you.

1156
01:40:47,880 --> 01:40:49,080
Hello commissioners.

1157
01:40:49,720 --> 01:40:57,500
Thanks for taking the time to hear us all out tonight. My name is Evie Lee. I live at 41 Law and Av and I am a Wesleyan student in the class of 29.

1158
01:40:57,500 --> 01:41:04,380
a member of the United Student Labor Action Coalition and an OPIU local 153 members through the

1159
01:41:04,380 --> 01:41:11,020
Wesleyan Union of Student Employees as a resident advisor or an RA. Today I am asking the

1160
01:41:11,020 --> 01:41:18,980
commission to deny without prejudice petition Z20265. I oppose this proposal, sorry. I oppose

1161
01:41:18,980 --> 01:41:22,760
this proposal because Wesleyan makes no formal commitment to contributing back to middle town.

1162
01:41:22,760 --> 01:41:26,580
As a private institution, Wesleyan takes so much for Middletown and its residents.

1163
01:41:27,720 --> 01:41:31,700
This rezoning could be an opportunity to start improving Wesleyan's relationship with

1164
01:41:31,700 --> 01:41:32,140
Middletown.

1165
01:41:32,580 --> 01:41:37,300
Instead, I believe that this proposal fails to offer a plan for just an equitable development,

1166
01:41:37,780 --> 01:41:41,760
and in order to find a fair manner of rezoning, the Planning and Zoning Commission must force

1167
01:41:41,760 --> 01:41:43,120
the University to the table.

1168
01:41:44,560 --> 01:41:48,220
I urge the Planning and Zoning Commission to only approve rezoning proposals from Wesleyan

1169
01:41:48,220 --> 01:41:53,840
that clearly contain a pre-higher labor agreement and a community benefit agreement with binding commitments.

1170
01:41:54,820 --> 01:42:00,840
I want to focus on Wesleyan's previous claims to have the strong support of students, workers, and community members, but that's false.

1171
01:42:01,280 --> 01:42:07,200
There has been no direct communication from the University about this rezoning proposal, nor the projects they would complete should it be approved.

1172
01:42:08,360 --> 01:42:14,360
We have been on summer break while this proposal has been pushed in a significant portion of the student body still doesn't know that this is happening.

1173
01:42:14,360 --> 01:42:25,240
Still, there are students who agree with our position who are unable to testify due to both the lack of transparency with the student body as well as the fact that most of the student body is not returning to middle town until September.

1174
01:42:26,240 --> 01:42:30,340
We want new residential options and increase accessibility in more green space.

1175
01:42:30,700 --> 01:42:38,560
We simply don't want to live in spaces that were built on the backs of exploited community members and workers and dangerous conditions without union protections.

1176
01:42:39,420 --> 01:42:45,160
Atting on to Brendan's point about the assertivity of terminating a daycare center in 2025,

1177
01:42:46,380 --> 01:42:51,700
not only was the Chavez Square Afterschool's budget cut, the University ruthlessly restricted

1178
01:42:51,700 --> 01:42:54,680
the staff budget of the Jewish Center for Community Partnerships.

1179
01:42:55,160 --> 01:43:00,080
The JCCP is self-described by the University as the home for Community Engagement at Wesleyan.

1180
01:43:00,720 --> 01:43:05,700
From our estimates, the JCCP budget has been restricted to a measly $60,000 this semester.

1181
01:43:05,700 --> 01:43:18,360
That is only 3,541 hours of page, JCCP programming across the entire student body, or a little over an hour of supportive volunteer work for each undergraduate student during the course of the entire semester.

1182
01:43:19,140 --> 01:43:27,000
The university cannot claim to be dedicated to the interests of the middle-town community when our budget for community programming is a mere sliver of our peer institutions.

1183
01:43:27,460 --> 01:43:35,620
It is laughable for the university to ask the middle-town community to trust that they will act in good faith and in the interests of this community if this proposal is approved.

1184
01:43:35,620 --> 01:43:39,680
For these reasons, I strongly urge you to deny without prejudice this petition.

1185
01:43:39,980 --> 01:43:41,320
Thank you for your attention and consideration.

1186
01:43:41,880 --> 01:43:42,520
Thank you.

1187
01:43:48,230 --> 01:43:49,770
Next we move on to Hannah Frank.

1188
01:43:55,030 --> 01:43:56,370
My name is Hannah Frank.

1189
01:43:56,570 --> 01:44:01,130
I am a rising senior at West Indian University, living at 35 fossil drive.

1190
01:44:01,730 --> 01:44:04,190
I will be speaking against the proposed zoning.

1191
01:44:05,010 --> 01:44:07,690
I have worked at Traverse Square since my freshman year.

1192
01:44:07,870 --> 01:44:11,770
It is holy through this program that I first began to know Middle Town,

1193
01:44:11,770 --> 01:44:18,310
because Western University itself does not prioritize encouraging students to explore the community they live in.

1194
01:44:19,770 --> 01:44:24,270
I am here today because I am disturbed by the imbalance relationship between my university

1195
01:44:24,270 --> 01:44:29,990
and the middle-time community we depend on, and it is this that I will focus on in my comments.

1196
01:44:30,490 --> 01:44:35,730
It is a disgrace that a well-resourced institution such as Wesleyan invests so little in the community

1197
01:44:35,730 --> 01:44:42,490
but lies upon. We rely on your public services, thereby reducing the funds available to this.

1198
01:44:42,630 --> 01:44:48,050
Sorry. We rely on your public services while paying new taxes. We rely on your hospitality while buying

1199
01:44:48,050 --> 01:44:55,110
valuable property, thereby reducing the funds available to the city. It is necessary and long overdue for

1200
01:44:55,110 --> 01:44:59,970
to invest in middle town as so many other schools do to do.

1201
01:45:00,000 --> 01:45:28,940
Better in upholding our end of what should be a partnership. Among Wesleyan students, I have found this belief to be widely shared. Unfortunately, what Wesleyan students want does not appear to be something the university leadership cares about. Our values, our priorities, are not something the university considers when deciding what good growth looks like. Trust is earned. Wesleyan has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of consideration or care for the well-being of middle town.

1202
01:45:28,940 --> 01:45:35,820
I am very worried about how this would exacerbate the insisting inequities I have encountered over the last few years.

1203
01:45:36,220 --> 01:45:46,440
The overwhelming opposition expressed in testimony two weeks ago and tonight demonstrates the disconnect between Wesleyan leadership and the community it exists in.

1204
01:45:46,740 --> 01:45:50,100
Wesleyan cannot be relied upon to use discretion responsibly.

1205
01:45:50,640 --> 01:45:56,080
And so I urge you to deny without prejudice petition 2200265.

1206
01:45:56,420 --> 01:45:56,800
Thank you.

1207
01:45:57,100 --> 01:45:57,500
Thank you.

1208
01:46:02,500 --> 01:46:04,280
Hello, my name is Coco Rolly.

1209
01:46:05,120 --> 01:46:07,880
I'm a current resident, was the student a sophomore,

1210
01:46:08,480 --> 01:46:11,300
and I live at 185 High Street here in middle town.

1211
01:46:12,060 --> 01:46:14,980
I was here actually at the last hearing in July,

1212
01:46:15,060 --> 01:46:16,600
and I did not testify before,

1213
01:46:17,460 --> 01:46:21,060
but now I think I've learned a lot more about the ramifications of this proposal

1214
01:46:21,060 --> 01:46:25,100
and also after speaking directly to residents of this surrounding area

1215
01:46:25,100 --> 01:46:26,300
and Traverse Square.

1216
01:46:26,480 --> 01:46:31,360
I'm asking the commission to vote no on the proposed rezoning of Church High and William Street.

1217
01:46:31,360 --> 01:46:37,580
So, we're here today to discuss Wesleyan's proposed rezoning of 11 acres of downtown

1218
01:46:37,580 --> 01:46:42,740
Middletown from the DVD designation to the ID, institutional development designation,

1219
01:46:43,060 --> 01:46:45,780
so it can demolish, high-rise, and low-rise, possibly.

1220
01:46:46,580 --> 01:46:50,600
And get the permanent right to build a huge dorm up to 75 feet tall.

1221
01:46:51,260 --> 01:46:56,940
But let's not forget that this exact proposal was postponed on July 22nd due to the sheer

1222
01:46:56,940 --> 01:46:59,300
amount of people against this change.

1223
01:46:59,300 --> 01:47:01,820
from even from Wesleyan students during a time

1224
01:47:01,820 --> 01:47:04,240
when 90% of the student body is not on campus.

1225
01:47:05,140 --> 01:47:08,180
And middle town residents and members of the historical society.

1226
01:47:08,880 --> 01:47:12,040
And here we are in August and nothing has been changed

1227
01:47:12,040 --> 01:47:14,340
about the original proposal since.

1228
01:47:15,540 --> 01:47:17,120
Okay, so what's the problem?

1229
01:47:17,760 --> 01:47:20,220
The problem is a reclassification of this area

1230
01:47:20,220 --> 01:47:22,860
would allow Wesleyan the freedom to do what they wish

1231
01:47:22,860 --> 01:47:24,580
with the newly designated land

1232
01:47:24,580 --> 01:47:27,220
without having to actually take into account the effect

1233
01:47:27,220 --> 01:47:28,380
of the surrounding area.

1234
01:47:28,940 --> 01:47:34,320
Despite what Wesleyan is saying, this could actually conflict with the state of goal of the

1235
01:47:34,320 --> 01:47:38,800
P.O.C.D. in considering the design relationship and compatibility of the structure's

1236
01:47:38,800 --> 01:47:42,040
planting signs, roadways, hardware, and other objects in plain view.

1237
01:47:42,420 --> 01:47:46,300
Something that they said that they were going directly through.

1238
01:47:47,060 --> 01:47:50,980
And even more importantly, there's a sheer lack of community input in this proposal.

1239
01:47:51,760 --> 01:47:55,660
The local middle town community that this would affect deserves to have a robust, clear,

1240
01:47:55,660 --> 01:47:59,540
and easy to access channel to provide input on this proposal.

1241
01:48:00,400 --> 01:48:05,400
They have to live with this permanent zoning decision and all of its ramifications for the next coming years.

1242
01:48:06,280 --> 01:48:13,640
And specifically, Traverse Square residents would have to live next to noisy, obtrusive construction for years with no protections or benefits.

1243
01:48:14,200 --> 01:48:18,780
These people have a unique stake in the outcome of this proposal and their input should be considered.

1244
01:48:18,780 --> 01:48:24,040
But personally, a lot of residents have told me that they had no idea about the post-resonation.

1245
01:48:24,800 --> 01:48:29,760
And when we're alerted about it, we're rightfully concerned about it as zoning change would permit

1246
01:48:29,760 --> 01:48:36,060
a build which would infringe on their quality of life for many years to come, whether that's light, access to roads,

1247
01:48:36,420 --> 01:48:40,040
or even aesthetics, and as many people have talked about hazardous dust.

1248
01:48:41,640 --> 01:48:47,040
So overall, personally, as a Wesleyan student, I do not see this rezoning as necessary in any way.

1249
01:48:47,040 --> 01:48:50,780
And I think that it's instead a significant overstep on Wesleyan's part.

1250
01:48:51,500 --> 01:48:56,780
Approving this rezoning will only improve, remove, necessary oversight under DVD guidelines

1251
01:48:56,780 --> 01:49:01,740
that serves to bring Wesleyan to the table to receive and implement feedback from the community,

1252
01:49:02,320 --> 01:49:05,320
including especially those most directly harmed by these actions,

1253
01:49:05,920 --> 01:49:08,720
which is a decision I see very serious problems with.

1254
01:49:09,460 --> 01:49:14,840
Therefore, I am asking that the Commission vote no on Wesleyan's rezoning of Church High and Williams Treats.

1255
01:49:15,020 --> 01:49:15,480
Thank you.

1256
01:49:15,480 --> 01:49:16,660
Thank you.

