To the contrary, there is no dispute between us and the Town about “ownership” since Tim Griswold’s Town Attorney publicly stated at a BOS meeting in August 2022 that his year-long investigation had found no evidence of ownership on the part of the Town. The Town and its counsel have since confirmed publicly and privately that they cannot and do not dispute that we own the Landing parcel in fee simple.
While the Griswold administration continued to claim there might have been a “public highway” along that spit of land based on a 1701 right of way, we discovered and published more than two years ago official Town records establishing that this right of way never went down what is now our back driveway, wasn’t even being used and indeed couldn’t be found in 1712, was replaced by another right of way in 1713 (which traces the current Tantummaheag Road and never touched our property), and by contract with the then-landowner Richard Lord (who became First Selectman in 1720) the Town surrendered all rights to any and all Town rights-of-ways on his property in 1727.
The Republican candidate for Old Lyme First Selectman is John Mesham. His running mate is incumbent Selectwoman Jude Danenhower Read (R), who is running again for the same position. Photo submitted.
OLD LYME–This year’s race for Old Lyme First Selectman will be a rematch between incumbent Democrat Martha Shoemaker and Republican John Mesham.
The Republican Town Committee this week announced Mesham’s candidacy as part of a slate of candidates endorsed Tuesday at their new headquarters on Halls Road.
John Mesham
Mesham, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, retired from the Connecticut State Police in 2020 as a master sergeant after 29 years in law enforcement. He is a member of the Inland Wetlands Commission and a deputy registrar of voters.
The Republicans in a press release described Mesham as an experienced leader with “impeccable integrity” and proven management skills.
“John will also bring much needed ethical standards and transparency back to leadership in Town Hall,” the party said.
The victory in 2023 went to Shoemaker with 51.8% majority. She brought in 1,820 votes compared to Mesham’s 1,697.
Along with Mesham, incumbent Republican Jude Danenhower Read will run for reelection to the three-member Board of Selectmen as they work to reverse the current Democratic majority.
The Republicans said Mesham and Read were instrumental in resisting unpopular initiatives during Shoemaker’s term, including a plan from the Halls Road Improvements Committee to reenvision the commercial strip as a mix of apartments and businesses.
Selectmen late last year voted 2-1, with Read opposed, to send the plan for the Halls Road Overlay District (HROD) to the Zoning Commission. It was rejected in a 4-1 vote by the commission after hours of testimony at a public hearing in front of 550 people, with more waiting in the wings of the Lyme-Old Lyme High School auditorium.
“Together, John and Jude have forged relationships across partisan lines in Old Lyme including open and collaborative relationships with Democrats and unaffiliated voters in our town,” the party said.
Jude Danenhower Read
The Republicans credited Mesham and Read with spearheading opposition “to back door land deals on access to Tantummaheag Landing” as part of a years-long dispute over the ownership of a spit of land bisecting a Tantummaheag Road property. The town going back to previous First Selectman Tim Griswold’s tenure has claimed ownership of the landing amid opposition from the owner, a prominent lawyer and government official with more than a half century of experience, who has signaled his intent to take the case to federal court.
Republican Town Committee Chairman Randy Nixon in an email said a majority of committee members voted to endorse the slate of candidates, which was recommended by its nomination committee.
In response to a request for an interview with Mesham, Nixon said he would have the candidate reach out next week.
The party’s platform includes maintaining the semi-rural character of Old Lyme; fiscal prudence; control over land use decisions in town; resident access to water through town land; high quality education; environmental protection and transparency in town government.
The press release, which directed questions to campaign manager Shaun Mastroianni, emphasized the slate includes Republican and unaffiliated candidates, who were selected based on qualifications rather than party – “all of whom stood firmly and actively against HROD and are concerned about key issues affecting the public.”
Mastroianni moved to Old Lyme in 2023 from Stonington, where he was active in local politics. He ran unsuccessfully last year for the state Senate seat held by Martha Marx, D-New London.
The following candidates were endorsed with Mesham and Read for the November election: (*incumbent)
Town Clerk – Vicki Urbowicz*
Board of Assessment Appeals – Timothy C. Griswold*
Planning Commission – Harold Thompson*, Todd Machnik*
Board of Education – Jarod Bushey, Shaun Mastroianni, Brandy Campbell, Frank Pappalardo
Board of Finance – Matthew Olson*, J. David Kelsey*, John Flick
Board of Finance Alternate – Michael Presti, Maria Corrao Marchant, Bob Antoniac
Zoning Commission – Sloan Danenhower (U), Jane Marsh*
Zoning Board of Appeals – Stephen P. Dix (U)*
Zoning Board of Appeals Alternate – James T. Scott, Jill Pilgrim, Nicholas Fulton
Editor’s Note: The article was updated to correct the vote at the Halls Road zoning meeting and to clarify Nixon’s statement regarding a possible interview with the candidate.
