NOVEMBER 17, 2004

ATTENDANCE: Marilyn Robinson, Chair; Carol Ann Falasca; Gail Wall; Betty Booth; Glen Ianacone; Bill Krummel; Ralph Bloom; Marija Bryant; Gail Wall; Deborah Mathies; Barbara Amodio; Leigh Grant; Ed Cozzette

STAFF: Susan Gunn

OTHER: Michael Bromley; Tony Doumlele; Laurel Lindstrom; Robert Wagman; Michael DiScala; Alan Webber

The Chairman called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m.

Mr. DisScala made a presentation on behalf of himself and Alan Webber. He said that they are present tonight in two capacities; one as a neighbor on Mill Hill and as a designated developer for the Wall Street Parcel #3 Redevelopment. Mr. DiScala gave an overview of the Wall Street area including the various boundary lines. Mr. DiScala explained that Parcel #3 is one of three subsections. Poco Developers from Port Chester, New York is the other developer competing with DiScala. Mr. DiScala said that their team has a vision to recreate the historical neighborhood like it was in the 1920’s. Section 1 is the parking area (the City is requiring 250 to 300 parking spaces after it is developed). Section 2 consists of buildings along Wall Street bordered by the river. There are no plans for demolition in this area, just restoration in lieu of this. Section 3 is the Pottery Barn that was condemned. Apartments are scheduled for this area.

Mr. DiScala said that this is the first unveiling of this plan. He said that his company is looking forward to developing something unique to the City of Norwalk, a historical district with a European flair with lots of piazzas and open space. He said it is a balance of bringing people back to the inner city as well as the right type of retail to support the expense of living in the city. Mr. DiScala went on to give an overview of the low-rise townhouses and 3-story apartments that would be built. A total of 75 apartments are scheduled for this area of which 25 will be allocated to affordable housing. Mr. DiScala said that in order to achieve the European flair, there would be landscaping, an access way to the river and cobblestone in front of Mill Hill.

Mr. DiScala pointed out some issues that need to be addressed. He said there is a very dangerous condition at the intersection on High Street that needs to be rectified. He said that the plan that he is discussing actually follows the plan that the Redevelopment Agency has adopted. He said that he is introducing some changes to that plan. Mr. DiScala said he believes that the 3 acres of land at Mill Hill is a treasure that is underutilized. He said that he would like to see a better tie in between Mill Hill and the Redevelopment plan, which he feels is not really addressed at this time. Mr. DiScala said that he would like to close Smith Street in order to create a piazza area, enhance landscaping and lighting with the guidance and design at the discretion of the NHC and NHS. Mr. DiScala said that they really need the NHC’s comments and input.

Mr. DiScala went on to say that Mill Hill drops off severely. He said that there is an opportunity to build townhouses in this area. He suggested that a joint venture be established since it could be quite lucrative. Mr. DiScala asked if anyone had any suggestions/questions.

Mr. Bloom asked if the parking structure was level with the river. Mr. DiScala said that the parking structure would be under the building but there are some parking spaces at the level of the river. Mr. Bloom voiced some concerns. He said that the townhouses are on public property and the City owns it. He said that the City is reluctant to be a landlord. Mr. Bloom stated that another concern is that the townhouses block the view of the river. Mr. DiScala confirmed that there would be no view of the river once the townhouses are built. There was discussion with regard to the view. Mr. Bloom inquired as to the access to the 21 legal parking spaces on Smith Street. He asked how access would be acquired. Mr. DiScala said that access would be via Hubbell Lane. He said that Hubbell Lane has to be left open for fire truck access as well. Mr. DiScala stated that they would like to close Smith Street to cars and trucks and to open it up only to pedestrians.

Ms. Wall said that she would like to sit down with Mr. DiScala at another time to review some older plans for the site that date back to the 1970’s. She said that she has a great deal of trouble with seeing massive structures on the river. She said that 6 stories on the river is overbuilding and it will obstruct views. Ms. Wall said that it is not in keeping with the historic aspect of the neighborhood.

Mr. DiScala said that presently they are complying with zoning. He said that there are other reasons why you need a critical mass to recreate a community. He said that Norwalk citizens should be able to use the waterfront and that a certain number of apartments is needed to support what they are creating.

Ms. Falasca asked the total number of units. Mr. DiScala said that there are 80 units on 1 and 1/3 acres equaling 100,000 square feet of units.

Mr. Krummel said that he attended an earlier public hearing on the Wall Street Redevelopment and he made very strong comments about opening up the river and he is glad to see that the public walkways were put in since they were not there previously. He said that the pedestrian walkway is an excellent improvement over what he heard some time ago. Mr. Krummel suggested that some creative thinking be done with regard to the 6-story building because it would be an eyesore.

Mr. DiScala said that this is the very preliminary stage and any comments/suggestions are welcome. He said that he has 30 days, to December 2, 2004, to submit the RFP and two months to submit the RFQ.

