OLD LYME – The Zoning Commission on Monday evening voted decisively to quash a proposal intended by its proponents to transform Halls Road over time into a livable, walkable, ‘shoppable’ town center.
Members of the commission credited vocal opposition evident in the “No Way Overlay” movement and called for engagement from local land use officials and residents in crafting an alternate future for the short span of road between two highway interchanges.
The vote to deny the application passed 4-1. The lone dissenting vote came from Democrat Mary Jo Nosal.
The proposal hinged on the creation of a voluntary overlay district on Halls Road that would allow apartments and condominiums to be built above, or behind, ground-floor businesses set close to the street. The underlying commercial district that had allowed for construction of strip malls and mostly one- and two-story businesses over the latter half of the last century would have remained intact for property owners who weren’t interested in adding a residential component to their plans for retail shops, restaurants and offices.
The overlay district proposal, created by the Halls Road Improvements Committee, was approved by the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen in a 2-1 vote in November. The application to the Zoning Commission was signed by First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker.
Zoning Commission member Jane Marsh, in explaining her decision, referenced the final session of a public hearing that concluded last week in front of an audience in the Lyme-Old Lyme High School auditorium that maxed out the room’s 550-person capacity and left upwards of 100 people unable to get in.
A majority of those in attendance at the time held “Vote No” signs. They spoke about the potential for too many apartments and condominiums – anywhere from 200 to 1,200 of them, depending on who was doing the calculation and which variables were considered – in a location with limited septic options and no public sewer system. They called out a lack of information throughout the years-long process and not enough opportunity for residents to get involved.
Marsh said she voted against the proposal, “Primarily because of everybody who came to that public hearing.”
Shoemaker after the vote said the Board of Selectmen will discuss how to move forward on improving Halls Road at a meeting over the next few weeks. She said Halls Road Improvements Committee Chairwoman Edie Twining has already expressed interest in working together to plan the next steps.
Twining on Monday night declined to give her own comment. But she referred to an impassioned speech from Zoning Commission member Denise Savageau, who called on members of the Planning Commission, Zoning Commission and other relevant agencies to work together with input from the public – instead of working in “silos” – to come up with a new plan.
Twining could be seen during the meeting taking notes as Savageau spoke.
“Denise was 100% correct,” she said afterward.
Editor’s Notes: i) This story has been updated with a change in the opening sentence. ii) Full story coming Tuesday. iii) A reminder of Our Policy on Comments.
An Open Letter to the Residents and Taxpayers of Old Lyme:
During the past few weeks, hundreds of residents have expressed their opinions, both positive and negative, to the Board of Selectmen, the Planning Commission and the Zoning Commission regarding the Halls Road Overlay District (HROD) application.
As interest in the application has grown, so have questions about the application process.
I want to take a moment to assure all residents of two things.
First, the Town of Old Lyme is following the application process that every town in Connecticut is required to follow when it comes to potentially changing zoning regulations. The process is designed so that elected officials on all relevant boards and commissions can review the application in the context of a town’s Plan for Conservation & Development, solicit public input and then make the best decisions for the town.
Second, everyone’s opinions – whether of concern or support – have been reviewed and carefully considered by the members of the Board of Selectmen, the Planning Commission, the Zoning Commission and the Halls Road Improvement Committee. Public input and feedback are an integral part of the application process.
After the most recent Zoning Commission meeting on April 9, which was attended by some 550 residents, I have received multiple requests from opponents of the application to withdraw the application from further consideration.
I am not planning to do that for the two reasons I just mentioned. We are following the required process, and the appropriate boards and commissions are soliciting and considering everyone’s opinions.
I will also add that, in recent weeks, some of the public comments being made on social media have morphed into personal attacks against the volunteers who have served on the Halls Road Improvements Committee. These comments are unkind and do not relate to the issue.
As the application process moves forward, I would like to request that everyone be respectful of the dedicated volunteers who give their time and skills to our town, even when and if their opinions may be different from your own.
Sincerely,
Martha H. Shoemaker, Old Lyme.