Full Slate of Candidates for November Election Unveiled, Shoemaker Will Not Run Again for BOE
Old Lyme First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker
OLD LYME–First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker, unanimously endorsed this week by Democrats in her bid for a second term, wants to keep trying her best for the town.
“There are still things that I want to finish,” she said Thursday at the Town Hall.
Shoemaker, who also serves on the Region 18 Board of Education, said she will not run again for the school board.
The first selectwoman cited several big projects she hopes will come to fruition in the next two years, as well as some new initiatives bolstered by volunteers committed to making the roads safer and the shoreline more resilient.
“I’d like to see the sewer project through,” she said of the decades-long push to update several beach communities currently reliant on septic systems. “I’d like to see the Grassy Hill (Road) Bridge and the Emergency Operations Center completed.”
She said she’s excited to see the work being done by a reinvigorated Flood and Erosion Control Board. The group had been dormant for four years before she made good on a campaign promise two years ago to bring it back.
“We live in an area that is prone to floods, and we need to do everything in our power to make sure that we’re keeping all water areas safe,” she said.
She also pointed to the creation of the Road and Public Safety Committee earlier this year to address resident concerns about speeding and other safety issues.
Shoemaker became first selectwoman in 2023 with a 51.8% majority. She brought in 1,820 votes compared to Republican opponent John Mesham’s 1,697.
The Republican Town Committee on Thursday had not yet announced the slate of candidates approved at the party’s Tuesday endorsement meeting.
Shoemaker acknowledged the past two years have not been without controversy.
A plan from the Halls Road Improvements Committee to reenvision the commercial strip as a mix of apartments and businesses was widely panned. The Board of Selectmen, which had voted to send the proposal to the Zoning Commission, reacted to the subsequent outcry by putting the Halls Road committee on hold while considering a new path forward.
The scaled-back focus now is on sidewalks, according to Shoemaker. She signed off in May on a grant application to the Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) for $800,000 to install them on the north half of Halls Road.
Also contentious was Shoemaker’s failure to promptly disclose public documents requested by the CT Examiner involving the independent Old Lyme Ambulance Association. Reporters for the media outlet told the state Freedom of Information Commission it took 168 days for Shoemaker to provide incident reports revealing allegations that an intern was touched inappropriately and repeatedly by an adult emergency medical technician.
The state commission issued Shoemaker a $250 civil fine for not promptly handing over the public documents. The hearing officer at the time acknowledged Shoemaker had put corrective measures in place and agreed to annual transparency training.
“I made a mistake,” Shoemaker said, without specifying where she went wrong. “I paid the fine. And we’ve revamped.”
The Democratic Town Committee on Wednesday voted on a slate of candidates that includes incumbent Jim Lampos for selectman, according to a committee press release.
Shoemaker said Lampos’ love for the town makes him an ideal running mate, again.
“He is so thoughtful in his comments,” she said of the business owner and author of several books on local history. “He has a historical perspective to anything that we are looking to do.”
Also endorsed were: (*incumbent, +current alternate)
Planning Commission – Michael F. Riggio
Board of Finance – Kimberly Thompson*, Candace A. Fuchs*
Board of Finance Alternates – Diane Y. Linderman*, Tom Walsh, Fred Behringer (U)*
Zoning Commission – Michael Fogliano (U)*
Zoning Board of Appeals – Michaelle Pearson+, Kip Kotzan*
Zoning Board of Appeals Alternates – Kathleen Tracy*, Richard Korsmeyer
Board of Assessment Appeals – Devin Berke+
Regional Board of Education – Jason L. Kemp*, Michael J. Hansen, Sheryl Shyloski and Cynthia Love McCollum
Editor’s Note: This article was corrected to show the Republican Town Committee endorsement meeting was held Tuesday.
The exterior of the renovated Chestnut Market at 85 Halls Rd. in Old Lyme as seen in a 2024 file photo.
OLD LYME–Gas stations will be officially excised from the local zoning regulations, effective Aug. 11.
The Zoning Commission on Monday voted unanimously to amend the regulations to strike gas stations from the list of businesses that can operate in town.
Land Use Coordinator Eric Knapp said that means the existing four gas stations in town will remain, but no more will be allowed.
Gas stations were previously confined to Halls Road and certain parts of Shore Road.
Applications for new or improved gas stations are controversial in a town where residents have long objected to development that would entice drivers to get off Interstate 95 rather than continuing on to points north or south.
There was no comment at Monday evening’s public hearing.
The Planning Commission in a unanimous vote last month found the move consistent with the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development. The document, updated every 10 years, is meant to guide the community’s growth based on the vision of those who live there.