1257
01:49:22,830 --> 01:49:39,290
Before we move on to the next online speaker, I just want to remind anybody online if you want to participate in this public hearing. Please use the raised hand function on the WebEx platform or if you're dialing in press star 3 and it will recognize you as wanting to speak. Next we're going to move on to Casey Dunning, Sarah.

1258
01:49:39,290 --> 01:49:39,870
Thanks,

1259
01:49:44,440 --> 01:49:53,300
y'all hear me? Yes. My name is Casey Dunning's story. I'm a student at Wesleyan going into my junior year and

1260
01:49:53,300 --> 01:49:59,980
Last semester, I was the chair of the undergraduate Residential Life Committee on the Wesleyan Student Assembly as the chair

1261
01:50:00,000 --> 01:50:09,720
Chair of the URLC. I feel that I'm qualified to speak to the weather administrations character and their decision making with these kinds of decisions.

1262
01:50:10,580 --> 01:50:21,300
I will not believe that the eloquent points that others have made tonight, but I'd like to say that being in the room when many of these huge residential life decisions are made.

1263
01:50:21,300 --> 01:50:27,760
I can say that Wesleyan very often does not consider the needs of students' faculty and

1264
01:50:27,760 --> 01:50:30,500
definitely not know time residents when making this big decisions.

1265
01:50:31,460 --> 01:50:35,400
Their commitment is to their bottom line, the growth of their endowment, and an abstract

1266
01:50:35,400 --> 01:50:40,340
populace of future students' 20 years down the line, who they can court through putting just

1267
01:50:40,340 --> 01:50:42,340
enough on their website to attract them.

1268
01:50:42,740 --> 01:50:44,400
Please keep your leverage over Wesleyan.

1269
01:50:45,080 --> 01:50:49,980
Please reject us for proposal and please require Wesleyan to come back with binding community

1270
01:50:49,980 --> 01:50:53,800
community benefits agreements for middle time. Thank you very much.

1271
01:50:54,900 --> 01:50:55,260
Thank

1272
01:51:01,280 --> 01:51:05,160
you. Good evening. My name is Uma Sundaram. I live at 49-Brennan Avenue.

1273
01:51:06,160 --> 01:51:09,720
As a Wesleyan Senior and chair of the Wesleyan Student Assembly is Equity and Inclusion Committee.

1274
01:51:10,280 --> 01:51:14,200
I appreciate everyone's input here today and want to draw our attention to the inequity and

1275
01:51:14,200 --> 01:51:16,420
body in the proposal before the committee today.

1276
01:51:17,000 --> 01:51:19,980
As someone who lived in high rise last year, I don't think it's any secret that

1277
01:51:19,980 --> 01:51:23,140
junior and deputy needs renovation, but I think we should do it the right way.

1278
01:51:24,020 --> 01:51:27,480
When I think about how this rezoning and redevelopment would affect the surrounding community,

1279
01:51:27,740 --> 01:51:30,820
I'm thinking especially of our neighbors in the Traverse Square community, who share

1280
01:51:30,820 --> 01:51:32,560
church and William Street with high rise in low rise.

1281
01:51:33,300 --> 01:51:35,900
Traverse Square residents, most of whom are working class families,

1282
01:51:36,380 --> 01:51:39,540
deserves substantial protections from the disruptions posed by the demolition,

1283
01:51:41,000 --> 01:51:44,620
such as construction, air pollution, noise pollution, and much more.

1284
01:51:45,400 --> 01:51:48,600
Additionally, Traverse Square residents deserve a seat at the table when it comes to

1285
01:51:48,600 --> 01:51:52,320
planning of this redevelopment, and they deserve a binding community benefit agreement.

1286
01:51:52,320 --> 01:51:54,900
not on the line, but now.

1287
01:51:55,960 --> 01:51:57,900
The faculty of the university has not spent

1288
01:51:57,900 --> 01:51:59,440
stepped up with a more significant

1289
01:51:59,440 --> 01:52:01,420
investments in lower income communities as a

1290
01:52:01,420 --> 01:52:02,660
wrong that should be corrected in this

1291
01:52:02,660 --> 01:52:03,680
development process.

1292
01:52:04,640 --> 01:52:07,180
What happens in the case of the case of this

1293
01:52:07,180 --> 01:52:08,860
rezoning, which is rezoning without community

1294
01:52:08,860 --> 01:52:10,420
but a community benefit agreement or

1295
01:52:10,420 --> 01:52:12,480
labor agreements, is unfair treatment a

1296
01:52:12,480 --> 01:52:14,180
disregard for people and a missed opportunity

1297
01:52:14,180 --> 01:52:15,580
to repair the relationship between

1298
01:52:15,580 --> 01:52:16,840
Wesleyan and middle-time residents.

1299
01:52:17,880 --> 01:52:19,980
There's a deep injustice we all see growing

1300
01:52:19,980 --> 01:52:23,880
as college students next to young people who have less of a chance at a fair shot because

1301
01:52:23,880 --> 01:52:27,760
our university has refused to step up in their arts of education, early child education,

1302
01:52:28,060 --> 01:52:32,660
etc. Wesleyan relies on the city of Middletown and as a part of the city, but does not

1303
01:52:32,660 --> 01:52:36,320
do its fair share to support our neighbors who deserve a beautiful and safe place to live

1304
01:52:36,320 --> 01:52:40,360
too. Because of this, I asked that Wesleyan comes back with some sort of binding community

1305
01:52:40,360 --> 01:52:43,560
benefits and labor agreement and that the commission can use this hearing or denies

1306
01:52:43,560 --> 01:52:46,560
with that prejudice until then. Thank you. Thank you.

1307
01:52:54,310 --> 01:52:57,250
One hand still raised Yale. Did you want

1308
01:52:57,250 --> 01:52:59,610
to speak again? Or is that left over?

1309
01:53:07,890 --> 01:53:10,970
Hi, my name is Trevor Brooks and I live at 227 Pine

1310
01:53:10,970 --> 01:53:17,030
Street in Middle Town. I'm an incoming senior at Wesleyan. As a student work I'm also a member

1311
01:53:17,030 --> 01:53:23,310
of OPEIU Local 153. I'm testifying to ask the commission to deny without prejudice.

1312
01:53:28,310 --> 01:53:28,830
Wesleyan's

1313
01:53:28,830 --> 01:53:33,710
This proposal was made in the middle of the summer when students were away, when the

1314
01:53:33,710 --> 01:53:38,610
Wesleyan expected as little scrutiny as possible, and yet look at how many of us are still

1315
01:53:38,610 --> 01:53:38,910
here.

1316
01:53:38,990 --> 01:53:43,030
Students have not yet returned, the majority of them have not, and yet we're still here.

1317
01:53:44,950 --> 01:53:48,970
We're here because, as many of us have said, we do not want to live in dorms that were built

1318
01:53:48,970 --> 01:53:53,310
on the backs of exploited community members and workers and dangerous conditions without

1319
01:53:53,310 --> 01:53:54,150
union protections.

1320
01:53:55,670 --> 01:53:57,590
We're also here because this is being done in our name.

1321
01:53:58,350 --> 01:54:02,110
The presentation does not cite meaningful community benefits.

1322
01:54:02,930 --> 01:54:07,210
There's no payment in lieu of taxes and even the benefits they do cite like the green space.

1323
01:54:07,590 --> 01:54:13,910
Our benefits that would be really going to Wesleyan students and where access of the community would be quite limited.

1324
01:54:15,690 --> 01:54:21,250
And it's true that we would like better dorms, we would like updates and renovations and new construction.

1325
01:54:22,830 --> 01:54:26,070
As Wesleyan students, that would benefit us but we don't want it to be done this way.

1326
01:54:27,370 --> 01:54:30,870
We're also here because we know this institution well.

1327
01:54:31,390 --> 01:54:32,690
We know how Wesleyan operates.

1328
01:54:33,910 --> 01:54:36,350
I'm here in part because I saw how Wesleyan treated

1329
01:54:36,350 --> 01:54:38,870
due at Center for Community Partnerships in the Traverse Square

1330
01:54:38,870 --> 01:54:39,730
after school program.

1331
01:54:39,870 --> 01:54:42,450
That was a decision that was also made in the middle of the summer

1332
01:54:42,450 --> 01:54:45,370
without student input without community input

1333
01:54:45,370 --> 01:54:48,230
to severely restrict funding for that

1334
01:54:48,230 --> 01:54:51,630
as part of a long tradition of Wesleyan restricting funding

1335
01:54:51,630 --> 01:54:53,790
for community partnerships with middle town.

1336
01:54:55,010 --> 01:54:59,970
And the fact that Wesleyan is asking for a zoning change that would as previous speakers have mentioned mean

1337
01:55:00,000 --> 01:55:06,240
The future construction only requires advisory approval is quite worrying, because we know how

1338
01:55:06,240 --> 01:55:11,560
Wesleyan operates when they don't need to listen to other people. They just do whatever they

1339
01:55:11,560 --> 01:55:16,420
want, whatever will grow their endowment, whatever will provide something good to put on their

1340
01:55:16,420 --> 01:55:17,760
website for future students.

1341
01:55:20,470 --> 01:55:24,150
And we believe there is a way that a new construction project

1342
01:55:24,150 --> 01:55:29,630
could benefit the community, but that is if it comes with binding commitments to the community,

1343
01:55:29,630 --> 01:55:36,510
So that we're not just going on advisory approval, that would look like a union labor agreement,

1344
01:55:36,990 --> 01:55:40,670
a community benefits agreement, payments and move taxes, these sorts of proposals.

1345
01:55:41,810 --> 01:55:43,830
And so that's what we're asking for.

1346
01:55:44,190 --> 01:55:44,630
Thank you.

1347
01:55:44,730 --> 01:55:45,370
Thank you.

1348
01:55:54,700 --> 01:55:55,720
Good evening everyone.

1349
01:55:55,900 --> 01:56:01,460
My name is Amber Shaw and I'm a rising sophomore at Wesleyan who lives at 43 home Avenue.

1350
01:56:02,020 --> 01:56:07,760
I'm a member of the United Student Labor Action Coalition and a tutor for the Traverse Square after school program.

1351
01:56:07,760 --> 01:56:14,300
As the commission to deny without prejudice, Wilson to propose rezoning of church, high and

1352
01:56:14,300 --> 01:56:17,040
William streets, and or to continue this hearing.

1353
01:56:17,840 --> 01:56:22,420
We all know that the proposal wants to give Wesley and the permanent right to build buildings

1354
01:56:22,420 --> 01:56:28,520
in 11 acres of historic middle town with no accountability and commitment for middle town residents.

1355
01:56:29,460 --> 01:56:34,720
As a tutor with the Traverse after school program, I deeply believe that Wilson must do more to

1356
01:56:34,720 --> 01:56:38,100
into consideration the needs of middle town residents.

1357
01:56:38,920 --> 01:56:43,860
The families in Trevor Square do not deserve to live next to construction for years to

1358
01:56:43,860 --> 01:56:46,320
come with no protections nor benefits.

1359
01:56:47,460 --> 01:56:52,960
During the after school program, we often have activities of the children outdoors, but with

1360
01:56:52,960 --> 01:56:58,580
all this construction right at their doorstep, it will be difficult to do so safely and will be

1361
01:56:58,580 --> 01:57:00,500
disruptive to their day-to-day lives.

1362
01:57:00,500 --> 01:57:11,220
Hence, I believe that we do not need this rezoning and the local community deserves guaranteed benefits and protections to have their needs met throughout this process.

1363
01:57:11,760 --> 01:57:21,820
Furthermore, there must be a pre-hire labor agreement and shirt so that local workers who are unionized are hired and can work in safe working conditions.

1364
01:57:22,640 --> 01:57:29,880
I hope that the planning and zoning commission hears the immense opposition towards this rezoning plan and denies this plan without prejudice.

1365
01:57:29,880 --> 01:57:32,280
Thank you for listening, thank you.

1366
01:57:37,220 --> 01:57:37,860
Anyone online?

