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Health & Fitness

UW property, now what?

Everyone knows the the objectors and the Zoning Board defeated the UW site plan application. But now what, what's the next move and who makes it?  We need to act , all of us. Mayor and Council, the Bd of Ed, Environmental Commission, Planning Bd, Shade Tree Comm., Recreation Comm, our students, seniors,  everyone.
We all know we woiuld like to keep the space open, free from development. The tax ratable boom was a bust from the start . $1,000,000 intersection improvements and paying to take property from our residents along River Road would have been just the start. Buying the property would be 3 intersections. We need to take the first move or the next application is already being designed.
The Bd of Ed needs to take control of Cecchino Drive. Years ago the Mayor and council, that I was a part o,  petitioned  the county to control Cecchino Dr. to allow high school students to park in a safe environment, without backing up into traffice on Madison St.  We secured grant money to build curbs and sidewalks along Madison Ave. Cecchino Dr needs to be "De-Mapped". A procedure that removes the street from public use and converts it to private ownership , specifically the Bd of Ed. It is crazy not to have the hign school parking lot secure. Right now, it's accessable to anyone and their car. If Shop Rite was developed, Cecchino Dr would be parking for the store, not the high school. Take the street, pay the county a $1 a year.
Taking the street would also guarantee that any development would not be able to front on a street that  no longer exists. No development facing the school . The property line would now be a "side yard" and subject to different zoning requirements. The Bd of Ed could fence the area, re-align the entrance and the circle to improve student safety, drop-offs and pick-ups, etc. But the high school needs additional parking as well as security. If you seize control of Cecchino Dr, maybe additional width would create another row of parking on the opposite side of the street. Maybe you need an additional 20 feet of the UW property to make that happen. Maybe you approach UW and have some serious conversation about a donation of the 20 feet for the hign school parking lot and added security and safety for students.
Maybe the Bd of Ed needs 50 or 100 feet additional property. Maybe the Bd of Ed wants a field and recreation space . Maybe Mayor and Council needs to "take the property", seize it . Yep, I said it, take the property under 
"Eminent Domain". Happens all the time.  Sure we would need to pay for the property but that could be years away and open space money is available from the county. Grant money, somehow. Our residents have demonstrated how important this parcel is to prevent further flooding down stream.  There are photos of wild deer and eagles . The parcel is environmentally rich in natural wildlife and the trees! Isn't New Milford at the bottom of " open space " list.
The cost not to purchase the property will be far greater than the asking price. 
We need to do something, we can't wait for the next application and do this all over again.
We need to act.

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