The Committee to Strengthen the Sheldon/Charter Oak Neighborhood, Inc. (CSS/CON) MONTHLY BOARD MEETING (Virtual, via Zoom)
CSS/CON DIRECTOS PRESENT:
Chris McArdle, President; Donna Williams, Treasurer; Mike Zalenski, Riverfront Recapture; Emily Wolfe, Sheldon Oak; Kathy Shaw, My Sister’s Place; Anne Snyder, Resident; Bernadine Silvers, Vice President
CSS/CON DIRECTORS NOT PRESENT: Donna Swarr, Colt Park Foundation; Jack Hale, Church of the Good Shepherd; Kevin Buckenridge, Resident; Kate Pacelle, Resident; Mary Ramdeen, Resident; Kim Sinclair, Secretary; Cheryl Zeiner, Director/Resident
RESIDENTS, STAKEHOLDERS, AND OTHERS PRESENT:
Alexander Castro, City of Hartford Dept. of Development Services; Frank Sentner, Hartford Decides/SoDo Board Member; Raymond Wiley, Senior Manager, Colliers; Julia McFadden, TSKP Studio; Ryszard Szczypek, TSKP Studio; Dennis Goddare, Freeman, Kurt Harrison
The September 2023 meeting was called to order by Chris McArdle at _____; Roll call was taken by Chris McArdle and a quorum was present.
Frank Sentner, Hartford Decides
Frank gave a presentation regarding the mission of participatory budgeting. He is requesting support from all of the NRZs in Hartford. In the past 7 years, Hartford residents have decided how to spend over $1 million in the City’s Capital Budget. Participatory budgeting gives residents real power over money decisions. Participatory budgeting originated in Brazil in 1989 and has spread throughout South America, Europe, and the US.
Hartford Decides was organized in 2015. All Hartford residents 10 years and older are involved. The goal is to get community members involved in the voting process. Hartford Decides is asking NRZs to:
- contribute board members, the goal is to have one member from each NRZ
- help raising funds
- be part of the decision-making for 2024 – $100,000
- submit ideas for projects for 2024
Chris suggested applying for a grant from the Hartford Foundation and contact Kim Gauthier to get information about Catch A Fire. Hartford Decides also needs anyone who has experience writing grants.
Raymond Wiley, Colliers Project Leaders
Betances Learning Lab, part of Hartford Public Schools, is being refurbished the presentation detailed the designs and plans for the project. Julia showed the blueprints for the inside of the building which include restoration of interior spaces, improvement of technology, and reconfiguring space.
Dennis Goderre showed the plans for the property such as changes in bus flow, parking, and parent pick-up/drop-off, and playscapes. Changes will improve the traffic flow around the building and improve landscaping. They are seeking approval from the NRZ for the variances and the project as a whole.
Discussion of the congestion on Charter Oak as a result of parents picking up and dropping off children was discussed. There is a desire to talk to parking authority for possible solutions. One concern is buses idling in the parking lots and Colliers were asked to check on the idling practices to maintain air quality around the lot.
Chris McArdle – Colt Park Update
Shared the Colt Park Foundation fall update with activities planned for October 21st and 28th. For more detailed information, please reach out to Donna Swarr.
Alexander Castro, COH, Planning & Zoning
Alex showed a report detailing the projects from NRZs and provided an update of meetings that have taken place and will take place the week of 18th. The property at the corner of Wyllys and Norwalk was purchased by a developer but the project never came to fruition. There are new developers interested in the property and even though the previous plan was to create luxury apartments, the current plan is to consider up to 66 apartments. Planning and Zoning investigated the potential uses of the parcel and Alexander reported on the outcome.
Bernadine Silvers gave a history of the building and its relationship to the neighborhood. CSSCON has always been part of the design and she wants to make sure there is sufficient consideration of parking for the building. Originally, the building was for people without cars and if a large number of units will be developed residents and their visitors need places to park. Also, this is a historic neighborhood and residents want to make sure the building fits in with the architecture to maintain the character of the neighborhood.
Lt. Terry Wright, Hartford Fire Dept.
Lt. Wright provided the statistics for the CSSCON neighborhood. There were three fires. The first at 25 Sigourney St. was an electrical fire which resulted in a serious injury. There was a fire at Lennox Street where 10 people were displaced. The fire department is investigating the possibility of arson. At 124 Moro Street a fire was caused by unattended cooking.
The fire department is still offering the smoke alarm program, emphasizing fire safety, and recommending renter’s insurance. There is a new recruitment class beginning October 1st and there should be 25 more fire fighters in the next four months.
Kimberly Alexander, COH Office Community Engagement
There is an information session for the 2024 Love Your Block grants on Friday, September 15 at UCONN Hartford (10 Prospect Street). Please RSVP and attend even if you just want to know more about it.
DominGO on Park Street is September 17th and on October 1st is the last DominGO festival in Parkville. The week of October 17-21 is Love Hartford week. The Office of Community Outreach is looking for suggestions for service projects. Send ideas to either Kimberly Alexander or Janice Castle. Kim gave a brief rundown of the 311 calls in July. There 7 complaints about bulk waste dumping, including one in Colt Park. The Parking Authority is updating signs with details about where residents can park. They will issue warning citations and tickets for violators. The topic of parking in the neighborhood will be considered at a future meeting.
Chris McArdle called for a motion to adjourn. Bernadine Silvers made a motion to adjourn which was seconded by Kathy Shaw. The meeting adjourned at 6:34 pm.
Respectfully submitted by Kim Gauthier, Hartford Next
Accepted by _________________________________ Date ____________________________