Editor’s Note: The author is the First Selectwoman of Old Lyme.
Tulips and pansies make a colorful spring display.
“Those March winds shall blow, and we shall have snow and what will the Robin do then poor thing? He’ll hide in the barn and keep himself warm and hide his head under his wing.”
Maureen Haseley-Jones
March was a month of “wait and see” as we anticipated walking around our gardens. This morning, I walked outside, into a westerly breeze and a gentle sun. I took a deep breath and as I did, I caught the rich fragrance of the soil beginning to awaken.
All of us are itching to get into the garden and I believe that foray will be earlier than last year since frost did not penetrate deep into the ground.
Please wait until April to clear the winter debris from your borders, as beneficial insects like the bees are hibernating there. Bees are our life blood; they pollinate 70% of the world’s food and we are losing them in the millions, due to climate, pollution, poisonous herbicides and insecticides and just human carelessness.
The sodden soil will dry out in the next few weeks, so tread gently on our precious commodity. I also am asking that you do not till the soil, as tilling damages soil structure and can break friable root systems.
Please be patient right now! I know you are chafing at the bit to get your hands into the soil, but, at this moment, continue planning for the upcoming season. Planning means organizing, which helps to prevent costly gardening mistakes during the growing season.
When you go outdoors to take a walk around the garden, check the trees and decide which ones might need pruning. For example, decide which limbs might need to be removed or the canopy lifted to allow more sunshine into a shady area of the garden. Having made some of those decisions, I suggest that you call in an arborist for tree work in March and April before foliage emerges. With a blank canvas, the work will be accomplished faster and is therefore less expensive.
You can use this time to check on broken or dead limbs and which branches require cabling. And if a tree appears to be 50% dead, then it should be removed.
A medium shade area can be changed to a dappled shade area, allowing more sunlight in by thinning out the upper tree branches or tree canopy.
Perhaps you would like a tree removed to transform a shady area to a sunny spot, giving you a larger choice of plants.
I always hesitate to remove a healthy tree, but sometimes a tree has been planted too close to the house which often results in the roots undermining the home’s foundation and the shading over the roof has resulted in mold and mildew.
Careful pruning allows trees to bloom freely.
At this juncture, I must point out that there is an art to tree work in knowing how, when and why to cut. Work on the trees should be carried out by a professional so that at the completion of the work, the effect is both practical and aesthetically pleasing. An experienced arborist will also take into consideration the health of the trees. Also by employing an arborist, you can avoid injury to yourself, from falling from ladders or avoiding tree branches or trees falling on you.
Pruning
Pruning is one task that you may feel you are able to accomplish yourself. Some tips include:
Hedges can be sheared for shape, so that any stubby ends will be concealed by new spring growth.
Please keep to the natural shape of the shrub – no round balls.
Prune Spirea to six inches from the ground.
In April, prune lavender down to three inches.
In late March, prune sweet pepper bush (Clethra), cutting out the oldest branches.
Lilac – Prune back all old branches to various lengths before leaf growth begins, from two to five feet, keeping to a natural shape. Sprinkle lime around the base of the lilac and add manure in May. Lilacs enjoy alkaline soil and benefit from a small amount of lime sprinkled about a foot away from the base of the lilac.
Prune butterfly bushes to two feet from the ground now and in May apply composted manure around the base.
Prune forsythia after it has bloomed, pruning out sparse flowering old wood.
Prune roses when the forsythia blooms. If the roses have only been in the ground for one year, do not prune, wait until October.
Do not remove the protective mulch from around the base of the roses. Wait until mid-May, and then apply a dressing of manure and fine bark mulch, about a foot away from the base of the rose.
You may be asking, “Why wait until May to apply manure?” The answer is that the soil needs to warm up to 55 degrees, otherwise the nutrient benefits of the manure bacteria that work with plant roots and soil organisms are not activated. I suggest you invest in an inexpensive soil thermometer to check the soil temperature. When the soil temperature reaches 55 degrees, apply a 3- to 4-inch layer of composted manure.
