After about 40 speakers addressed the 230-member body, the motion failed in a vote: 52 Yes, 136 No and 6 Abstentions. Continue Reading →
Greenwich RTM Vote on Rink MI Fails: “Democracy in Action”
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Al Shehadi
Recent Posts
SHEHADI & WATERS: Rink Plan and Process “Highly Flawed”
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“The process was dominated by one vocal stakeholder group, failed to get widespread community buy-in, and never answered basic questions posed by the RTM, such as providing a legitimate cost estimate for the plan.” – James Waters and Al Shehadi Continue Reading →
Filed under: Letter to the Editor, Al Shehadi, Hamill Rink, James Waters, Municipal Improvement
RTM Committees Balk at Flaws in Rink Process; All Vote to Reject the MI
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After a group meeting, four committees went to separate rooms in town hall to discuss and vote on the appeal of the ice rink MI. Land Use Committee: 4 yes, 5 no, 1 abstain. Public Works Committee: 1 yes; 9 no. Finance Committee: 3 yes, 6 no, 1 abstain. Last week, the Budget Overview Committee also voted to reject: 2 yes, 7 no, 3 abstain. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Government, Sports, Al Shehadi, Bill Drake, Byram, Dorothy Hamill Ice Skating Rink, James Waters, Joe Siciliano
MI Opponents: Plan is Driven by Hamill Rink User Committee Priority of No Loss of Ice Time
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“The result is a $24 million redesign of almost the entirety of Morlot Park which includes a new 40,000 square foot rink facility, more than 30% larger than the current rink, ‘flips’ the rink location with the existing baseball field and constructs a new baseball field on the location of the current rink. The Byram Veterans Memorial Tree Grove, now surrounded on all sides by open vistas, will be ‘honored’ with a 40 foot tall windowless wall almost immediately adjacent to one end of the grove.” – Liz Eckert, Joseph Kantorski, Al Shehadi, Lucy Von Brachel Continue Reading →
Filed under: Letter to the Editor, Al Shehadi, Joseph Kantorski, Liz Eckert, Lucy von Brachel
Hamill Rink MI Approved by P&Z; Site Plan Moves to Final with Lengthy Requirements
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On Tuesday the Planning & Zoning commission approved Municipal Improvement status for DPW’s proposed new Hamill Rink in Eugene Morlot Park in Byram. The vote was 4-1. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Government, Real Estate, Sports, Al Shehadi, Arn Welles, Byram Neighborhood Association, Dennis Yeskey, Greenwich Plan of Conservation and Development
At Memorable P&Z Meeting, Byram Neighbors Again Push Back on “The Rink Flip”
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The proposal is again for “the flip,” which refers to switching the location of the existing 70’s era Hamill Rink with Strazza field, so that the new 42,000 sq ft rink (10,000 sq ft larger than the existing building) would be toward the middle of the park rather than tucked in the corner as it is now. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Government, Real Estate, Sports, Al Shehadi, Bill Drake, BNA, Don Sylvester, Eugene Morlot Park
Proposed Hamill Rink: The stepsister trying to squeeze her foot into Cinderella’s slipper?
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“To me if feels like the stepsister trying to squeeze her foot into Cinderella’s slipper. It just feels like a big thing trying to fit into a small space.” –P&Z commission chair Margarita Alban Continue Reading →
Filed under: Government, Real Estate, Schools, Sports, Al Shehadi, Bill Drake, Byram, Byram Neighorhood Association
P&Z Advice on Plan for Apartments at Former Hasco Factory: Consult DEEP and BNA, Include Water Use, “Fit with neighborhood”
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The P&Z commission chair Margarita Alban repeatedly told the applicant not to get too far along with plans until working with the Connecticut Dept of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), noting the primary issue was that the property was the flood hazard zone. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Government, Real Estate, Al Shehadi, Byram, coastal planner, DEEP, John Gaucher, parking
RTM Budget Vote: Hamill Rink Redux and CMS $67 Million Placeholder
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“It really feels like Groundhog Day. Once again the proponents in fiscal year 2024 are requesting the exact same budget appropriation denied before.”- Lucia Jansen, RTM Budget Overview Committee Chair Continue Reading →
Filed under: Government, Real Estate, Al Shehadi, BET, Bill Drake, CMS, Dan Ozizmir, Hamill Rink
P&Z Watch: Cries for Real Grass at Western Middle School Won’t Delay Start of Remediation Work
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The application was broken into two parts so the remediation can begin. But the BOE must return with a landscaping and lighting plan. The P&Z commission chair said there was a history of them not fulfilling conditions of approval requiring trees to be replaced, especially at GHS. Continue Reading →