Ms. Wall suggested that she and Mr. DiScala get together soon to go over the old plans. Mr. DiScala said that he would be happy to and suggested some time next week when this plan is complete and more detailed. He said that this plan does not do justice to what the site is actually going to look like. Discussion ensued regarding design, parking issues and critical mass.

** MR. KRUMMEL MADE A MOTION THAT THE REDEVELOPMENTAGENCY BE REMINDED THAT THE NHC WANTED SOME REMNANT OF THE POTTERY FACTORY PRESERVED AS PART OFTHE DESIGN AS PREVIOUSLY AGREED TO.
** MS. MATHIES SECONDED THE MOTION.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

B&G DEVELOPMENT COMPANY PROPOSAL

Ms. Robinson said that B&G Development withdrew their proposal to develop 25 Taylor Avenue and one other property this morning.

MINUTES

The minutes were tabled until the next meeting.

REPORTS

Ms. Robinson said that Ms. Bryant was up very late last night putting together the training exhibit. Invitations were distributed to the Commissioners to review.

Historical Society – Ms. Wall stated that she and Ms. Gunn met and agreed that the windows are fine. She said that there were some minor details that were taken care of. She said that she met with Dan Adams of Home Line who submitted several proposals which were submitted to Ms. Gunn. Ms. Wall said that the NHS is still working on a preservation/conservation plan.

Ms. Robinson said that she has a question in terms of budget with regard to painting the townhouse. There was a suggestion that quotes of $8,000 to $10,000 be submitted to the Finance Department. Ms. Wall submitted amounts for work being done: carpentry repairs for the Weil House - $465.00; exterior repairs for the Fitch House - $4,250.00 (not including painting); carpentry repairs to the townhouse, $5,100.00 for visible rot and replacing a new crown. Ms. Robinson said that money for the preservation plan and the repairs need to be coordinated in order to be put into the budget. Ms. Wall said that the problem is that there is a lot of rot at Weil House and Fitch and it needs to be addressed. The Commissioners agreed that they needed to have a professional come in and look at the properties. Ms. Wall recommended that the NHC submit the whole line quotes with a cover sheet. She said the townhouse with the painting and carpentry work is $33,165.00; Fitch/Weil’s carpentry work and painting totals $11,585.00. She said the these amounts submitted to the Finance Department along with a request for the preservation plan will show them the urgency of doing the work that is needed and the dollar value. Discussion ensued as to whether to submit the entire amount of $45,000.00 to the Finance Department. Ms. Robinson asked that Mr. Bloom to prepare written proposals for the preservation plan to submit to the Finance Department. Mr. Bloom said that he would have them by Friday.

Ms. Gunn reported donations given to the NHC. She directed the Commissioners to a chart in their packets which outlines monthly accounting, visitor log, library patrons, volunteer hours, events, telephone calls, emails and a bar graph of attendance. The graph includes statistics for the past 10 months. On Saturday there will be a tour group from Maryland. They will be discussing holiday customs and the history of Norwalk. Ms. Robinson said that the group will receive an architectural tour of Washington Street.

NHC Report

Ms. Gunn reported that the new furnace would be installed by Thanksgiving. She said the NHC budget was submitted to Finance and the IT budget requests were submitted to the IT Department. A purchase order is being processed for new windows. Ms. Gunn said that she met with the architect for the home to built at 9 Mill Clift Terrace yesterday and reviewed the existing building. She said that there are several problems with it. She said that the land was originally divided into four lots and they are developing only two. There was discussion regarding the demolition of the existing structure and the construction of the new home. Ms. Gunn said that the Building Department would like a letter from the NHC stating that the building can be torn down. There was further discussion with regard to the need to obtain a State permit for an asbestos abatement.

Ms. Gunn referred the Commission to a finance report giving an overview of budget transfers. She said that $1,100.00 was taken from the IT Services line and moved it to Buildings and added $5,400.00 to the NHC budget which was approved by the Common Council, the BET and Finance. Ms. Gunn stated that $238.50 was used for pest control.

Ms. Robinson asked if there was enough money in the NHC budget to put new doors on the Carriage House. Ms. Gunn said that there is $3,000.00 still available in the buildings line. One quote is for $3,800.00 and another quote will be submitted to the NHC by Friday. There was further discussion with regard to the money that is available install the doors and whether or not there is a need to ask for special appropriations. Further discussion ensued with regard to the budget and the work that needs to be done on the conservatory. Ms. Gunn said that she would get another estimate for the doors, sockets and wood trim.

Eagle Scouts

There was discussion with regard to the Eagle Scouts and concerns about the work that they are doing. Ms. Gunn said that the Scouts only work when she is available and they make an appointment with her. She said that she and her staff work with them and check up on them.

** MS. BOOTH MADE A MOTION THAT ANY EAGLE SCOUT DESIRING TO WORK ON A PROJECT BE REFERRED TO THE NHC FOR APPROVAL BEFORE BEGINNING THE WORK.
** MS. FALASCA SECONDED THE MOTION.