1367
01:57:40,120 --> 01:57:41,060
Good day, because of commission.

1368
01:57:41,680 --> 01:57:42,500
I hope you're doing well.

1369
01:57:42,620 --> 01:57:43,600
My name is Luca de Gruma.

1370
01:57:44,020 --> 01:57:48,780
I live on 43 home Avenue, and I'm a Wesleyan student, as you might expect.

1371
01:57:49,180 --> 01:57:51,420
But I'm also a member of the United Student Labor Action Coalition.

1372
01:57:51,820 --> 01:57:53,560
I'm an open up OBIU, look 1, 5, 3.

1373
01:57:53,580 --> 01:57:58,140
Your new member, and I'm a student worker at Wesleyan University's residential life department.

1374
01:57:58,660 --> 01:58:00,700
Where we work with students, we foster community.

1375
01:58:02,100 --> 01:58:05,500
And we help support them when the dorm floods or something.

1376
01:58:06,400 --> 01:58:13,200
So, I'm here to ask you to vote no on this proposed rezoning without prejudice to ensure

1377
01:58:13,200 --> 01:58:17,840
that this development will not only move forward when Wesleyan has made clear commitments

1378
01:58:17,840 --> 01:58:21,800
to keep it in the public interest and aligned in the public interest.

1379
01:58:22,320 --> 01:58:26,300
And I want to take a step back because we're here really late in this meeting and I know

1380
01:58:26,300 --> 01:58:30,180
it's going to go on later, but we have to understand why is this a hard decision right now

1381
01:58:30,180 --> 01:58:31,900
because it really shouldn't be.

1382
01:58:32,140 --> 01:58:32,560
But why?

1383
01:58:33,200 --> 01:58:35,600
Why are you guys being placed in the situation

1384
01:58:36,160 --> 01:58:38,620
where you've got dozens, if not hundreds,

1385
01:58:38,880 --> 01:58:40,200
of community members saying no?

1386
01:58:40,600 --> 01:58:42,640
When you want to find a way to a yes,

1387
01:58:42,840 --> 01:58:44,320
I mean, I've been on that side of the table,

1388
01:58:44,880 --> 01:58:46,220
but they're not really getting you that much.

1389
01:58:46,340 --> 01:58:48,740
So let's go walk us through that question.

1390
01:58:50,000 --> 01:58:52,040
First, I want to clarify the shared stance

1391
01:58:52,040 --> 01:58:54,320
of many of the folks in the through my can't speak for everyone,

1392
01:58:54,400 --> 01:58:55,920
but I want to clarify my stance.

1393
01:58:56,520 --> 01:58:59,140
Are we on principle opposed to a development proposal?

1394
01:58:59,140 --> 01:59:05,000
No, do we think it's impossible for the university co-exist with the city? Of course not.

1395
01:59:05,780 --> 01:59:09,800
Do we think it's impossible for development to be equitable or fair? No.

1396
01:59:10,780 --> 01:59:15,760
So what's going on? Simply put, I think you all have been put in a pretty difficult situation,

1397
01:59:16,360 --> 01:59:21,300
because what they're saying essentially is if they don't get what they want right now, they will walk away.

1398
01:59:22,020 --> 01:59:28,140
or they will implement it, worse, denser in a way that isn't compatible with the city.

1399
01:59:28,780 --> 01:59:34,220
Even though that's actually not possible considering this zoning review that standards that we have right in here,

1400
01:59:34,940 --> 01:59:39,060
this village district, they're basically just giving you all a bunch of threats.

1401
01:59:39,900 --> 01:59:44,460
At the same time last week, or a few weeks ago, they showed you a lot of renderings.

1402
01:59:44,720 --> 01:59:48,340
I don't see now, we did not see it here today, but they gave you a lot of renderings,

1403
01:59:48,340 --> 01:59:51,140
but what this street would look like if you had all this money.

1404
01:59:51,560 --> 01:59:54,580
Imagine four million dollars at the city could just have, right?

1405
01:59:54,780 --> 01:59:56,300
I mean, there's been all these budget deficits,

1406
01:59:57,000 --> 01:59:59,160
there's been all this, you know, these budget cutters

1407
01:59:59,160 --> 01:59:59,980
and staff cuts.

1408
02:00:00,000 --> 02:00:25,300
In the city, you have to scramble for money from the state. Well, what have we all this money? Well, we've got this really great private university coming in. But maybe the question is, the issue is that the city hasn't got enough money to determine what's in the city's best interest, and they're coming in saying, well, what's in our best interest is in your best interest, but clearly that's not the case, because the city doesn't have the money, because Wesleyan's been taking the money and hoarding the money.

1409
02:00:26,960 --> 02:00:32,740
So, as proposed, this rezoning will strip away the city's meaningful ability to influence

1410
02:00:32,740 --> 02:00:36,340
this development, and ensure that it's aligned with our plan for conservation and development.

1411
02:00:37,240 --> 02:00:39,160
Now, right now, they're trying to talk about design review.

1412
02:00:39,300 --> 02:00:42,620
We're going to have design review later on, but fundamentally this is not about design review.

1413
02:00:42,980 --> 02:00:46,580
It's about what this project is going to entail in a comprehensive manner, what's it

1414
02:00:46,580 --> 02:00:49,160
going to do for our tax base, what's it going to do for the residents, what's it going to

1415
02:00:49,160 --> 02:00:53,820
do for the workers, what's it going to do for the students, it's not about a facade, it's

1416
02:00:53,820 --> 02:01:04,720
not. But that's not what we're here to talk about. I don't care about a facade. You know, what we care about is having a seat at the table. And that's what you have right here. You're sitting here.

1417
02:01:04,900 --> 02:01:08,900
They have to come up to you. They're not going to send you a survey like they do to us.

1418
02:01:09,160 --> 02:01:14,740
Or you fill out a survey, you register your opinion. Passively, you don't have a conversation. You don't have a given take.

1419
02:01:14,860 --> 02:01:17,580
But that's what this is supposed to be about. It's supposed to be like given take.

1420
02:01:18,460 --> 02:01:22,680
So, we want a seat at the table, we want the community to have a seat at the table, we want

1421
02:01:22,680 --> 02:01:25,060
the people who's going to work the job to have a seat at the table.

1422
02:01:25,820 --> 02:01:30,000
But right now, that's not going to be the case if we move forward as planned, as proposed.

1423
02:01:30,460 --> 02:01:30,800
One minute.

1424
02:01:31,660 --> 02:01:32,100
Oh, wow.

1425
02:01:32,640 --> 02:01:36,160
So, what we're proposing, what we're asking is a pre-hire labor agreement, that's called

1426
02:01:36,160 --> 02:01:37,180
Project Labor Agreement.

1427
02:01:37,500 --> 02:01:44,700
I know many of you are working with it, so we don't have fly on the road, contractors from

1428
02:01:44,700 --> 02:01:49,680
a state coming in paying people misclassified wages, not having any paystubs, not paying taxes

1429
02:01:49,680 --> 02:01:55,440
to the city or state, and having one of workers who are going to use need social services

1430
02:01:55,440 --> 02:01:59,340
from the city from middle towns taxpayers that are paying to the state to pay for Medicaid

1431
02:01:59,340 --> 02:02:03,800
to pay for their health visits, to their emergency view and visits, emergency room visit

1432
02:02:03,800 --> 02:02:05,860
when they get her on the job on the campus.

1433
02:02:06,460 --> 02:02:13,160
And we're also asking for real benefits from the proper square in the city because people who

1434
02:02:13,160 --> 02:02:18,680
have to suffer through construction should have some meaningful stake in a project if they're

1435
02:02:18,680 --> 02:02:22,920
going to want to support it. So what we're essentially saying is now is not the time.

1436
02:02:23,280 --> 02:02:28,820
We're not ready. They're clearly not ready. They don't even have a plan. But we believe in

1437
02:02:28,820 --> 02:02:32,880
this vision. We believe it's possible to have a vision that is good, that is just as equitable,

1438
02:02:33,440 --> 02:02:37,140
that's fair to the city. And we're saying that's not the plan that we have right now.

1439
02:02:37,240 --> 02:02:42,780
So you can reject this proposal. You can continue it. This is a legislative act. You have a

1440
02:02:42,780 --> 02:02:47,280
on a discretion, you've got a long list of reasons why you can vote no, and we've just

1441
02:02:47,280 --> 02:02:51,880
given you a ton, and you have a ton in the letters you've received in the testimony, and

1442
02:02:51,880 --> 02:02:58,180
I'm sure you've got good lawyers to tell you why you can say no, too. But we just think, listen,

1443
02:02:58,500 --> 02:03:03,480
you can say no, and that doesn't mean that you're not going to have a project that can work

1444
02:03:03,480 --> 02:03:08,580
for us as students, that can work for the university, that can work for the city, and the

1445
02:03:08,580 --> 02:03:13,620
residents in the community that can preserve what's really great about William Street and make it better.

1446
02:03:14,020 --> 02:03:21,540
But right now, it's essentially giving up the cities any say in the meaningful investments that are going to happen.

1447
02:03:23,220 --> 02:03:27,340
And it's going to essentially say that this should just be in the private interest.

1448
02:03:28,000 --> 02:03:30,980
And that Wesleyan should be able to unilaterally move forward.

1449
02:03:31,420 --> 02:03:33,040
Completely change a skill with its plan.

1450
02:03:33,180 --> 02:03:34,440
Maybe it's not 4 million dollars.

1451
02:03:34,580 --> 02:03:35,120
Maybe it's 2.

1452
02:03:35,220 --> 02:03:35,980
Maybe it's 1.5.

1453
02:03:36,020 --> 02:03:36,560
Maybe it's 50.

1454
02:03:37,760 --> 02:03:44,280
We can't say right now because they can't make any commitments to us and they won't sign anything

1455
02:03:44,280 --> 02:03:48,820
They won't even say anything and they're going to say we can't make these decisions right now

1456
02:03:48,820 --> 02:03:51,680
That's not true. You could have met with us. You could have emailed with us

1457
02:03:51,680 --> 02:03:55,700
They could have emailed any of them before they did this before in the science center

1458
02:03:56,200 --> 02:04:01,680
They tried a bunch of local union leaders tried to meet with them. They said no. They won't talk about it

1459
02:04:01,680 --> 02:04:04,060
They said yeah, we're going to make sure people are going to be paid at living wages

1460
02:04:04,720 --> 02:04:05,120
well

1461
02:04:05,880 --> 02:04:11,400
where are those face steps. They don't know. They have no idea because they never even met the people.

1462
02:04:11,600 --> 02:04:15,480
They don't know who the subcontractors were. They don't even know who were up, who was on the job.

1463
02:04:16,660 --> 02:04:20,960
There's so much we don't know yet about this project, so it's too early. That's all my statement.

1464
02:04:21,180 --> 02:04:24,640
I've been rambling. I appreciate your time. I know you guys have seen a lot of proposals.

1465
02:04:24,940 --> 02:04:28,720
A lot of different type of proposals, but right now the weight of this proposal is unique.

1466
02:04:29,000 --> 02:04:33,860
And I think you got to consider that because this is a university that has a lot of power over the city.

1467
02:04:33,860 --> 02:04:39,100
Not just like every ordinary retail show no homeowner or developer, someone who's trying

1468
02:04:39,100 --> 02:04:42,380
to make an adjustment on their home, people don't like it, the neighbors don't like

1469
02:04:42,380 --> 02:04:42,720
it.

1470
02:04:42,760 --> 02:04:44,000
This is something that's really bigger.

1471
02:04:44,160 --> 02:04:47,700
It's about the balance of power between the city of Middletown, the residents, the voters

1472
02:04:47,700 --> 02:04:52,940
of Middletown, and a private university that's completely unaccountable, and is removed from

1473
02:04:52,940 --> 02:04:57,520
the democratic processes that should govern the public interest and public development

1474
02:04:57,520 --> 02:04:58,300
in the city of Middletown.

1475
02:04:58,300 --> 02:04:59,980
So that's why I asked you to vote now. Thank you.

