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11/26/2015 11:00 PMPress release from the Town of East Haven
Identifying the final disposition and re-purposing of 200 Tyler Street as a “top” priority for his administration this year, Mayor Joseph Maturo, Jr. announced Nov. 25 that he has formally appointed the ad hoc Blue Ribbon Commission that he has tasked with making a final recommendation to the town regarding the highest and best use for the former high school property.
In letters sent to the prospective members of the new, five-person commission, Maturo laid out commission’s responsibilities and set a firm deadline of Feb. 2, 2016, by which the commission will be expected to conclude its efforts and make a recommendation to the mayor and the Town Council.
Maturo explained, “For too long, the final disposition of the 200 Tyler Street property has been undermined by politics. I have formed this commission in order to facilitate a transparent, speedy, and meaningful dialogue with residents and community stakeholders and to identify the highest and best use for this unique property.”
In his letters to the five prospective members of the newly-formed commission, which is slated to include Paul Carbo, Robert Limoncelli, Marlene Asid, Chuck Lang, and Steven DeLucia, Maturo identified five primary tasks for the commission. Specifically, Maturo has asked the commission to:
1. Evaluate the feasibility of the existing proposals for the property;
2. Solicit meaningful public input regarding desired uses for the property;
3. Identify the availability of funding, if any, for all viable uses identified by the commission;
4. Identify the costs for all viable uses identified by the commission;
5. Make a final recommendation to this office and to the Town Council regarding the highest and best use for the property.
Maturo continued, “When the commission has concluded its work and makes a recommendation to the town and Town Council, we intend to move forward swiftly with a plan to restore, repair, and redevelop the property in accordance with the recommendation of the commission.”
Maturo noted, “Although I have identified five tasks for this commission, I cannot understate the heightened importance of my request for the commission to solicit meaningful public input regarding the public’s desires regarding the property. I expect this commission to take steps to open up a meaningful dialogue with residents across town and, in particular, with those residents living in the vicinity of the property.”
Maturo continued, “While the work of this commission will be thoroughly transparent and well-advertised, we have compiled a list of residents living within the immediate vicinity of the property and I have instructed the new commission members to develop electronic and paper mailing lists to alert interested residents about the commission’s activities and upcoming meetings.”
In a prior press release, the town identified the lack of concrete financial and feasibility data as obstacles that have hindered the town’s ability to move forward with a definite redevelopment plan for the property. Maturo has indicated that this commission is intended to remove those obstacles.
Maturo explained, “In addition to the explicit tasks I have laid out for this commission, I fully expect the commission members to work with state legislators, town officials, and other grant authorities to determine and confirm the costs, reimbursement options, and potential revenue and tax consequences of all of the feasible options for the property. As I have said in the past, residents deserve to not only have a voice in this project, but they also deserve to know all of the facts, including all future costs.”
Maturo concluded, “The final disposition of 200 Tyler Street is an enormous and critically important undertaking that will affect our community for years to come. I know that the Blue Ribbon Commission will work collaboratively with the residents to fully explore the development potential of the property and to identify the highest and best use for the property.”