Ms. Robinson said that there is a young Eagle Scout by the name of Brian Lindquist who is currently a Life Scout working toward Eagles. She said that one of the requirements is to organize service projects and he is proposing a project that involves cleaning and organizing the storage facility, discarding any unused materials, display historical pieces that are found, etc. Ms. Gunn said that this project involves work on the basement storage room. She said that Brian would raise the floor level on skids so that there will not be flooding to anything sitting on the floor. She said that Brian comes in twice a week and has a deadline for completion of the work that is determined by the Eagle Scout Master. Ms. Gunn said that she has told him that safety is of extreme importance. She said that the Eagle Scouts have been tremendously helpful. Ms. Wall expressed some concern with the Scouts handling the material in the basement.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Ms. Gunn said that if the Commission feels that it is unlikely that they want Brian to continue with this project it is only fair that she tell him this so that he can find another project because of time restraints. She said that if the Commission would like to fine tune the proposal, she could meet with Brian so that they can go over it. Ms. Gunn said that it is not fair to have him wait for another month. Ms. Wall said that she just thinks that he should make a proper presentation. There was further discussion with regard to other scouts making proposals. Ms. Gunn said gave an overview of the work that Brian Lindquist would be doing under her supervision.

Budget Discussion

Ms. Robinson said that the only thing that the NHC had concerns about was the mission statement. She said that the first part of the statement comes from the ordinance. The second part is an attempt to explain and itemize the different buildings, who leases which buildings and who operates and maintains them. She invited the Commissioners to revise the statement since it needs to be adopted before December 8, 2004.
Mr. Krummel said that it is not a good idea to have Commission meetings running beyond 10:00 p.m. Ms. Robinson said that the meeting lasted a little longer than usual because of Mr. DiScala’s presentation.

** MR. KRUMMEL MADE A MOTION THAT THE NHC NOT WORK ON THE MISSION STATEMENT TONIGHT BECAUSE THEY DO NOT WANT THE COMMISSION MEETINGS TO GO PAST 10:00 P.M. AND TO WORK ON THE STATEMENT BY E-MAIL.
** MS. FALASCA SECONDED THE MOTION.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

Ms. Robinson referenced a letter she received from Mayor Knopp inviting her to serve on the 2004 Oyster Shell Park Advisory Committee. She said that she accepted the invitation to be on the Committee. Ms. Robinson said that she wanted the NHC to know so that she could solicit ideas from the Commission.

Cemeteries

No report

Demolitions

There is a demolition listed in the newspaper for 41 Knight Street. It is a big house on the corner of Cross Street and North Avenue. Ms. Falasca said that 58 Noroton Avenue came on at the last meeting.

Mill Hill

This item was previously discussed.

Norwalk Museum

Ms. Mathies said in her inventory she has been seeing old records. She said she spoke with Andy Garfunkel and Pam Stark with regard to finding money to preserve some of the very old documents. The preserved documents will remain at City Hall.

** MS. MATHIES MADE A MOTION THAT THE NHC ASSIST IN PRESERVING OLD RECORDS AT NORWALK CITY HALL.
** MR. COZZETTE SECONDED THE MOTION.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Ms. Falasca said that the they had a very short meeting on Monday to begin working on the office manual. She said that she would like Ms. Gunn to sit in on the draft form and then present it to the Commission for discussion. Ms. Falasca submitted minutes of that meeting.

Gift Shop

Ms. Booth that the purpose of their meeting was to discuss the Norwalk Museum’s retail shop operations. There was a history given of the gift shops since 1973. As a result of the discussions the Committee made the following recommendations: 1) store and secure all of the gift shop inventory and itemize the inventory that was submitted on July 24, 2004; 2) there should be a professionally and properly gift shop run in the Norwalk Museum which should be located in the front room of the Museum.

** MS. BOOTH MADE A MOTION ON BEHALF OF THE NHC THAT THE COMMITTEE SECURE AND STORE ALL OF THE GIFT SHOP INVENTORY ITEMIZED ON THE INVENTORY LIST SUBMITTED BY THE CURATOR ON JULY 24, 2004 AND REMAINING AS OF 11/17/04.
** MS. MATHIES SECONDED THE MOTION.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Trailer

Mr. Krummel reported that there would be a meeting at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning regarding the condition of the contents of the trailer and what steps need to be taken.

Mr. Krummel left the meeting at 10:30 p.m.

OLD BUSINESS

Mr. Cozzette said that a date needed to be set with regard to repairs being done at the Dunn Hardware Store. The Commission agreed to a date of January 1, 2005. There was discussion with regard to soliciting an Eagle Scout to help move items in the storage room. There was discussion with regard to the design of the hardware store. Ms. Gunn said that there is a problem with getting the walls and ceiling fixed in the storage area. She said that she needed to get additional information regarding the planning for the storage area and the gallery.

NEW BUSINESS

Ms. Robinson said that most of the property in SoNo has been purchased by another company. She said that she would like to see those people come before the Commission and let them know what they plan to do in the area.

ADJOURNMENT

** MR. IANNACONE MADE A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:55 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Linda L. Custis
Telesco Secretarial Services

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