1476
02:05:00,000 --> 02:05:00,920
Thank you.

1477
02:05:13,350 --> 02:05:15,050
Thanks, Johnson. Did you want to come back up?

1478
02:05:17,010 --> 02:05:36,120
Thank you. Catherine Johnson, one six-one college street. Just to conclude, I was talking about how scale between academic buildings and the residential buildings is important. There needs to be a transition.

1479
02:05:37,140 --> 02:05:44,600
And we have that protection now of the DVD and not with the institutional development code.

1480
02:05:47,700 --> 02:05:52,240
There is space in that block to put some compatible housing.

1481
02:05:53,860 --> 02:05:57,640
The ideal is when new buildings fit in seamlessly.

1482
02:05:58,660 --> 02:06:03,860
You know, Wesleyan did one very nice building on Pine Street, the dance studio,

1483
02:06:03,860 --> 02:06:11,780
it's pale blue. It fits in, it looks like it could be someone's house. It could be a little

1484
02:06:11,780 --> 02:06:19,660
taller in fact. If you want to put buildings in the interior of this block, do it, but do it in

1485
02:06:19,660 --> 02:06:27,400
the traditional pattern, make a street. Make buildings that would be found behind the larger buildings

1486
02:06:27,400 --> 02:06:35,140
on the main streets, row houses, carriage houses, three and four unit apartment houses.

1487
02:06:36,420 --> 02:06:44,720
In fact, I'd be thrilled to see a plan for parking lot be that's behind the Bailey house

1488
02:06:44,720 --> 02:06:46,860
on the corner of high and William.

1489
02:06:48,340 --> 02:06:53,880
You could put in a collective house in that space, and it would fit in with the four buildings

1490
02:06:53,880 --> 02:07:02,880
and the buildings on high. I want to see those kinds of plants, not these ghosty,

1491
02:07:03,640 --> 02:07:08,220
five-story spaceships that are landed.

1492
02:07:10,670 --> 02:07:13,290
Let's talk about design review before I go.

1493
02:07:14,370 --> 02:07:23,810
That science building went to design review three times, and design review, they couldn't say anything.

1494
02:07:23,810 --> 02:07:31,910
it was dreadful. They weren't going to ask them back a four time. They were just tired. There's

1495
02:07:31,910 --> 02:07:39,930
no real input. Also, my understanding that was that all buildings on the campus had to be made

1496
02:07:39,930 --> 02:07:46,900
of brown stone, but the quarries closed, so you can use brick. Why that building was it clad with

1497
02:07:46,900 --> 02:07:52,000
You know, limestone-looking panels, you know, that's a question.

1498
02:07:52,980 --> 02:07:54,840
Let's talk about 56 hamlin.

1499
02:07:55,800 --> 02:07:57,280
That one to design review.

1500
02:07:58,120 --> 02:08:02,020
The design review board said, please make that building

1501
02:08:02,020 --> 02:08:06,660
the exhibition hall match the existing one on hamlin.

1502
02:08:08,440 --> 02:08:11,300
They built a garage covered with cookie sheets.

1503
02:08:11,300 --> 02:08:20,900
So, there's a promise, but there's no actual input and there's no refinement.

1504
02:08:22,480 --> 02:08:27,600
And last, I want to talk about making something green, like making a lawn.

1505
02:08:28,660 --> 02:08:32,940
There's a perception that grass or a park is magic.

1506
02:08:32,940 --> 02:08:40,080
It's not beautifully explained in a book called Death and Life of Great American Cities.

1507
02:08:40,440 --> 02:08:48,560
Jane Jacobs says, parks have to be infrequent in order to be popular.

1508
02:08:49,800 --> 02:08:57,600
And when we saw a graphic last time, we see college row, the quadrangle, then they want

1509
02:08:57,600 --> 02:09:05,280
put a green down volumes and to church block, and then there's travel square, and then

1510
02:09:05,280 --> 02:09:11,800
there's the, there's South Green. There's no hierarchy there. It's not special.

1511
02:09:13,960 --> 02:09:14,660
The correct

1512
02:09:14,660 --> 02:09:23,680
treatment of this entire area is to have continuous street trees to keep the backyards

1513
02:09:23,680 --> 02:09:34,520
private and if you really want to build on low rise and then high rise can have a decision

1514
02:09:34,520 --> 02:09:43,880
made about it with the street, nice to see that. But a big, a little patch of grass for some

1515
02:09:43,880 --> 02:09:49,940
driver's square kids, that's not going to work. Someone said it beautifully, you have private

1516
02:09:49,940 --> 02:09:58,980
space and you have to be chaperoned. That's not what a public space is. So, Wesley needs an

1517
02:09:58,980 --> 02:09:59,960
urban design at your kit.

1518
02:10:01,780 --> 02:10:07,740
Medellities to stand up for itself. I'd love to be part of a conversation.

1519
02:10:09,140 --> 02:10:11,920
Will you sending your comments to and land use?

1520
02:10:12,260 --> 02:10:14,600
Carine Malardo. Thank you.

1521
02:10:14,980 --> 02:10:15,560
Thank you.

1522
02:10:22,310 --> 02:10:24,710
There are any other comments or questions from the public?

1523
02:10:28,370 --> 02:10:29,090
Any from the commission?

1524
02:10:33,980 --> 02:10:34,840
Mr. Dr. Kazakasko.

1525
02:10:35,180 --> 02:10:41,000
I just for the record, there's a few letters that were supplied to you on the dias.

1526
02:10:41,000 --> 02:10:47,680
One of which is a letter of support from the middle six chamber of commerce.

1527
02:10:48,140 --> 02:10:57,000
Another one is a letter of support from Levi Shectman of 132 Church Street.

1528
02:10:57,720 --> 02:11:05,080
And there's a letter in opposition by Rowan, who spoke earlier today, I think he read from the letter.

1529
02:11:05,080 --> 02:11:13,740
And nine letters, kind of a form letter in opposition to the proposal.

1530
02:11:14,460 --> 02:11:16,460
So I'll just add those as part of public testimony.

1531
02:11:16,580 --> 02:11:20,080
If you want them read, we can read them, otherwise they're there for your review.

1532
02:11:20,380 --> 02:11:21,540
Thank you.

1533
02:11:22,100 --> 02:11:26,240
And I'm assuming everyone on the day has reviewed them.

1534
02:11:26,560 --> 02:11:28,080
Any other comments from the commissioner?

1535
02:11:31,420 --> 02:11:32,200
Kusher McEnvoy.

1536
02:11:32,940 --> 02:11:33,200
Thank you.

1537
02:11:33,320 --> 02:11:35,140
I'd like to ask a question of some,

1538
02:11:35,140 --> 02:11:42,920
not sure which representative it would apply to, but thank you. Thank you so much, Mr. Murphy.

1539
02:11:44,000 --> 02:11:52,880
So it sounds like there was some outreach between July 22nd and today to some members of the community that had commented at the last meeting, is that true?

1540
02:11:53,480 --> 02:11:57,700
Yes, that's been several rounds of outreach in the lead up to the last meeting and since.

1541
02:11:58,080 --> 02:12:06,080
Great. I know that last meeting I asked about the consideration of well-paying jobs as a part of this,

1542
02:12:06,080 --> 02:12:08,060
which was also a concern brought up by the students,

1543
02:12:08,920 --> 02:12:10,640
and it's mentioned in the POCD several times.

1544
02:12:10,800 --> 02:12:11,880
So I was wondering if there was outreach

1545
02:12:11,880 --> 02:12:14,580
to the students that had that particular interest

1546
02:12:14,580 --> 02:12:16,120
from this application as well,

1547
02:12:16,120 --> 02:12:17,780
well-paying jobs, union jobs, et cetera?

1548
02:12:18,280 --> 02:12:20,600
No, that isn't really the purview of planning

1549
02:12:20,600 --> 02:12:22,860
and zoning as a really so zone map amendment.

1550
02:12:23,100 --> 02:12:26,840
That's not an item under the consideration

1551
02:12:26,840 --> 02:12:28,760
for zone map amendments.

1552
02:12:29,480 --> 02:12:33,100
So it's also without a project site defined

1553
02:12:33,100 --> 02:12:35,400
is difficult to define a project.

1554
02:12:35,400 --> 02:12:42,440
And as a representative of the construction division, we are not in a position to make those

1555
02:12:42,440 --> 02:12:45,920
commitments when we don't even have a site to assess.

1556
02:12:46,280 --> 02:12:50,780
I understand the specific commitments my interest was in its applicability to the POCD.

1557
02:12:51,280 --> 02:12:55,580
Was there any, was there any outreach to the students that had spoken to the last meeting?

1558
02:12:56,320 --> 02:13:01,360
No, we did reach out to our student representative that was on the planning committee

1559
02:13:01,360 --> 02:13:06,980
who also is part of the President's student assembly, and he indicated that he'd present

1560
02:13:06,980 --> 02:13:12,240
a lot of the material through that mechanism to students, but no, we've not, we

1561
02:13:12,240 --> 02:13:18,100
have not outreach to students that spoke here within their rights and purview to make those

1562
02:13:18,100 --> 02:13:18,440
comments.

1563
02:13:19,380 --> 02:13:19,960
Thank you.

1564
02:13:22,660 --> 02:13:25,120
Any other questions or comments from commissioners?

1565
02:13:27,880 --> 02:13:28,860
Commissioner Sinkowitz?

1566
02:13:30,760 --> 02:13:30,980
Yes.

1567
02:13:31,160 --> 02:13:35,620
I just want to commend everybody for coming out and offer in their opinion, especially the

1568
02:13:35,620 --> 02:13:38,880
students, fellow residents, appreciate that.

1569
02:13:39,660 --> 02:13:44,840
I know it's not the peruvian right now, as you just stated, in this funding, any federal funds

1570
02:13:44,840 --> 02:13:47,660
use their Wesleyan pace worth themselves for things that are built?

1571
02:13:49,340 --> 02:13:54,040
I depend, my understanding is it's almost exclusively university funds either through debt

1572
02:13:54,040 --> 02:13:56,720
service or other funding sources.

1573
02:13:58,660 --> 02:13:59,360
Thank you.

1574
02:14:02,170 --> 02:14:03,810
Hey, Dr. Kazakowski.

1575
02:14:05,710 --> 02:14:10,170
Just one thing I think we might have lost online if you just want to bear with me once I come.

1576
02:14:11,250 --> 02:14:13,150
I'm going to make sure that we're still online.

1577
02:14:27,580 --> 02:14:28,420
Commissioner Cunningham?

1578
02:14:32,940 --> 02:14:37,260
Before we close that I just want this is also your opportunity if you heard anything that you

1579
02:14:37,260 --> 02:14:41,580
need to be corrected. I was curious if you heard anything that does not fit into what you

1580
02:14:41,580 --> 02:14:47,500
believe is actually true or correct about Wesleyan standing or Wesleyan's influence or whatever

1581
02:14:47,500 --> 02:14:50,140
about this project and anything that you feel like needs to be corrected.

1582
02:14:50,580 --> 02:14:55,940
Yeah, I think there is a lot of elements that were brought up that I think I was a little confused

1583
02:14:55,940 --> 02:14:59,980
by and I think were options that we looked at, we thought would...

1584
02:15:00,370 --> 02:15:06,410
Less successful. So, you know, I think it's important, you know, daycare services brought up many times.

1585
02:15:06,710 --> 02:15:11,750
Wesleyan did not close down a daycare. Wesleyan did not institute a daycare program.

1586
02:15:12,710 --> 02:15:20,850
We were contacted as the program closed, asked to essentially purchase the building on support.

1587
02:15:20,910 --> 02:15:26,830
The community renewal team so they could consolidate their services and stay solvent in that sort of midst of COVID era.

1588
02:15:26,830 --> 02:15:35,290
We then were contacted by the YMCA, looking for space and are happy to provide in-kind donations to them for use of that space.