Tread carefully
When you have cleared away the debris in April, treading carefully on the soil, make a clean edge to the borders with a sharp spade; this makes such a difference to the look of your garden.
The best tool to use for this task is a sharpened lawn edger. The blade is a half-circle 9 inches wide and 4.5 inches deep with a flat top that creates a deep edge. Face the bed and thrust the edger down to its full depth and push the cut soil into the bed. Continue along the soil edge and then remove the spade and surplus clumps of soil and grass.
Edging was one of the first lessons I was taught at our family nursery in England; my great grandfather was a strict taskmaster standing over me, until I got the edge done to his particularly proper standard.
If you are contemplating locating a new planting bed or expanding an existing one, here are some tips:
Think about where you spend your leisure time outdoors, and where you may choose to sit, near to the new bed, enjoying the bloom, fragrance and structure of your plantings.
From indoors are you able to view and enjoy the new border?
Is it an area where there will not be drainage problems, erosion concerns or water pooling?
Is it convenient to tend and enjoy where you place a bench or chair?
Will you be able to water it with relative ease?
For an informal garden I prefer a curved bed – a curved line gives grace and fluidity. Lay out a garden hose in the desired shape and size of bed, adjusting the hose until you are satisfied with the gentle curves.
Manure
Rich manure works wonders for many plants and vegetables. Photo by Kyle Ellefson on Unsplash
When it comes to manure, many of you, who have been my radio listeners and lecture audiences, know how I feel about that wonderful natural product. Manure is not a fertilizer – it builds soil structure, aids in drainage and its bacteria encourage the millions of soil animals below the surface to come alive and work with the manure bacteria to produce nutrients for the roots of the plants.
Types of manure:
Poultry manure – I know the odor can be rather objectionable; however, this manure contains about 2% nitrogen, one of the highest levels in any manure. If you have access to poultry manure, allow it to age for two months and by that time, the odor will have dissipated and then add it to the garden.
Horse manure is about 0.5% nitrogen. If you obtain horse manure from a stable, which has sawdust on its floors – it should be pretty weed free. What I have done in the past is obtain horse and cow manure from stables and farms in April. When you get it home, spread manure out in a flat area (not in a planting bed) then cover it with a tarp for a month. Using this method, the tarp will suffocate the weed seeds and the sun on the tarp encourages the manures to continue to decompose. A week before using the horse and cow manure remove the tarp to allow the sun to further decompose it.
Cow manure is 0.25 % nitrogen and is the most available manure. If you get horse and cow manure from the farm, ask the farmer to give you manure from the bottom of the pile so that it is already partially decomposed.
Compost pile – If you do not have a compost pile, maybe it could go on your list for this season. Vegetable waste from the kitchen, plus grass clippings, and wood pruning can be added to the pile. The high temperature in the compost kills the weed seed and cooks all those other necessary ingredients. The ratio of compost and manure for your garden is 1 part compost to 3 parts manure – but if you do not have compost – manure will do the trick.
**DO NOT apply fresh manure to the garden, as it will burn the plants. If you do not have a source of manure from a farm, purchase composted manure in bags from the garden center.
In order to produce the best-planting environment, resulting in a soil that is ‘black gold’, apply three inches of composted manure to all planted areas in May, July and October.
Natural fine bark Mulch can be added later in May, the benefits of this mulch is that it helps to retain the beneficial moisture in the soil and aids to retard weeds. Regarding weeds, I also use a natural product, Bradfield Organics, which is a corn gluten weed pre-emergent, which keeps weeds sprouting for a few weeks.
Please do not use cocoa mulch, which is poisonous to dogs and cats, also do not use the chemically colored red mulch.
The Humus Component
I know I have written about the importance of the humus component for the soil but I feel I must continue to stress this fact.
In your own garden you can build and retain a rich growing environment by building the humus component as outlined last month. We are all carbon-based creatures as is all life on earth. Not only humans but also our soil microbes need carbon to flourish. To attract carbon from the atmosphere into your soil you need to build the humus component when the soil has reached a temperature of 55 degrees. If the soil has not reached that temperature, the soil organisms are not able to work with the bacteria in the manure to produce nutrients for the roots of the plants.
