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Fish on the Hook

I am a disabled tenant at Parkside; my perspective on its redevelopment maybe useful. While I walk with a cane, I am not that different than many who crowded into the hearing at the firehouse.

Over 15 years I built a successful career in New Haven commercial banking. The rapid consolidation of the industry afforded me the opportunity to retire early. Five years into my golden years, I developed a serious illness.

I have coordinated the financing of several community development projects. What gets initially proposed often evolves into a different project. My personal opinion of this project is that Parkside redevelopment is long overdue. Parkside’s replacement should preserve for perpetuity the 50 existing age- and disability-restricted units,

As proposed, the requirement for Building A’s elderly and frail to move twice is a substantial health risk, and the proposed building and parking lot are simply too big and out of character for Indian Neck,

I believe Parkside’s current site should be retained and developed; future development should be below current zoning height restrictions and from streetside appear as a mixed use development, garden apartments, or condominiums; and the development at Parkside should enhance surrounding property values,

Rather than delaying a solution for another three years, developer Beacon should be retained, but financing deadlines should not drive what gets built.

The tenants have formed the Parkside Village Resident Association to legally guarantee we have a voice at the table. We hope it can be a form for better communication between us and our neighbors. Parkside Village can be a better neighbor.

Beacon’s interest in investing $30 million validates investments in Indian Neck. Branford has a $30 million fish on the hook—before we release it, we should exhaust all efforts to reach agreement on the future of Parkside.

Jamie Kavanaugh

Branford