To the Editor:

Local Republicans seem to have been spreading misinformation about the Halls Road Improvements plan during their door-knocking and social media campaigns. 

The most common misstatements are the following.

1.  Misstatement:  The Halls Road Overlay District (HROD) proposal will raise our taxes.
Fact:  If HROD is passed developers will be able to get greater returns on their property with mixed use projects. With this development the town’s tax revenues will increase and reduce the share the rest of us must pay.

2. Misstatement:  The Halls Road Overlay District (HROD) proposal will require property owners to implement changes. 
Fact:  Adopting the provisions of the HROD is purely optional.  If the property owner doesn’t opt-in, the existing C30-s zoning regulations continue to apply.

3.  Misstatement:  The Halls Road project was developed and supported only by Democrats. 
Fact:  The Halls Road Master Plan has been approved and supported by the bi-partisan [Old Lyme] Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance. The request for changes to Halls Road District was supported by 80% of the respondents to a survey conducted in 2020 by Advance CT for the Old Lyme Economic Development Commission.

4. Misstatement:  Old Lyme residents will have to pay a fortune for the bridge and trails project.
Fact: The design for the bridge and trails is fully funded by grants. Any future construction will only take place if grants are secured to help fund it.  Additionally, funding and approval for sidewalks along Halls Road were applied for through CT DOT in 2022. We are in the DOT queue for review, approval and funding.

Halls Road is important to Old Lyme’s future — too important to use as a political football. We need to work together. The least we can do is make our choices based on real facts, not rumors and misinformation.

Sincerely,

Howard Margules,
Old Lyme.

To the Editor:

I have lived in Old Lyme for 19 years and am deeply committed to its welfare, including its economic vitality. To that end I have served on the town’s Economic Development Commission and continue to serve on the Board of Selectmen’s Halls Road Improvements Committee. I am now running for election to the Old Lyme Planning Commission. Decisions made by the Planning Commission and the Zoning Commission are of the utmost importance to our town. They determine how we may use our property and how those uses may change. I want to participate in these decisions and assure that they open-minded, thoughtful, made in the best interests of our residents, respect the rights of property owners, and comply with the law.

In thinking about our land-use approval process, I am aware of concerns expressed by property owners and others that the bifurcated process can be cumbersome, time-consuming, and expensive. I therefore looked into how land-use decisions are made in other towns and found that combining planning and zoning into one commission may produce a better outcome. Most Connecticut towns, especially the smaller ones, do this. Joining them creates efficiencies, better coordination, and quicker decision- making. 

Here are [stet] some of what I found:

> Norwalk decided that combining the commissions: “will save considerable time and costs without the need to present requests to both commissions … The union of the planning and zoning commissions also creates a more consistent planning relationship. It gives the commission increased jurisdiction. That broadened authority results in greater consistency in the planning process.” (Norwalk Tomorrow 3/28/22.)

> Essex’s First Selectman, Norm Needleman, stated that, “there had been friction between the two commissions because the Zoning Commission isn’t obligated to implement the Plan of Conservation and Development drawn up by the Planning Commission (CT Examiner 9/18/20)

> Land use attorney Larry Shipman said, “Planning and zoning make sense together because at least you have people on the commission focused on planning issues, so they can become advocates for the plans they develop. . . . I find it easier as an applicant, that a joint commission allows you to accomplish more in less time.”  Shipman also thought that a combined commission would make the Plan of Conservation and Development more effective and functional; because the same people who write it are responsible for implementing it. (CT Examiner 9/18/20)

Some towns like Essex are contemplating going one step further by appointing commissioners rather than electing them. Commissioners will be required to have expertise and experience in land use. We, too, might want to explore this approach.

I am aware of a few arguments against combining the two commissions, principally that the workload will be too great. However, this concern can be addressed by increasing the number of commissioners and delegating appropriate matters to the Land Use Coordinator.

I hope you will support my effort to participate in Old Lyme’s land use decisions; this is just one idea about how we might improve the process.

Sincerely,

Howard Margules,
Old Lyme.

To the Editor:

Regarding the Halls Road zoning proposal, I agree the zoning is not perfect, and certainly needs review and revision, but we should not lose sight of the context and the bigger picture. The Public Hearing for the zoning proposal under discussion Monday, Nov. 8, at the Old Lyme Zoning Commission’s Regular Meeting is just a way to implement and make real a future Halls Road described in a set of plans and proposals that have been discussed in public for years. 

The key elements in the master plan were developed with significant input from the community and are widely supported. The Halls Road Improvement Committee (HRIC) incorporated the work produced by our consultant AdvanceCT including surveys, SWOT workshops, and an Economic Development Report.

The HRIC conducted numerous open houses and presentations to a host of organizations including town boards and commissions. The committee received input directly from many residents and also received numerous letters supporting the vision.

The master plan ensures the future viability of our central retail area while making Halls Road beautiful and attractive to the businesses that are a good fit for our community.

The key elements of the plan are to:

• Maintain Old Lyme’s small-town New England feel and insure that future development is compatible with the town’s esthetics.
• Provide badly needed housing options as an alternative to single family homes. 
• Install sidewalks, crosswalks, trees, landscaping, a bike path and improved signage. 
• Make Halls Road walkable, including a cool pedestrian bridge connecting Halls Road and Lyme Street so people can park once and walk, easily and safely. This will boost both the arts community and businesses on Halls Road. These elements will ensure the long-term viability of Halls Road and keep it alive after five PM.
• Install a town green to foster a sense of community by providing a venue for small events and perhaps a framers market.
• Maybe we can even get rid of that ‘Mayan ruin,’ the unfinished foundations in the strip center on the north side of Halls Road.

Now let’s turn to the proposed zoning regulations that are designed to support the vision described above and guarantee the vision is obtainable. It has been correctly pointed out that some revisions are required to achieve this. The Zoning Commission’s Public Hearing is the appropriate place to address these. 

Let’s encourage all of the appropriate boards and commissions to work together in a bipartisan way in order to achieve the Halls Road master plan vision that is desperately needed and widely supported.

Remember, the town’s major financial commitment is the right-of-way improvements on US Rte. 1. Private developers will do the rest, but only if we both allow and tell them to do what we want. 

Sincerely,

Howard Margules,
Old Lyme.

Editor’s Note: The author is a member of the Halls Road Improvement Committee.