This year, as we have not experienced deep frost, the soil temperature may therefore reach 55 degrees by the end of April or early May.
Once again, I’m getting a little ahead of myself. So back to a cloudy day right now, when you may gradually begin to remove protective covering from shrubs and small trees. In exposed garden areas, where wind is a problem, leave the covering on until mid April. Cold wind is more damaging and drying to plants than extreme cold and frost.
Frost Heave
If some perennials, trees and shrubs have heaved out of the ground, cover the roots with fresh topsoil or mulch until mid May when they can be settled back in place.
I just walked around the corner of my house to check on my trellis on the chimney where I have roses and clematis planted together. Roses and clematis are a delightful combination in a companion planting. This planting method means that the rose and the clematis planted together have the same growing requirements, “feet in the shade and heads in the sun.” Beginning in May, add manure and mulch around the base of both. Discontinue feeding roses and clematis in mid-August; this enables both plants to go into a necessary slow dormancy.
Raking and Aerating
When the lawn has dried out in April, rake lightly to remove excess debris such as leaves and dead twigs. Raking gently raises the mat of the lawn, which enables the emerging grass to breathe. Aerating machines are useful to develop a healthy lawn. Puncture holes with the aerator which pulls out plugs of soil every four to six inches; following this treatment, root development takes off and thatch is reduced. Do not use large thatching machines, as these machines damage the grass.
Grass
In April, apply organic fertilizer, lime and organic grub control before the grass begins to grow. Reseed bare or sparse spots after gently loosening the soil, liming and fertilizing, then cover the seed with salt hay to keep the seed warm and to prevent wind from blowing the seed away. Water the seed for the first three weeks. Do not blast the area with water, which scatters the seeds. As with lilacs, grass enjoys alkaline soil which is why we use lime together with fertilizer and grub control.
Moles
To keep the mole population to a minimum in your garden; apply organic grub control once a month from March for two months which results in less food for the moles. When you see signs of moles, find the mole holes and insert Exlax, which contains senna, an organic herb. The moles eat the Exlax and become dehydrated from defecation and die.
Apply organic pre-emergent crabgrass killers in March and April.
Voles
Spread castor oil around the base of plants and keep mulch away from the base of the plants so that voles, which are canny creatures, are not able to hide there and gnaw on plants and roots.
Deadhead
Do not cut off the leaves of the crocus as they bloom; the leaves make food for the bulbs for next season’s bloom.
Daffodils
One of the joys of Spring—”A host of golden daffodils.”
When the green shoots emerge, spread composted manure around the plants.
For daffodil displays indoors, cut the stems at an angle before adding daffodils to an arrangement, and leave them in a vase half filled with lukewarm water for a couple of hours. This is because the stems release a sap like “goop” that harms other flowers. Discard that water and add the daffodils to the other flowers. If you recut the stems you will need to repeat the process. Change the water in the vase often.
Perennials
In May when perennials are about four inches above soil level and when the soil is 55 degrees, apply composted manure around them to encourage healthy growth.
Dividing Plants
At the end of April or beginning of May, you can divide late blooming perennials that have been in the ground for four years or more; these new divisions encourage stronger bloom.
Discard the older inner parts of the clumps and plant the new outside portions. Do not plant the new divisions any deeper than they were originally in the ground.
When dividing irises, barely cover the root system so they do not fall over. If irises are planted too deep in the soil, they will not bloom.
It is best to pick the flowers of pansies regularly to encourage more bloom.
March or early April are the time to plant the following seeds indoors: gaillardia, salvia, marigold, zinnia, petunia, snapdragon, stock and verbena. Before planting these seeds, soak them in warm water and plant them in sphagnum moss or coir. Coir is the outer shell or fiber of the Coconut, either of these two mediums prevents a disease called “damping off”, which can cause seeds to rot before germination.