1589
02:15:36,390 --> 02:15:41,310
We continue to maintain that space and they continue to utilize it.

1590
02:15:41,530 --> 02:15:44,610
So steam is about, you know, under staff, unprofessional.

1591
02:15:45,450 --> 02:15:47,650
You know, the YMCA is a really reputable program.

1592
02:15:47,650 --> 02:15:54,630
My children go to the YMCA program and it's their valued partner with Wesleyan and within the City of Middle Town.

1593
02:15:55,670 --> 02:16:00,950
I think there was some comments about lack of engagement with the community, and specifically

1594
02:16:00,950 --> 02:16:06,090
around Traverse Square, and other community members, we've reached out to the Chamber

1595
02:16:06,090 --> 02:16:10,190
of Commerce, the Lyme CA, Middle Town Housing Authority.

1596
02:16:10,430 --> 02:16:15,450
We spoke at their board session, one as we presented our plan as we did to East Hill, one

1597
02:16:15,450 --> 02:16:20,770
of the members of that board who's resident Traverse Square, their statement was, I'm sure

1598
02:16:20,770 --> 02:16:26,350
happy those awfully smart people on the hill are finally turning their focus to this issue

1599
02:16:26,350 --> 02:16:30,950
because it's well overdue and I couldn't agree more. I think we have an opportunity as we've

1600
02:16:30,950 --> 02:16:37,270
talked about to drastically improve the the streetscape, the field, the neighborhood and

1601
02:16:37,270 --> 02:16:44,550
that community. I cannot speak to broader funding issues around the Green Street Arts Center and

1602
02:16:45,630 --> 02:16:51,190
I'm the campus planner, I'm not the senior administrator, but we it is important to note we reached out to the

1603
02:16:51,190 --> 02:16:57,550
Jewet Center, we spoke with them, we shared the plan, we talked about developing within any new

1604
02:16:57,550 --> 02:17:03,730
construction, dedicated community center spaces, one of the issues within high rise that was

1605
02:17:03,730 --> 02:17:09,710
100% accurate, the Shaperone issue within the building is because once you're into the building there's

1606
02:17:09,710 --> 02:17:14,330
no security within the building and folks in just use the elevator go up and down and the

1607
02:17:14,330 --> 02:17:19,270
university has an obligation to all students and I think there's a real opportunity here as

1608
02:17:19,270 --> 02:17:26,430
we think about new construction designing specific spaces within that building that are more

1609
02:17:26,430 --> 02:17:33,150
community oriented and have those security barriers so you don't have to have those sort of heavy

1610
02:17:33,150 --> 02:17:36,850
handed shaper and security measures in place. That can be part of the design process.

1611
02:17:38,150 --> 02:17:52,510
You know, impacts to the community to be considered, you know, our proposal, I don't know if you can pull it that slide deck again or if we want to, but, you know, one of the things we're looking at is moving the development further away from Travers Square.

1612
02:17:53,350 --> 02:18:01,210
So that new construction is spaced out. So we do have less conflict between students calling the police on Travers Square community members.

1613
02:18:01,210 --> 02:18:15,470
I would describe Wesleyan's campus as exceptionally porous this idea that nobody's allowed in or around a Wesleyan property that isn't part of Wesleyan is just not what I witnessed day to day.

1614
02:18:16,230 --> 02:18:26,490
And those community benefits that we talked about include street scape improvements we heard tree line streets we heard sidewalks that is what we're trying to do with William Street.

1615
02:18:26,490 --> 02:18:33,390
In addition to accessible, gently-graded interior blocks,

1616
02:18:33,850 --> 02:18:37,930
think like between a fountain and Warren, fountain and pine,

1617
02:18:38,110 --> 02:18:43,310
the sort of communal backyards that these interstitial spaces

1618
02:18:43,310 --> 02:18:50,930
that stitch together, these buildings and the students' residences.

1619
02:18:52,230 --> 02:18:56,470
You know, the other part that really struck me is this, again,

1620
02:18:56,470 --> 02:19:00,450
of control by the city through the ID zone.

1621
02:19:01,510 --> 02:19:05,290
This building would be more than 20,000 square feet.

1622
02:19:05,930 --> 02:19:07,670
That would require a public hearing.

1623
02:19:08,210 --> 02:19:14,530
That would require us and you to address the issues I talked about, whether it's impacts

1624
02:19:14,530 --> 02:19:18,590
to the neighborhood as Katherine Johnson quoted the ID regulations.

1625
02:19:19,490 --> 02:19:26,450
It would give you the right to review to hear the advisory opinion of DRPB regardless of

1626
02:19:26,450 --> 02:19:37,450
So in your end including the downtown village district, DRPB is advisory only that is the way the rules are written and that is how it is structured in the city of Middletown

1627
02:19:37,450 --> 02:19:42,450
We are trying to find the follow the rules as they are defined and exist in the city of Middletown

1628
02:19:44,030 --> 02:19:47,830
We did explore alternate approaches here

1629
02:19:47,830 --> 02:19:50,750
You know one of the comments was this is a heavy handed approach

1630
02:19:50,750 --> 02:19:56,030
That is my fault right. I'm trying to be honest and forthright and say what are the buildings

1631
02:19:56,450 --> 02:19:58,790
What are the uses? What's permitted?

1632
02:19:59,850 --> 02:19:59,970
We...

1633
02:20:00,910 --> 02:20:09,570
Conversely, last time heard that this is a spot zoning approach, which are two opposite statements of the same request.

1634
02:20:10,630 --> 02:20:17,990
So we thought it would be more honest and more forth, right, to say, this is an institutional space.

1635
02:20:18,730 --> 02:20:25,990
I know Jen's count was that the campus stops at high street with more than 400 students living on this block alone.

1636
02:20:25,990 --> 02:20:28,050
I would challenge that notion.

1637
02:20:28,590 --> 02:20:30,470
Conceptually, I think of the campus,

1638
02:20:30,530 --> 02:20:31,750
to include Russell House,

1639
02:20:32,150 --> 02:20:34,710
and the Courage House, the Oregon House,

1640
02:20:34,890 --> 02:20:37,010
that exists, that the Ed reference,

1641
02:20:37,830 --> 02:20:39,090
that include High Rise and Look,

1642
02:20:39,090 --> 02:20:40,890
those are parts of our campus.

1643
02:20:41,430 --> 02:20:47,350
Our goal is to stitch them together more holistically

1644
02:20:48,410 --> 02:20:50,970
with the west side of High Street,

1645
02:20:51,490 --> 02:20:54,130
and also be respectful and thoughtful,

1646
02:20:54,130 --> 02:21:08,950
and intentional, is a great word, as we transition, as that boundary comes up against non-wexalant properties, notably Traverse Square in this block in particular.

1647
02:21:10,170 --> 02:21:14,850
We also explored text amendments, a text amendment approach.

1648
02:21:16,170 --> 02:21:24,110
We are open to exploring that. Again, my perspective is that that's a really hard needle to thread that wouldn't be more disrupted.

1649
02:21:24,110 --> 02:21:32,050
to the fabric of DVD. Just because you can build X, Y, and Z next to a Wesleyan property, I feel

1650
02:21:32,050 --> 02:21:38,010
like that starts to tear at the fabric of the DVD more. This, you know, comments about

1651
02:21:38,010 --> 02:21:43,370
this isn't about property ownership. It's about the downtown village district. It's a thing.

1652
02:21:43,390 --> 02:21:47,930
It's a standalone entity that's important. I agree. It's not about ownership. We are the

1653
02:21:47,930 --> 02:21:52,990
dominant property owner on court street. We own every single house except for one on court street.

1654
02:21:52,990 --> 02:21:59,870
We are not proposing a development like this on court street, because 400 students don't live on court street.

1655
02:22:00,270 --> 02:22:06,350
We're trying to work within the existing patterns of student residential development.

1656
02:22:07,110 --> 02:22:10,930
Alternatively, we did look at an overlay district.

1657
02:22:11,250 --> 02:22:19,830
We looked at a new definition of a district, and it was advised to us that we not pursue a project specific zone approval

1658
02:22:19,830 --> 02:22:31,410
or create a new, you know, DVD institutional zone which we should work in the existing regulations and the existing variety of zones within the city of Minitown.

1659
02:22:32,010 --> 02:22:36,570
And so that's how we got here. That's why this is our proposal.

1660
02:22:37,410 --> 02:22:41,350
And I would just be interested in your feedback and your thoughts.

1661
02:22:41,930 --> 02:22:46,970
You know, I can't speak to labor and commitments and payments and lieu of taxes, right?

1662
02:22:46,970 --> 02:22:48,990
I'm a ditch digger.

1663
02:22:49,530 --> 02:22:51,710
I renovate historic houses.

1664
02:22:52,470 --> 02:22:53,930
You know, 267, William Street.

1665
02:22:54,410 --> 02:22:58,190
I did a full gut historic restoration of that property.

1666
02:22:59,070 --> 02:23:02,650
I restored 250 court street this summer.

1667
02:23:03,390 --> 02:23:07,350
330 high street, a historic house on high street that's mid-block.

1668
02:23:07,450 --> 02:23:08,530
It's part of that rustle community.

1669
02:23:08,950 --> 02:23:12,190
I renovated and restored as part of the Ubuntu program.

1670
02:23:12,890 --> 02:23:16,230
I renovated 56 found a turn of the 19th century.

1671
02:23:16,230 --> 02:23:23,950
would frame House on fountain have that houses six students. I value reinvestment into our existing

1672
02:23:23,950 --> 02:23:32,250
spaces. I also, as a campus planner, recognize, low rise is beyond its useful life. And

1673
02:23:32,250 --> 02:23:42,230
those 144 beds, the massing doesn't work across four and five and six unit building construction.

1674
02:23:42,230 --> 02:23:50,790
Even if you populate the heck out of that block, you are either divesting a huge volume

1675
02:23:50,790 --> 02:23:58,650
of beds out of that block, or you are overwhelming the site with these sort of peppering

1676
02:23:59,590 --> 02:24:03,430
of new construction houses, you know, expense aside.

1677
02:24:06,780 --> 02:24:07,740
I'm a resident.

1678
02:24:08,480 --> 02:24:13,780
I want to be an earnest partner, and I would love some direction from the Planean Zone

1679
02:24:13,780 --> 02:24:19,160
commission on on what a path forward for a low rise replacement is if you don't want

1680
02:24:19,160 --> 02:24:26,340
us in the neighborhood, I wish we'll hear you and we can find other options that are within

1681
02:24:26,340 --> 02:24:28,000
the existing institutional development zone.

1682
02:24:28,560 --> 02:24:37,480
I value student residents in this location and our hand is very limited if we are our options

1683
02:24:37,480 --> 02:24:43,580
are very limited if we are working within just the existing high rise and low rise parcel.

1684
02:24:44,240 --> 02:24:52,560
We worked with our architects to evaluate that sort of as of right option as best we could

1685
02:24:52,560 --> 02:24:59,980
see it, and you saw 325 beds with modern spacing and mechanical required.

1686
02:25:00,000 --> 02:25:13,160
And fire safety, and egress, and access for fire trucks, those sorts of things on that site are pretty intensive use of that parcel.

1687
02:25:13,400 --> 02:25:28,480
And I think there's a better option, and I am hopeful that we can find a path that keeps this student housing pattern where it is, because there's tremendous value in that interface between students and the city of Middletown.

1688
02:25:29,100 --> 02:25:35,140
And it's something we've talked about for 20 years, I'd like to see that happen because I think it's good for the city of Middletown.

1689
02:25:35,940 --> 02:25:44,620
But yeah, I just love your feedback and your perspective on the proposal and what your thoughts are.

1690
02:25:48,760 --> 02:25:49,620
Can you show a kind of you?

1691
02:25:52,840 --> 02:25:55,400
Happy to let anybody else go first before I keep talking.

1692
02:25:57,640 --> 02:26:01,780
But my biggest concern at this point is the rezoning.

