The Committee to Strengthen the Sheldon/Charter Oak Neighborhood, Inc. (CSS/CON) MONTHLY BOARD MEETING (Virtual, via Zoom)
CSS/CON DIRECTORS PRESENT:
Chris McArdle, CSS/CON President, Chair; Cheryl Zeiner, Resident; Kate Pacelle, Resident; Donna Williams, Treasurer; Kimberly Alexander, Office of Community Engagement, City of Hartford; James Collins, Dillon Place Apartments; Emily Wolfe, Sheldon Oaks; Anne Snyder, Resident; Donna Swarr, Colt Park Foundation
CSS/CON DIRECTORS NOT PRESENT:
Michael Zaleski, Riverfront Recapture; Kevin Buckeridge, Resident; Jack Hale, Church of the Good Shepherd; Kathy Shaw, My Sister’s Place; Bernadine Silvers, Vice President; Mary Ramdeen, Resident; Kim Sinclair, Secretary
RESIDENTS, STAKEHOLDERS, AND OTHERS PRESENT:
Karen B, Dutch Point Homeowners Association; Uredeci Condison, Dutch Point; Kara Capone, Mercy Housing; Kim Gauthier, Hartford Next; Alexander Castro, Department of Development, City of Hartford; Cherrille Howard; Captain Jose Rivera, Hartford Fire Department
The 12 June 2023 meeting was called to order by Chris McArdle at 5:38 PM. Roll call was taken by Kim Gauthier; a quorum was present.
Kara Capone, Mercy Housing
Chris McArdle shared the letter of support for Mercy Housing for board review. Kara answered
the building such as the addition of laundry facilities, and to keep the building up to code. Kara reported that the changes proposed do not have to be reviewed by the historical committee. There was no opposition from the board; Chris will submit the letter.
Captain Jose Rivera, Hartford Fire Department
Statistics for May 2023.
Incidents:
- Medical calls: 41
- Fires: 7
- HazMat: 0
- Rescue: 3
- Service: 6
There were three fires of note during the month of May.
- 930 Wethersfield Avenue: a six-unit development burned, displacing 14 people. The fire marshal’s office determined it was intentionally set. Investigation is underway.
- 237 Flatbush Avenue: a two-family house, 6 people were displaced. There was 1 civilian fatality. The cause of the fire was incense being burned. The Fire Marshal recommends the use of battery-powered candles and plug-in scents rather than burning materials.
- 186 Park: a vacant building fire; there was 1 civilian fatality. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Alexander Castro, Department of Development, City of Hartford
There were no reports specific to CSSCON. The next significant vote is on June 13th for the addition of a 960-car garage as part of Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. The address of the garage is 289 Washington Avenue.
No other planning/zoning information to report.
Donna Swarr, Colt Park Foundation
Donna sent a letter to Erin in Zoning asking that they reconsider granting a permit for food trucks on Wawarme Avenue. In recent weeks, the area has been increasingly noisy and hazardous.
Alexander explained the loss of senior staff and the increase in the workload for those left in the department. He will send an email to Erin to request her attention to the issue. Alex will also work with other city services about the food truck allocations.
Alexander updated the NRZ about the Barnard Park/South Green initiative and let people know that Grace Yi had not forgotten the issue. It has been taken off the council agenda because there is still community feedback.
Kim Alexander, Office of Community Engagement
There are three major events coming up.
- There will be a Juneteenth event on June 18th 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the Black Lives Matter mural in Bushnell Park.
- Domingo Northeast is on June 25th from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm on Main Street from Windsor Street to Ashford Street.
- National Night Out is in the planning stages. Anyone interested in participating in the planning can attend a meeting at the South End Wellness Center.
Calls to the 311 line.
Kim gave an update regarding bulky materials being left on curbs. Qualifying properties are allowed 2 free bulk waste pick-ups per year. To find out if your property qualifies and to schedule a pick up, call the 311 line. Apartment complexes are not eligible for the pick-up plan.
Cheryl Zeiner & Cherrille Howard – Community Engagement Workshop
Cheryl reported on her attendance at the Hartford Next Community Engagement Workshop held on April 22, 2023. CSSCON had the highest number of people in attendance. The workshop included youth from OPP to share ideas. At one point, NRZs broke into groups and shared how to promote community engagement. It was well-attended and helpful.