Cover pots and seed trays loosely with plastic wrap, which creates a mini greenhouse, providing moisture which seeds require to germinate.
NOTE: Remove the plastic once the seeds have germinated, as the soil needs to drain and needs air circulation around the emerging stems.
If you are going away on business or on vacation, reapply the plastic wrap over the pots and trays and prop some sticks or skewers in the corners. While you are away the seedlings will stay moist, and the sticks or skewers ensure that the seedlings do not encounter the plastic.
Dormant Spring Spraying
Spraying of fruit trees, flowering cherry, crabapples, hawthorn, mountain ash and lilac can be done before the leaf buds open. Call a professional company and request that they use only organic products.
Houseplants
Prepare your geraniums that have spent the winter indoors for the move outside perhaps to add color to a pot like this.
Repot them if they need repotting in April.
If you brought geraniums indoors at the end of last season, check them for new side shoots, then cut them back to four inches and repot them in clean pots about an inch and a half larger with fresh potting soil.
Well, fellow gardeners, I know you are getting excited to be in your gardens this season and I hope that these tips have given you plenty to think about to keep you busy for a while. Enjoy photos of lovely gardens that my son Ian has designed. If you wish, contact him for a consultation at landscapesbyian.com.
Enjoy being outdoors in spring sunshine and I look forward to seeing you in your garden in April.
About the author: Maureen Haseley-Jones is a member of a family of renowned horticultural artisans, whose landscaping heritage dates back to the 17th century. She is one of the founders, together with her son Ian, of, The English Lady Landscape and Home Company. Maureen and Ian are landscape designers and garden experts, who believe that everyone deserves to live in an eco-conscious environment and enjoy the pleasure that it brings. Maureen learned her design skills from both her mother and grandmother, and honed her horticultural and construction skills while working in the family nursery and landscape business in the U.K. Her formal horticultural training was undertaken at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in Surrey.
The Old Lyme Zoning Commission closed the public hearing on the Halls Road Overlay District application April 9, 2025 in front of a packed auditorium at the Lyme-Old Lyme High School. All photos by E. Regan.
OLD LYME—About 550 people converged in the Lyme-Old Lyme High School auditorium Wednesday evening, many of them armed with “Vote No” signs and deeply-held ideals about preserving their small town’s character, as they fought a plan to bring apartments and condominiums to Halls Road.
The Old Lyme Zoning Commission voted unanimously to close the public hearing on the Halls Road Overlay District around 9:45 p.m. after roughly 40 people got up to speak. The subject was a highly controversial application for the creation of an overlay district on Halls Road that could allow as many as 40 housing units per acre to be built above, or behind, ground-floor businesses set close to the street in the 40-acre zone.
Residents and vocal project critics Ron and Julie Malloy said they had about 500 of the “Vote No” signs printed. By the start of the meeting, only a few were left in their stack. There were also up to 100 people waiting in the hall because Old Lyme Fire Marshal Dave Roberge, per state fire code, could let no more people inside the room.
The intent of the proposal, which has evolved over multiple years under the guidance of the Halls Road Improvements Committee (HRIC) and its chairwoman Edie Twining, is to create over time a vibrant, walkable neighborhood where strip malls now stand.
The overlay district proposal, created by the HRIC, was approved by the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen in a 2-1 vote in November. The application to the Zoning Commission was signed by First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker.
The HRIC was represented at the hearing by Attorney William Sweeney, who told the commission he’s been working with the group since 2022.
The long-awaited meeting was the culmination of a process that had invited public input since January. No new information can be presented now that the hearing has concluded. The commission has 65 days to consider the evidence and reach a decision.
While demands for a town wide referendum on the issue have been a popular refrain on social media and in public meetings, Land Use Coordinator Eric Knapp said that’s simply not possible.
Once a town creates a zoning commission, according to Knapp, state law is clear that only the zoning commission has the power to make or amend regulations.
“You can’t call a referendum on this. The only choice you have at this point is abolish the zoning commission, abolish zoning regulations and start over,” he said, adding, “Which I don’t recommend.”