1693
02:26:01,780 --> 02:26:08,300
Obviously that's everything else besides that I think a lot of people have made great points about what's the embroidery and everything like that

1694
02:26:08,300 --> 02:26:12,800
But what we're really talking about here is the limited extent to which what you are asking for clearly

1695
02:26:13,500 --> 02:26:20,510
And the one thing about history particularly that I'm concerned about which I wouldn't mind directing questions towards the chairs for some things that you've already talked about

1696
02:26:20,940 --> 02:26:23,880
For example like you talked about street skipping and street

1697
02:26:23,880 --> 02:26:29,240
Repairs is there anything within the existing DVD that prevents them from doing that right now

1698
02:26:29,240 --> 02:26:30,860
for the past 25 years

1699
02:26:33,060 --> 02:26:38,840
So those are sort of some of the areas where I think the community at large and gets really nervous,

1700
02:26:39,960 --> 02:26:45,220
because as much as I want to see improvements like that, when it's already under your purview

1701
02:26:45,220 --> 02:26:49,920
and under archers, it's out under the zoning as loud right now we haven't seen certain things like that.

1702
02:26:50,580 --> 02:26:54,500
So that's where the community I'm sure, you know, you can understand where that comes from, in general.

1703
02:26:54,600 --> 02:26:57,380
I also feel one of the speakers alluded to this as well.

1704
02:26:57,920 --> 02:27:08,680
You talked about utilizing existing regulations, your slide there, you said basically we have

1705
02:27:08,680 --> 02:27:14,120
this one option, which is the reason, and this is the plan that we have outled, or using existing

1706
02:27:14,120 --> 02:27:18,880
regulations, we are going to double the amount of high-rise buildings in this one small section.

1707
02:27:20,500 --> 02:27:24,960
I think one that they use the word threat, I don't want to use that term, but it does feel

1708
02:27:24,960 --> 02:27:30,320
pressuring the community that either we have to approve this zone change or we're going

1709
02:27:30,320 --> 02:27:35,360
to be forced to do additional blight on the community, which I don't think is a real fair

1710
02:27:35,360 --> 02:27:40,020
representation of what you actually have the ability to do in this zone. I think I would

1711
02:27:40,020 --> 02:27:44,280
appreciate if Wesleyan had additional ideas for what can be done in the zones that they

1712
02:27:44,280 --> 02:27:49,700
are under the code that already exists, so we can have some further options to look at here.

1713
02:27:49,860 --> 02:27:54,720
And if there's need for special exoning or text change more specifically, I think we can

1714
02:27:54,720 --> 02:28:01,420
address that, but I think this or this is not what I do as appropriate for right now.

1715
02:28:01,600 --> 02:28:02,580
That's just my view.

1716
02:28:02,980 --> 02:28:04,160
Okay, I just respond to that briefly.

1717
02:28:06,300 --> 02:28:09,380
So, repaying city sidewalks, we can do.

1718
02:28:10,140 --> 02:28:18,680
The integration of a comprehensive street scape is largely impossal because of the way the William

1719
02:28:19,420 --> 02:28:20,800
Street is set up.

1720
02:28:20,800 --> 02:28:25,480
It is street, curb, sidewalk with telephone poles in it,

1721
02:28:25,700 --> 02:28:28,380
and then front yards, very skinny front yards,

1722
02:28:28,560 --> 02:28:32,180
and then a front stoop, they're from porch.

1723
02:28:33,040 --> 02:28:36,900
That doesn't leave space for landscape,

1724
02:28:37,340 --> 02:28:40,100
but we would be then telling you where your sidewalk goes,

1725
02:28:40,100 --> 02:28:41,920
and we would be repaving the sidewalk

1726
02:28:41,920 --> 02:28:44,600
in a different location, which is not under,

1727
02:28:44,800 --> 02:28:48,360
was not within our rights to do without extensive coordination,

1728
02:28:48,360 --> 02:28:57,040
And the actual physical linear footage from the front step of these houses to the curb doesn't really allow for that.

1729
02:28:57,260 --> 02:29:17,740
However, if we remove those three houses, we can then cite a new building in bound more and then work with the existing complete streets direction that art exists within the CML town as being implemented on church and lawn to realize that buffer.

1730
02:29:18,360 --> 02:29:21,440
There just isn't really the space to do it with the existing building.

1731
02:29:22,200 --> 02:29:24,400
So we could repave sidewalks.

1732
02:29:24,420 --> 02:29:25,980
We could repave city sidewalks.

1733
02:29:26,420 --> 02:29:29,040
We do repave many city sidewalks across our campus.

1734
02:29:30,880 --> 02:29:36,000
This is something different because we'd be changing the layout of where the sidewalk is

1735
02:29:36,000 --> 02:29:42,580
and moving it from public property to private property in today's scenario,

1736
02:29:43,040 --> 02:29:45,960
whereas we could then change under a larger redevelopment plan,

1737
02:29:45,960 --> 02:29:52,460
we could change where that right-of-way line exists and what that sequence of curb buffer

1738
02:29:52,460 --> 02:29:58,120
strip with street trees and telephone poles if they need to be there and sidewalk and

1739
02:29:58,120 --> 02:29:59,640
then front yarding green.

1740
02:30:00,000 --> 02:30:09,220
So that's like the little nuance there. Certainly need me to be a threat, but I think what we showed is 300 at the existing

1741
02:30:10,300 --> 02:30:22,330
325 beds at five stories on the existing parcel of high rise and low rise in a way that could be

1742
02:30:22,330 --> 02:30:28,890
phased because I can't just demolish low rise and not have a place to house 144 students for two and

1743
02:30:28,890 --> 02:30:29,970
half years,

1744
02:30:34,740 --> 02:30:42,100
right now, high rise eight stories, and so compressing that to five stories, pushes

1745
02:30:42,100 --> 02:30:47,500
that massing out wider, and so it takes up more of the footprint of that parcel.

1746
02:30:48,120 --> 02:30:52,800
And so it does, in my subjective opinion, overbilled the parcel.

1747
02:30:53,400 --> 02:31:02,100
And I think, if we, as Katherine Johnson said, look at that B lot, that parking lot, that's

1748
02:31:02,100 --> 02:31:06,800
and take from there to the end of those three houses,

1749
02:31:07,720 --> 02:31:12,580
we can have more shoulder room, bring the building back a little bit.

1750
02:31:12,960 --> 02:31:20,720
I could imagine a four story building either in a sort of courtyard shape,

1751
02:31:21,040 --> 02:31:23,140
or in a T shape, I think is what they showed there,

1752
02:31:25,160 --> 02:31:29,800
that would only have to account for a subset of those 325 beds,

1753
02:31:29,800 --> 02:31:36,560
Which would then free up that church street parking lot to absorb that if we need it high rise

1754
02:31:36,560 --> 02:31:40,420
Replacement or if you've high rise as is and and run a bit of top to bottom, right?

1755
02:31:40,920 --> 02:31:42,060
That's to be determined

1756
02:31:43,560 --> 02:31:46,000
So the phasing sequence and

1757
02:31:47,400 --> 02:31:57,420
The a little bit more shoulder them I think helps a lot with what I see as a better plan for middle town and a better plan for Wesleyan and a better plan for the student experience

1758
02:31:58,560 --> 02:31:59,080
and

1759
02:31:59,960 --> 02:32:14,940
I really do think our campus is very porous, and I think a lot of middle town, residents, and community members, and even regional state members come through our campus and have those experiences.

1760
02:32:15,280 --> 02:32:19,060
I think there is a broad public benefit, even though it is a private development.

1761
02:32:19,120 --> 02:32:22,260
It is a private property. I think there is a broad public benefit.

1762
02:32:25,040 --> 02:32:25,780
Can Mr. Chair think?

1763
02:32:25,780 --> 02:32:29,410
Yes, this is for staff.

1764
02:32:30,230 --> 02:32:31,770
I'm going to encourage the

1765
02:32:35,960 --> 02:32:37,560
power to do a special exception.

1766
02:32:37,960 --> 02:32:40,980
Specifically here, I'm talking about where the low rise area is.

1767
02:32:41,240 --> 02:32:45,600
Without massive zoning changes, we can make a special exception for...

1768
02:32:53,540 --> 02:32:56,360
Student housing is not a permitted use in the zone,

1769
02:32:56,820 --> 02:33:00,180
so it's so whether it's permitted or a special exception to use, it's not.

1770
02:33:00,520 --> 02:33:05,320
Something that can be done if buildings were to come down,

1771
02:33:05,320 --> 02:33:07,660
then they'd not be able to be replaced.

1772
02:33:08,780 --> 02:33:10,440
So now a special exception wouldn't

1773
02:33:10,440 --> 02:33:12,120
under the current zoning special exception

1774
02:33:12,120 --> 02:33:19,740
is not a mechanism for a need development like this.

1775
02:33:23,680 --> 02:33:26,240
Right now if they were wanted to do anything

1776
02:33:26,240 --> 02:33:28,640
with those low-rise that are outdated

1777
02:33:28,640 --> 02:33:29,880
and even ground or anything.

1778
02:33:31,980 --> 02:33:36,060
The DVD zone, there's a special provision

1779
02:33:36,060 --> 02:33:39,420
where buildings that

1780
02:33:41,470 --> 02:33:47,710
are 75-hundred square feet or existed prior to the adoption of that

1781
02:33:47,710 --> 02:33:57,250
code, I believe in 2003, buildings can be expanded up to a hundred percent of the square

1782
02:33:57,250 --> 02:33:57,670
footage.

1783
02:33:57,990 --> 02:34:07,730
So I think what we saw in the image before was the massing of applying that specific code under

1784
02:34:07,730 --> 02:34:09,650
redevelopment under the existing zoning.

1785
02:34:10,990 --> 02:34:16,170
So if those buildings were to come down, then there's the question of whether they have

1786
02:34:16,170 --> 02:34:23,310
that right to expand on an add more square footage, but under the existing zoning code,

1787
02:34:23,830 --> 02:34:30,570
they can apply to make additions to the buildings that exceed 75 on the square fee and

1788
02:34:30,570 --> 02:34:32,410
existed prior to 2003.

1789
02:34:36,770 --> 02:34:39,250
Yeah, there are any other questions or comments from commissioners.

1790
02:34:42,770 --> 02:34:43,570
Director Kazakowski?

1791
02:34:44,290 --> 02:34:44,630
Okay, thank you.

1792
02:34:44,690 --> 02:34:46,990
I just want to put a couple of things on the record.

1793
02:34:48,390 --> 02:34:48,790
First,

1794
02:34:51,290 --> 02:34:54,170
we have you received a lot of public testimony today,

1795
02:34:54,450 --> 02:34:57,890
and I just want to appreciate everybody that came out

1796
02:34:57,890 --> 02:34:59,850
to speak and be part of this process.

1797
02:35:00,080 --> 02:35:16,960
In your, in the record and for your review was a staff memo written by me, data July 17, 2026, it provides, you know, my staff review behind this report.

1798
02:35:16,960 --> 02:35:20,460
I bring 21 years of planning experience.

1799
02:35:20,880 --> 02:35:26,920
I've been a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners since 2011,

1800
02:35:27,560 --> 02:35:31,460
and I've been a middle town city planner for nearly seven years.

1801
02:35:32,140 --> 02:35:39,900
So that said, as the Commission considers this rezoning application

1802
02:35:39,900 --> 02:35:46,200
and in your deliberations, I want to remind the Commission that the zoning code

1803
02:35:46,200 --> 02:35:57,840
Outlines 11 areas for that the commission can consider under under section 7.3.2 very briefly.

1804
02:35:58,940 --> 02:36:06,680
Those areas cover topics of compliance so that the objectives of the plan of conservation development.

1805
02:36:07,360 --> 02:36:13,940
Alternative methods to rezoning the suitability for various purposes of in the zone.