It is unusual for traffic to be backed up on on Lyme Street … but it happens. This photo was taken after a Midsummer Festival fireworks display a few years ago. The Old Lyme Road and Public Safety Committee would like local people’s thoughts on safety issues on our roads and have a launched a survey seeking public input.
Committee Launches Survey for All Road Users to Complete, Mulls Options Including Speed Cameras, Speed Humps
OLD LYME–The Old Lyme Road and Public Safety Committee would like road users’ thoughts on whether there are safety issues on local roads, and what may be done to make travel safer in Old Lyme.
In response to local complaints, and a statewide concern over vehicle speeding and serious traffic accidents, the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen created a Road and Public Safety Committee in August 2024.
The committee, in its efforts to explore the best ways to address traffic-related concerns across town, has created an online survey for drivers, passengers, pedestrians and bikers who use Old Lyme roads.
Everyone 18 years and older is asked to take a short, anonymous survey. People may also write to the Committee with specific concerns or questions.
The committee is interested in whether road users believe there are safety issues on Old Lyme roads, and their thoughts on possible countermeasures.
After research and deliberation, the Committee may make recommendations to the Board of Selectmen for action items.
Since its inception, the committee has started to research driver behavior and consider various traffic safety measures that may be appropriate for Old Lyme.
Meeting minutes show the committee continues to look at options for using enforcement cameras to detect speeding cars and mail tickets to the registered owner.
Committee Co-Chairman Gregory Futoma in a Monday phone interview said the survey is a way to gauge people’s input on the scope of the unsafe driving problem in town, and where it’s most prevalent. They also want to know what kind of solutions might work in Old Lyme.
“We’d like to basically come up with a solution that’s accepted by all,” he said.
The committee was formed after the issue of speeding was brought to the forefront last spring by a Sill Lane homeowner, who said a 16-year-old driver wiped out eight historic shrubs and destroyed the front porch of her 18th century home.
The committee since its inception has been looking at fixes ranging from updated signage, to speed humps, to speed cameras with ticketing technology.
Speed Cameras
State lawmakers in 2023 authorized cities and towns to install automated speed cameras and to issue tickets.
Information on the state Department of Transportation (DOT) website specifies tickets are mailed to the owner of the vehicle. A ticket cannot exceed $50 for the first offense and $75 for each subsequent offense, with up to $15 for electronic processing. The installation of each new camera comes with a 30-day grace period during which only warnings are allowed.
Car owners are liable for tickets even if they weren’t actually driving.
The civil fines do not appear on the car owners’ records, according to the state DOT. That means there are no points assessed against their licenses or sent to insurance companies.
Washington became the first Connecticut town to be approved for speed enforcement cameras under the new law early this year, with Middletown joining the ranks as the first city earlier this month.
Proponents of the cameras say they can cut down on speeding significantly. Critics describe the remote technology as a revenue generator that jeopardizes the civil liberties of those accused.
In addition to seeking input from those who use Old Lyme roads through the survey, Futoma said one of the committee’s key priorities is to consult with towns that have implemented a speeding enforcement camera program.
He said questions will include how the program was introduced, whether residents were resistant, and what kind of education could help ease the transition.
“I think we’re at the beginning of what perhaps may be a more common enforcement technique in the future, but it’s still fairly new and people certainly have some questions about it,” he said. “It needs to be explained to people carefully about what the aim is, and how it might work.
The Board of Selectmen is the state-recognized traffic authority in town. Futoma emphasized that any move to institute speed cameras would require approval by Old Lyme voters through an update to the town’s ordinances and by the state, which must determine the measure is likely to improve safety in the specified locations.
“So it’s a long road,” Futoma said.
The committee at its June meeting said feedback from the police department indicates speed notification signs – the digital devices on various roads in town that announce drivers’ speed and tabulate data but do not send out tickets – are helping to reduce speeds.
Speed Humps
The committee has also spoken with officials in North Stonington about multiple speed humps installed in that town over the past several years, Futoma said.
Futoma described the traffic-calming devices as flatter and more elongated than the speed bumps already installed in some of Old Lyme’s beach areas. He said the humps are designed so that emergency vehicles aren’t slowed down or stressed by traveling over them.
Town public works and public safety officials at the committee’s March meeting were “universally opposed” to speed humps because of concerns about response time and damage to plows and emergency vehicles, according to meeting minutes. But member Sophie Diamond said emergency services personnel in North Stonington, who were initially opposed to speed humps, did not have complaints after they were installed.
Futoma said he welcomes input through the survey and in emails to the committee, which can be sent here.
“We want to make sure that whatever we do, people view as reasonable, and they look forward to basically having the road safer,” he said.