Opposition Arguments
Differing interpretations of the overlay proposal estimate there could be anywhere from 200 to 1,200 apartments built if the plan goes into effect. But even on the low end, opponents decried what they characterized as a disastrous effect on the environment, school enrollment, traffic and their overall quality of life in the rural community of 7,628 year-round residents.
The lack of sewer service in the area was also cited as a roadblock by many residents.
Proponents argued the proposed district would bolster the local economy and meet a vital need in a state where demand for housing exceeds the supply — and in a town where a vast majority of places to live are single-family homes. They said young adults, who grew up here, can’t afford to come back and older people looking to downsize, can’t stay.
The arguments in favor of the overlay district didn’t sway an immigrant from Argentina, a young adult living with her grandmother, and a San Diego transplant who each called for Old Lyme not to change.
Elizabeth Rex said she couldn’t afford to live in California again—even if she wanted to.
“I couldn’t even afford a studio apartment there now. But I’m not going to go home and demand that housing is built to accommodate me because I want to move back,” she said. “No! I moved to glorious Connecticut, which I love. I love this small town. It’s stunning. I love the farms nearby. I love the rivers. It’s gorgeous. Keep it this way.”
Maddie Sylvestri came to Old Lyme to live with her grandmother after growing up in Pittsburgh. She said the component of the overlay plan, which calls for 10% of the housing units to be rented out at rates considered affordable by state standards, won’t make a dent in the housing problem.
“Only 10% affordable living is just not going to meet the needs of young people in this economy,” Silvestri said.
Under the affordable housing provisions of the proposed overlay district, a single person making $69,840 a year would qualify for a rent of $1,746 per month for a studio apartment, according to the most recent rent limits set by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Resident Russell Todd, a member of the Historic District Commission who said he was speaking only for himself and his wife, said the proposal, “Represents a significant shift toward urbanization.”
He said the amount of housing, the size of the buildings and the lack of attractive green space threaten Old Lyme’s small-town identity that drew the couple to Old Lyme in the first place.
Robin Breeding, a familiar name on social media in posts bringing attention to the overlay district proposal, said the plan is full of contradictions.
“On one hand, advocates of the overlay say their plan calls for only a couple of hundred new apartments on Halls Road. On the other hand, they insist again, against the advice of this commission, to include parking garages,” she said. “That would only make economic sense if they build over a thousand units.”
She also argued against the contention that the overlay district would prevent construction of new gas stations and highway services. That’s because the underlying commercial district is still in place as an avenue for those who don’t want to build mixed-use developments on Halls Road.
The Pros
Proponents of the plan outlined a vision for a Main Street-type feel that was characteristic of nearby Lyme Street before most commercial offerings were pushed off the historic, tree-lined expanse and onto Rte. 1. They said the proposed regulation includes more modern requirements to protect the environment and relies on design guidelines that go further to enhance the town’s rural feel than the existing commercial zone.
In similar fashion to Breeding—but this time, supporting the proposal—Kimberly Thompson, chairwoman of the Old Lyme Democratic Town Committee, spoke of contradictory information from those against the plan.
She cited concerns from opponents about the lack of space for septic systems, proximity to the river and ensuring that open space remains protected.
“By definition, those things are going to limit the development in this area,” she said. “And I support the overlay district because those things exist, because there’s going to be review of septic and wastewater plans, because The Lieutenant River is governed by the Gateway Commission, and they are going to have input on what can go there. And because the land trust owns spaces here and their mission is to preserve that space.”
Alex Twining, a successful real estate developer and brother of the Halls Road Improvements Committee Chairwoman, said Halls Road is currently functional but not inviting.
“Imagine a better vision: A tree-lined Halls Road with sidewalks, bike paths, and shops you can stroll between, park once, stop in a few stores, meet your friend at a cafe, and maybe keep walking to the river or boat landing. Less driving, less hassle, and more pleasant,” he said.
This vision won’t happen overnight, and places like Big Y will be there for a long time. But with time, new shops and restaurants can begin to open along the street,” he added.