1806
02:36:13,940 --> 02:36:19,160
errors in existing code to supply of land, various legalities,

1807
02:36:19,640 --> 02:36:23,040
the effect of the rezoning on surrounding areas,

1808
02:36:23,940 --> 02:36:26,140
the geographic areas that are impacted,

1809
02:36:26,920 --> 02:36:29,140
community acceptance versus neighborhood needs,

1810
02:36:29,600 --> 02:36:33,800
the purposes of zoning and changes in development patterns and land uses.

1811
02:36:34,840 --> 02:36:36,340
Those are very broad.

1812
02:36:37,120 --> 02:36:41,780
The commission can also consider public testimony that was provided

1813
02:36:41,780 --> 02:36:49,920
and public testimony, professional testimony that was provided and your interpretation and reading

1814
02:36:49,920 --> 02:37:00,380
of the plan of conservation and the zoning code. In deciding on a zoning map change, the commission is exercising

1815
02:37:00,380 --> 02:37:13,420
It's legislative authority, so you do have a broad depth of what you can consider in the map change.

1816
02:37:14,680 --> 02:37:21,380
We heard a lot of testimony today, and I want to make sure that any comments made,

1817
02:37:21,860 --> 02:37:28,040
or reasons for decision made ties back to those things that I talked about.

1818
02:37:28,040 --> 02:37:37,960
a few things that we heard in the public testimony while it's important and it shouldn't

1819
02:37:37,960 --> 02:37:43,380
be lost on anybody, but should not necessarily be considerations for this planning zone

1820
02:37:43,380 --> 02:37:49,560
and commissioning actions and few of those things include any financial contributions or

1821
02:37:49,560 --> 02:37:57,780
investments of the applicant to the community, the lack or lack of use of union labor and

1822
02:37:57,780 --> 02:38:03,780
construction projects, a lack of paying property taxes. Those types of things would be

1823
02:38:03,780 --> 02:38:12,280
out of the per view of this commission. One last thing I want to add is this decision cannot

1824
02:38:12,280 --> 02:38:20,220
be conditioned decision would be to approve or if it fails to approve it would be effectively

1825
02:38:20,220 --> 02:38:26,600
denied. So if the commission wanted to vote on it tonight, the motion would be in the affirmative

1826
02:38:27,400 --> 02:38:35,880
and a successful application required five votes of approval under the city charter.

1827
02:38:36,720 --> 02:38:41,960
That said, if the commission were to close the public hearing tonight, you are under no

1828
02:38:41,960 --> 02:38:49,940
obligation to the side on the application tonight per state statute so you have 65 days to decide on an application

1829
02:38:49,940 --> 02:38:53,960
So if you're not ready to vote in this vote

1830
02:38:54,700 --> 02:39:02,400
If you need more time to gather your thoughts to you know as you as you consider the application

1831
02:39:02,400 --> 02:39:04,340
You do have

1832
02:39:04,340 --> 02:39:08,780
That ability and that authority to do so. Thank you

1833
02:39:09,280 --> 02:39:11,800
Thank you. I will call for

1834
02:39:12,320 --> 02:39:15,420
A closing of the public hearing, a motion to close the public hearing.

1835
02:39:15,680 --> 02:39:17,640
Mr. Chair, I move to close the public hearing.

1836
02:39:19,740 --> 02:39:21,900
All those in favour, signify by saying aye.

1837
02:39:23,860 --> 02:39:25,640
Any opposed signify by saying aye?

1838
02:39:26,460 --> 02:39:27,640
Public hearing is closed.

1839
02:39:28,300 --> 02:39:35,400
It conduct discussions about this application and at this time whether you are in favour of or not in favour of this.

1840
02:39:36,060 --> 02:39:43,020
Please state your reasons for or against with regard to what the director just told us about.

1841
02:39:46,560 --> 02:39:59,980
I'll start off by thanking everyone here tonight, and during a long, long night, people of the community coming out, representatives from Wesleyan, you know, my fellow commissioners, you know, this is this is all part of

1842
02:40:01,600 --> 02:40:24,260
We can really come together in a lot of ways and have civil discussions like this. This particular application is one that I've put probably a little bit more thought and actually probably out of my four years on the commission I probably put more thought and more independent study time into this than anything that I've dealt with before.

1843
02:40:25,340 --> 02:40:31,420
While I agree that there is a need and there is, and Wesleyan has every right to improve

1844
02:40:31,420 --> 02:40:37,540
itself, looking, when putting aside everything else, okay, where I'm focusing just on

1845
02:40:37,540 --> 02:40:38,580
the zoning text amendment.

1846
02:40:39,300 --> 02:40:44,920
In my humble opinion, based on not only the testimony that's been provided, but my understanding

1847
02:40:44,920 --> 02:40:50,720
of our planning of causality, plan of conservation and development, as well as our duty

1848
02:40:50,720 --> 02:40:52,740
to the citizens of middle town.

1849
02:40:53,380 --> 02:41:00,160
I don't feel that this is it, I don't feel that this application is in line with our plan of conservation and development.

1850
02:41:01,140 --> 02:41:06,880
I think that the reason that the village district is there, it's been there for a reason.

1851
02:41:07,580 --> 02:41:12,240
And as was pointed out earlier, Wesleyan was part of the creation and approval of it.

1852
02:41:13,860 --> 02:41:20,980
What we need to look at is, yes, down the line, what can happen, putting aside things like, you know,

1853
02:41:20,980 --> 02:41:25,820
how the labor is involved, and how what specific projects are made,

1854
02:41:26,220 --> 02:41:29,580
that stuff that, as the director said, is on side of our purview.

1855
02:41:29,720 --> 02:41:31,180
We have to look at what's in front of us now.

1856
02:41:31,200 --> 02:41:33,980
Do we have the justification for a zoning change?

1857
02:41:34,620 --> 02:41:36,140
The answer I arrived at is no.

1858
02:41:36,940 --> 02:41:38,460
I agree about the low rise.

1859
02:41:38,460 --> 02:41:42,460
I think that the low rise does need upgrading,

1860
02:41:44,300 --> 02:41:46,700
and that's something that I'd be happy to revisit.

1861
02:41:46,700 --> 02:41:53,700
I know that we're somewhat limited within the DVD's on right now, but again, I think further

1862
02:41:53,700 --> 02:41:57,700
conversation on this is warranted and should happen.

1863
02:41:59,720 --> 02:42:07,860
But if I'm going to support getting rid of our village district, I have to have a very good

1864
02:42:07,860 --> 02:42:15,720
reason in front of me, thinking that it's going to benefit not only the institution or the

1865
02:42:15,720 --> 02:42:18,960
applicant that's applying for it, but the community is a whole.

1866
02:42:19,360 --> 02:42:21,020
I think there's room to do this.

1867
02:42:21,200 --> 02:42:24,640
I think there's room for other options, and this is stuff that is obviously we're going

1868
02:42:24,640 --> 02:42:29,340
to have to split hairs look at our options and have a discussion.

1869
02:42:32,180 --> 02:42:34,780
But this to me is not the right call.

1870
02:42:35,980 --> 02:42:41,940
So with that, I thank Wesleyan for coming forward with us, and I am looking forward to working

1871
02:42:41,940 --> 02:42:44,860
with you in the future on how we can make your campus less

1872
02:42:44,860 --> 02:42:45,360
porous.

1873
02:42:46,000 --> 02:42:47,360
I'll tell you, you got a beautiful campus.

1874
02:42:48,880 --> 02:42:52,920
And the high street, you know, part of the campus as well

1875
02:42:52,920 --> 02:42:56,980
is just, I'm in awe every single time I drive down it.

1876
02:42:57,560 --> 02:42:59,600
I love the history of it.

1877
02:42:59,600 --> 02:43:01,620
I think that's one of the things that really stands.

1878
02:43:01,980 --> 02:43:02,880
Makes me understand out.

1879
02:43:02,940 --> 02:43:05,480
And I think that's why so many students come to Wesleyan

1880
02:43:05,480 --> 02:43:06,860
because they want that.

1881
02:43:06,860 --> 02:43:09,000
They want that historic experience.

1882
02:43:09,060 --> 02:43:10,540
They want to experience culture.

1883
02:43:11,340 --> 02:43:17,400
The fact that so many of them came out here tonight to express their opinions just proves that even more.

1884
02:43:19,000 --> 02:43:22,800
I'm very, very pleased with just everyone involved tonight.

1885
02:43:23,340 --> 02:43:26,180
Thank you, but I will not be supporting this.

1886
02:43:26,280 --> 02:43:27,100
I appreciate your time.

1887
02:43:27,720 --> 02:43:28,280
Thank you.

1888
02:43:35,760 --> 02:43:38,600
I would like to echo almost exactly what my co-chair said.

1889
02:43:38,600 --> 02:43:40,200
I want to thank all of you for coming.

1890
02:43:40,620 --> 02:43:44,000
Wesleyan, all of the community members, especially the students you showed.

1891
02:43:44,000 --> 02:43:46,840
The great deal of perseverance, and I appreciate that.

1892
02:43:48,380 --> 02:43:52,400
Again, I do not think that this is in line with our P.O.C.D.

1893
02:43:52,400 --> 02:43:53,580
or community connections.

1894
02:43:53,840 --> 02:43:56,720
I do not think that this is what the neighborhood needs.

1895
02:43:57,420 --> 02:43:59,280
This is not a connection to the community.

1896
02:44:00,580 --> 02:44:03,880
I feel like everything that Tyler has said, I agree with.

1897
02:44:03,940 --> 02:44:07,580
I feel like we have a path forward, but this isn't it.

1898
02:44:07,840 --> 02:44:10,320
And I want to work with you guys to make something happen,

1899
02:44:10,340 --> 02:44:11,740
but not in this vein.

1900
02:44:11,740 --> 02:44:15,140
So I will not be supporting this. Thank you.

1901
02:44:21,270 --> 02:44:25,630
Would any other commissioners like to speak out as to why they would or would not be supporting this?

1902
02:44:26,990 --> 02:44:27,870
Commissioner Minarca.

1903
02:44:28,650 --> 02:44:32,950
I'd like to thank Wesley for coming out today to avoid your opinion.

1904
02:44:35,370 --> 02:44:39,970
I'm kind of like, I'm like my cord, Tyler over here.

1905
02:44:41,670 --> 02:44:45,610
I would like to see Wesley do a little bit, you know, improvements

1906
02:44:45,610 --> 02:44:48,230
make their campus look a little bit better.

1907
02:44:49,330 --> 02:44:53,890
I echo Tyler also, that Wesleyan is a really nice campus.

1908
02:44:54,650 --> 02:44:59,410
I just think you should maybe look for another spot or where it's zoned.

1909
02:45:00,980 --> 02:45:11,120
To refurbish some of the buildings, maybe, but I don't think this really benefits the zone, the historic value of that area.

1910
02:45:12,080 --> 02:45:16,320
So I am, with that said, I am going to say no to this project.

1911
02:45:17,740 --> 02:45:18,480
Thank you.

1912
02:45:22,700 --> 02:45:23,660
Mr. Regan.

1913
02:45:25,100 --> 02:45:28,940
Thank you. I would just like to echo a couple of the comments that we've been hearing.

1914
02:45:28,940 --> 02:45:36,960
I believe that protecting our DVD zone is critical, not just to protect the buildings that are there,

1915
02:45:37,700 --> 02:45:43,760
but to protect the powers that are allotted to this commission to protect the fabric of that space itself.

1916
02:45:45,420 --> 02:45:55,160
I think that rezoning to the ID zone would give Wesleyan much greater power to actually decide what massings would come to fruition within the space

1917
02:45:55,160 --> 02:46:01,060
And keeping it as is just to preserve this power to the city for future development.

1918
02:46:01,640 --> 02:46:03,120
So thank you.

1919
02:46:03,120 --> 02:46:04,320
Thank you.

1920
02:46:11,680 --> 02:46:12,580
Commissioner McEvoy.

1921
02:46:14,020 --> 02:46:14,580
Thank you.

1922
02:46:14,580 --> 02:46:16,300
Thank you to everyone for coming out.

1923
02:46:16,440 --> 02:46:19,080
I echo what the fellow commissioners here have said tonight.