Cherrille said it was very uplifting to see so many people from different areas. Her favorite part was hearing about other communities. She thought about taking photographs of the Sheldon Charter Oak area to make a documentary about CSSCON’s historic landmarks, etc. She said it was encouraging talking and thinking about being proud to live in Hartford. She believes you have to love where you live.
Kim Gauthier from Hartford Next encouraged Cherrille to carry through with her idea as part of the challenge from the workshop to determine one idea to work on that would help community engagement.
Chris McArdle reported that Cherrille and Cheryl would attend the Hartford Next Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 15th. He noted that people could still sign up to attend via Zoom but that in-person registration was closed.
Open Discussions
Colt Park/Impact of Food Truck Presence on Neighborhood
Donna was acknowledged to share concerns about the groups gathering in and around Colt Park recently. Warm-weather issues such as ATVs are happening so much earlier than normal. She cited one incident when an ATV rider entered the Athletic Field and was doing donuts during sporting events when players were on the field. Donna sent a letter to DPW about the incident.
Donna acknowledge the hard work that has been one to calm the area but stated that it has to be a long-term effort. The disturbances have extended down Wethersfield Avenue. People living around the park are impacted. There were two shootings at the end of Wawarme and Locust Streets and people are upset and fearful. In addition, when people come to Hartford to Dillon Stadium, they leave via Wawarme and see the road blockages, blaring music, and revving of engines.
The city had allocated two spots for food trucks but it has morphed into a party central with vendor carts, crowds, and disruptive behavior. Recently a route was marked in spray paint along the new planters. Donna removed the paint using a cleaner and belt sander. She asked for a close look about what she believes is drawing people to the area, namely food trucks. It began during the pandemic and has escalated since then. She noted a record number of houses for sale in the area and believe it is due to degraded living conditions. She also reported that cars have been broken into and one stolen in the past month.
The police department has formed an ATV Task Force over the last three weeks and they are doing a great job. Donna questioned whether or not it would be a consistent effort or will the crowds return once the police leave. There has been no indication or communication from the police department about the duration of the ATV Task Force.
Chris McArdle stated the need for involvement of more people in the NRZ; it should not just be Donna’s efforts. He suggested a more in-depth conversation about the issues surrounding the situation and sharing the responsibility for finding solutions. Chris asked James Collins about the impact on Dillion Place. James reported they will reach out to residents and engage in a discussion.
He noted that this type of issue is an opportunity to increase community engagement because it impacts so many people. It is an opportunity to build awareness of the NRZ and what it does. He called for a concerted effort by the NRZ to help and to activate other community members. Donna will forward the letter she wrote to Alexander and will copy Chris. Chris suggested someone from the city should be involved in discussions to help create a strategy.
Donna stressed that Chris’s arguments about the neighborhood were a stronger position than the ones she had mentioned related to the park and encouraged him to use that as an approach with the city.
Farmer’s Market
Donna Swarr met with members of the Hartford food systems about the organization of a farmer’s market in the North End. She reached out to Eric Lusa, who lives off the green. There is a mobile produce booth but she is unsure how or who to approach about a farmer’s market in the area. It is a much-needed addition to the area. A representative from Hartford Athletics noted that promotion of the Stadium is their top priority for the area.
Chris brought up the idea of using property belonging to the church and suggested they discuss the idea with Jack. It may be a long-term conversation but one worth having. It is not an immediate agenda item but the conversation can get started. Donna Williams supported the idea of talking with Jack about having a farmer’s market at the church because of its location and ample parking.
Event at Colt Park
Donna Swarr provided details about a party in the park on Sunday, July 2nd. It is free, family-oriented and designed to provide local activities over the long holiday weekend.
Energy Improvement District
There was conversation about pursuing the development of a mini power station for the neighborhood. Chris noted the hurricane conditions in 2022 that cut off electricity in the area. Donna Swarr reported that the governor is putting together a task force to deal with energy issues because some property is state and not city-owned. Chris would like to see NRZ board involvement.
There has been conversation about using solar canopies over the stadium parking lot which would generate energy for the stadium. However, the development of a microgrid for the neighborhood is a stronger argument than power just for the stadium. Paul Drummy [sp?] from the Mayor’s Office, chair of the Energy Improvement District, has been approached and said it isn’t their highest priority.
Chris indicated the need for a strategic plan and relation-ship building to make such a significant initiative successful. Chris called for any further input or questions.
A motion to adjourn was made by Donna Williams and seconded by Donna Swarr.
The meeting adjourned at 6:56 pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kim Gauthier, Administrative Assistant, Hartford Next
Approved by