The businessman invoked the ire of the raucous crowd, which was again reprimanded by Zoning Commission Chairman Paul Orzel, to be respectful.
Edie Twining has been the subject of speculation on social media by those, who accuse her of seeking financial gain for her family, by advocating for the overlay district.
Nell Twining stood up to defend her husband and sister-in-law against what she described as, “Paranoid speculation, conspiracy theories, and repulsive accusations.”
“Neither Alex nor I own property nor have any financial interest on Halls Road or in the proposed overlay district,” Nell Twining said.
“And to those who express suspicions of why my sister-in-law has worked so hard as a volunteer on the Halls Road Committee: Volunteer community service has been important in the Twining family for generations,” she added.
The 550-person capacity of Lyme-Old Lyme High School ‘s auditorium was reached Wednesday night before the Old Lyme Zoning Commission’s Public Hearing on the Halls Road Improvements Committee Overlay District proposal began.
Being Heard
The public hearing had been open almost three times as long as the 35 days authorized in state statute. The commission was forced to close it when an extension already granted by the applicant was not renewed Wednesday.
Multiple people had called for the hearing to remain open so those who had been turned away would have time to hear and be heard.
Knapp, the land use coordinator, explained early in the meeting that technological limitations at the high school made it impossible to broadcast the meeting remotely.
The move to close the hearing came after Zoning Chairman Orzel, at the request of member Michael Miller, asked if the applicant would be willing to extend the public hearing. State statute specifies all extensions must be approved by the applicant.
Sweeney said his client was “not interested in extending” the hearing.
Edie Twining could not be reached for comment Thursday, and Sweeney said he was not authorized to speak for the committee.
Shoemaker, Old Lyme’s First Selectwoman, on Thursday acknowledged calls by residents like Shaun Mastroianni for her to withdraw the application she’d signed in November.
Mastroianni ran an unsuccessful campaign for state Senate as the Republican candidate in the 20th District race against Democrat Martha Marx.
Mastroianni used his two minutes at the microphone during the public hearing to emphasize he does not want to see Old Lyme become another Mystic and to ask residents to reach out to the Board of Selectmen to get them to withdraw the application.
“I urge you, tonight, tomorrow, to write to your first selectwoman that is sitting – hiding – in the back,” he said.
Shoemaker said she was in the first row of the balcony.
“I wasn’t hiding,” she said. “I was listening.”
Shoemaker said she would hold off on making any decisions on rescinding the proposal until Thursday’s 7 p.m. meeting of the Halls Road Improvement Committee was over.
“I’m waiting to hear their thoughts,” she said. “And I think that because they had put so much time and effort into it, I owe them the time for discussion.”
Tom Bushnell will replace Lyme-Old Lyme High School Assistant Principal Jeanne Manfredi on July 1. Photo courtesy of the Lyme-Old Lyme Schools.
OLD LYME – On April 3, Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools announced that Tom Bushnell of Old Lyme will replace Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) Assistant Principal Jeanne Manfredi upon her retirement at the end of the current school year.
The district in a press release said Bushnell, who currently serves as an assistant principal at North Haven High School, will begin his new position on July 1.
Superintendent of Schools Ian Neviaser said the district received 160 applications.
He commented, “Tom’s calm and friendly demeanor, along with his passion for working with young adults, made him stand out from a very competitive field.” Neviaser added, “We look forward to Tom joining our team and continuing to build upon the success of Lyme-Old Lyme High School.”
With four years’ experience as assistant principal, Bushnell has also worked as a social studies and math teacher at Adams Middle School in Guilford and St. Thomas More School in Montville.
Bushnell has a sixth year certificate in educational leadership from the University of Connecticut, a master’s degree from Fairfield’s Sacred Heart University, and earned his bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College.
Bushnell lives in Old Lyme with his wife and two children.
Manfredi is retiring after more than 30 years in the district, including nine years as LOLHS Assistant Principal. She worked initially for LOL Schools from June 1991 to 1999, returning in 2003.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with the number of years of service of the retiring Assistant Principal.