1924
02:46:19,800 --> 02:46:22,840
I don't believe this proposal accords with the POCD.

1925
02:46:23,580 --> 02:46:28,420
And the interesting thing is that the connections between students at the university and

1926
02:46:28,420 --> 02:46:34,140
residents of Middletown has been formed against this proposal instead of for it, right?

1927
02:46:34,540 --> 02:46:39,380
So I appreciate the comments that you may last Mr. Murphy about the desire to work with the commission

1928
02:46:39,380 --> 02:46:43,640
to find what the solution is, because if Wesleyan owns the property, right, there's going to be something.

1929
02:46:44,580 --> 02:46:46,600
But this is not it. Thank you.

1930
02:46:52,410 --> 02:46:53,190
Commissioner Cunningham.

1931
02:46:54,630 --> 02:47:00,570
I really wanted to thank the applicant for coming forward. I think I want to thank you again for answering

1932
02:47:00,570 --> 02:47:08,270
questions and for responding to the constituents who have come forward. I think this proposal

1933
02:47:08,270 --> 02:47:16,310
is a real opportunity. I unfortunately do not believe that the applicant reached the level

1934
02:47:16,310 --> 02:47:26,250
of justification for the zone change. However, I do believe that if this university wants to

1935
02:47:26,730 --> 02:47:28,370
revitalizations of existing properties.

1936
02:47:29,350 --> 02:47:30,430
That still is a possibility.

1937
02:47:30,790 --> 02:47:32,230
I would love to what I alluded to earlier.

1938
02:47:33,050 --> 02:47:35,450
See, additional plans that exist within the zoning code

1939
02:47:35,450 --> 02:47:37,870
as is, and with other properties as well.

1940
02:47:38,770 --> 02:47:40,270
I do think this is a great opportunity,

1941
02:47:41,230 --> 02:47:43,990
but they're justification for this own change has not been met.

1942
02:47:44,090 --> 02:47:45,530
So we're going to, I would vote now.

1943
02:47:45,790 --> 02:47:46,190
Thank you.

1944
02:47:46,370 --> 02:47:46,830
Thank you.

1945
02:47:52,820 --> 02:47:53,660
Commissioner Sinklet.

1946
02:47:55,720 --> 02:47:56,960
I concur with my colleagues.

1947
02:47:57,080 --> 02:47:59,660
I don't believe this is the right vehicle

1948
02:47:59,660 --> 02:48:06,660
With regards to the village district and sweeping changes like this, I believe something positive could happen here.

1949
02:48:07,820 --> 02:48:19,120
And I look forward to working toward that, but the sweeping changes I don't think are within the spirit of what was intended years ago when this was set up.

1950
02:48:19,360 --> 02:48:19,660
Thank you.

1951
02:48:20,580 --> 02:48:21,000
Thank you.

1952
02:48:25,760 --> 02:48:26,580
Mr. Cunningham.

1953
02:48:28,510 --> 02:48:30,030
I did forget to say one thing.

1954
02:48:30,870 --> 02:48:39,170
If we are, because I do believe the applicant suggested he wanted to hear more of what we think in order to come to the proper conclusion,

1955
02:48:39,730 --> 02:48:50,330
I think something that is always very meaningful for this commission is that we see that the applicant made every attempt possible to reach out to the community for input.

1956
02:48:51,290 --> 02:48:55,830
I think there needs to be a lot more both with on the campus and the community at large.

1957
02:48:55,950 --> 02:48:57,230
I would like to see evidence of that.

1958
02:48:57,250 --> 02:48:57,950
I would like to see meetings.

1959
02:48:58,590 --> 02:49:04,410
Any anything that we can do to show that you have made every single attempt possible to reach out to the community.

1960
02:49:05,090 --> 02:49:06,110
That and hear them.

1961
02:49:06,330 --> 02:49:07,190
That's always appreciated.

1962
02:49:07,450 --> 02:49:08,750
So I would love to see that next time.

1963
02:49:08,810 --> 02:49:09,490
Thank you.

1964
02:49:09,610 --> 02:49:10,470
Thank you.

1965
02:49:15,890 --> 02:49:18,610
At this point, I'll call for emotion and I am 6.1.

1966
02:49:19,710 --> 02:49:20,410
Mr. Chair.

1967
02:49:20,410 --> 02:49:28,230
I move that we approve petition for a zoning map amendment to

1968
02:49:28,230 --> 02:49:31,750
rezone multiple parcels on church street, high street, and

1969
02:49:31,750 --> 02:49:35,410
William Street from the DVD zone to the ID zone and

1970
02:49:35,410 --> 02:49:40,950
rezone William Street, map lot 24, dash 0138 from the DVD

1971
02:49:40,950 --> 02:49:45,170
zone to the MXC zone, applicant agent Richard de Corrella,

1972
02:49:45,170 --> 02:49:47,650
S. Guyer, Update, Kelly, and Spelacy.

1973
02:49:49,130 --> 02:49:51,330
Z-2026-5.

1974
02:49:55,000 --> 02:49:55,300
Thank you.

1975
02:49:55,380 --> 02:49:57,120
All those in favor signify by saying aye.

1976
02:50:05,540 --> 02:50:12,800
We're voting on the affirmative of the motion, so if we vote aye, that means we approve, if we vote, nay, it means we do not approve.

1977
02:50:13,080 --> 02:50:14,780
Mr. Chair, I suggest a roll call vote.

1978
02:50:17,610 --> 02:50:18,570
We repeat the motion.

1979
02:50:19,150 --> 02:50:19,710
Sure.

1980
02:50:20,690 --> 02:50:32,510
So, I move, we approve item 6.1 petition for a rezoning map amendment to rezoning multiple parcels on church street,

1981
02:50:32,510 --> 02:50:38,430
Maplot 24-0138 from the DVD Zone to the MX C Zone.

1982
02:50:38,770 --> 02:50:41,010
Applicant Agent Richard D. Corrella, Esquire,

1983
02:50:41,490 --> 02:50:45,510
Uptike and Kelly and Spalacy, Z-2026-5.

1984
02:50:48,410 --> 02:50:49,930
Would you please read the role?

1985
02:50:50,870 --> 02:50:52,410
Yes, roll call vote.

1986
02:50:53,010 --> 02:50:54,050
Chairman Tom Pativina.

1987
02:50:54,350 --> 02:50:54,590
Nay.

1988
02:50:55,390 --> 02:50:57,750
Vice Chair Tyler Xtreme, Nay.

1989
02:50:59,070 --> 02:51:01,710
President members, Commissioner Andrew Regan.

1990
02:51:03,800 --> 02:51:04,900
Commissioner Vinnie Sisequitz.

1991
02:51:04,900 --> 02:51:05,420
No.

1992
02:51:06,880 --> 02:51:07,920
Commissioner Morgan Monarcha.

1993
02:51:08,440 --> 02:51:08,740
No.

1994
02:51:09,740 --> 02:51:11,020
Commissioner Allen Cunningham.

1995
02:51:11,660 --> 02:51:11,740
No.

1996
02:51:12,540 --> 02:51:14,080
And Commissioner Emily McAvoy.

1997
02:51:14,180 --> 02:51:14,460
No.

1998
02:51:15,100 --> 02:51:17,020
Motion is denied unanimously.

1999
02:51:27,220 --> 02:51:27,880
Thank you very much.

2000
02:51:28,040 --> 02:51:29,020
Item number seven.

2001
02:51:29,820 --> 02:51:29,960
All right.

2002
02:51:30,100 --> 02:51:31,740
That brings us to item seven old business.

2003
02:51:32,040 --> 02:51:32,660
There is none.

2004
02:51:33,600 --> 02:51:34,840
Item eight new business.

2005
02:51:35,040 --> 02:51:36,220
There is also none.

2006
02:51:36,540 --> 02:51:38,420
Item nine public common on topics.

2007
02:51:38,760 --> 02:51:39,520
Which are not?

2008
02:51:39,580 --> 02:51:41,760
Or have not been said to a public hearing?

2009
02:51:43,160 --> 02:51:47,220
If anybody online wants to participate in this portion of the meeting, please use the raise

2010
02:51:47,220 --> 02:51:52,060
hand function on the WebEx platform or press star three if you're dying in, it'll

2011
02:51:52,060 --> 02:51:56,080
recognize these wanting to speak and as people leave the room, please do so quietly so

2012
02:51:56,080 --> 02:51:57,100
we can finish up our meeting.

2013
02:51:57,420 --> 02:51:57,640
Thank you.

2014
02:51:57,760 --> 02:52:02,000
If there's anyone in the public that would like to speak to anything that was not the subject

2015
02:52:02,000 --> 02:52:05,800
of a public hearing, this is your time to talk.

2016
02:52:09,300 --> 02:52:10,280
Thank you.

2017
02:52:11,680 --> 02:52:22,280
On on to item 10 minutes staff reports and commission affairs that starts us off with the minutes of the August 12th, 2026 regular meeting.

2018
02:52:22,400 --> 02:52:26,720
I'll entertain a motion to approve the meeting minutes.

2019
02:52:26,720 --> 02:52:27,140
Someone.

2020
02:52:29,990 --> 02:52:32,190
All those in favor signify by saying aye.

2021
02:52:35,060 --> 02:52:35,400
Any approve.

2022
02:52:36,600 --> 02:52:36,700
Any.

2023
02:52:36,700 --> 02:52:37,000
Any.

2024
02:52:38,160 --> 02:52:38,760
Denied.

2025
02:52:39,460 --> 02:52:39,900
Anything.

2026
02:52:40,320 --> 02:52:40,920
Do not approve.

2027
02:52:41,160 --> 02:52:41,560
Say nay.

2028
02:52:42,880 --> 02:52:43,760
Through the chair.

2029
02:52:44,340 --> 02:52:44,500
Yes.

2030
02:52:44,500 --> 02:52:45,560
I wasn't here, so I'd like to-

2031
02:52:45,560 --> 02:52:46,200
One out of tension.

2032
02:52:46,640 --> 02:52:47,540
Thank you.

2033
02:52:47,720 --> 02:52:48,740
Someone left the water bottle.

2034
02:52:52,200 --> 02:52:52,620
Rivercock.

2035
02:52:52,940 --> 02:52:54,360
I'm 10.2 rivercock.

2036
02:52:54,760 --> 02:52:54,880
No.

2037
02:52:55,460 --> 02:52:56,020
She's down here.

2038
02:52:56,200 --> 02:52:56,420
All right.

2039
02:52:56,760 --> 02:52:58,260
Item 10.3 staff report.

2040
02:52:58,560 --> 02:52:59,000
No report.

2041
02:52:59,980 --> 02:53:00,060
All right.

2042
02:53:00,160 --> 02:53:02,540
Lastly, I'd own 10.4 commission affairs.

2043
02:53:03,000 --> 02:53:04,900
Does anyone have anything for the good of the order?

2044
02:53:07,420 --> 02:53:08,260
Commissioner Sinkwitz.

2045
02:53:09,400 --> 02:53:09,660
Yes.

2046
02:53:09,780 --> 02:53:10,820
I would like to thank Commissioner.

2047
02:53:10,840 --> 02:53:12,720
Extrime for being my show for this evening.

2048
02:53:14,220 --> 02:53:15,340
Any time, Commissioner.

2049
02:53:15,640 --> 02:53:15,840
Any time.

2050
02:53:15,880 --> 02:53:17,120
It's that rule about a car I'm going.

2051
02:53:18,000 --> 02:53:19,540
He's like the winner soldier.

2052
02:53:21,320 --> 02:53:24,280
Item 11, adjournment.

2053
02:53:24,960 --> 02:53:27,120
entertain a motion to adjourn?

2054
02:53:27,680 --> 02:53:28,200
Is that good?

2055
02:53:28,420 --> 02:53:30,340
All those in favor signify by saying aye.

2056
02:53:31,640 --> 02:53:33,340
Any opposed signify by saying aye?

2057
02:53:33,980 --> 02:53:34,440
10-02.