Whitneyville Civic Association (WCA) and Spring Glen Civic Association (SGCA)Neighborhood Input Regarding Planning and Conservation Strategies

While we generally endorse the strategies listed in Hamden’s Briefing Booklets, the WCA and SGCA have suggestions and priorities regarding several areas of the plan, per feedback from civic association meetings and discussions among civic association leadership.  They are outlined below, with reference to the appropriate Briefing Booklet section.

Briefing Booklet 4:

Preserve Open Space (p. 13)

Item A1b:

We believe that access to the Farmington Canal Trail could be improved, specifically at its intersection with Mather Street. We suggest modifying Item A1b to read:

 “Farmington Canal Trail as a central spine and with improved access points to maximize this feature”

Item A3c:

We are concerned that the Powder Farm remains a natural area without means of public access; members suggested implementing the Land Trust’s plan for passive recreation and connection of the site to the Canal Trail.  We believe that the Plan should address the issue of acquiring new open space. We suggest modifying Item A3c to read: “Continue to seek opportunities to partner with other organizations (such as the Hamden Land Trust) to preserve and improve access to open space.”

Address Coastal Issues (p. 15)

Item A4:

We wish to clarify the meaning of access to the Mill River to read: “If appropriate, seek ways to enhance boating access… to the Mill River, including Lake Whitney and the Quinnipiac River.”

Promote Community Character (p. 21-23)

Item A1g:

Traffic calming continues to be an issue in Whitneyville and other areas of Hamden. Members suggested adding a left turn arrow at the intersection of Putnam Avenue and Newhall Street, and filling in of gaps in the sidewalk network.  We suggest modifying to read: “Roadways, including traffic calming.”

Item A1h:

This item does not exist.  We suggest adding it: “Mass Transit, including light rail.”

Item C6:

We believe that the Town should develop, in concert with public utilities a plan to systematically provide existing trees with appropriate replacement. We suggest this item to be modified to read: “Plan for the preservation, maintenance of and planting of trees for their visual, environmental, and scenic benefits.

ItemD1:

We are concerned that the Town has no central information center, such as a community calendar.   We suggest modifying it to read:  “Continue to promote community-wide events and activities through multiple media.”

Item E4:

We are concerned that there is not enough parking in the Whitneyville business district.  We suggest modifying it to read: “Seek to establish and maintain gateway features at major entry/arrival points to the Town and its villages, including improved parking.”

Items E3 and E5:

We particularly endorse efforts to brand and improve signage in the Whitneyville, Spring Glen, Mount Carmel and Centerville business districts (including historical landmarks).

Briefing Booklet 5:

Become More Sustainable (p. 3)

Item B4:

We particularly endorse the LED streetlights effort underway, including the potential for the Town to purchase streetlights.

Overall Sustainability

We encourage Hamden to expand regionalization of services, building on the successful example of the regional Health District.  This will support the long-term sustainability of Town services.

Briefing Booklet 6:

Reinforce Overall Community Structure (p. 4) and Enhance Spring Glen / Whitneyville Centers (p. 8)

We endorse these action steps, particularly Item A1: “promote and encourage missed use, pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented development”  and Item E3.  In WCA meeting, members cited the walkability of Whitneyville as one of the most important aspects of the neighborhood.  We endorse efforts to connect new developments such as Canal Crossing to the business district via sidewalks.

April 28, 2018

Gwen Macdonald, Director of Habitat Resources
Save the Sound
900 Chapel Street, Suite 2302
New Haven, CT 06510

Dear Ms. Macdonald,

Pleased by advised that the Board of the Whitneyville Civic Association supports the proposed Mill River Watershed Stormwater Mitigation, Habit Enhancement, and Public Education Project sponsored by the Town of Hamden.

As a community located downstream of the proposed project, we appreciate the positive impact that it will have on water quality within the Mill River watershed.  And as residents of the Town of Hamden, we welcome the educational and passive recreational benefits that will accrue as well.

Furthermore, we believe that the project is in keeping with the goals and objectives that have been expressed in the initial phase of the Mill River Watershed Plan currently under development by Save the Sound.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have with regard to our support of this project.

Sincerely,

David Bechtel
President

Cc: Connie Matheson, Debra Maldonado, Deirdre Dolan, Janet Kazienko, Liz Hellwig, Michael Ross, and Mark Foran
Nicole Davis, Save the Sound
Dan Kops, Town of Hamden

Hamden Legislative Council President Michael McGarry

Dear Councilman McGarry,

We are writing in support of the Hamden Public Library branches.  Our local Whitneyville branch is a “local gem” that offers valuable resources and services while bringing neighbors of all ages and backgrounds together.

WCA Support.  As you may know, the Whitneyville Civic Association (WCA) has been very supportive of Hamden’s libraries, with special emphasis on our Whitneyville branch.  In the past year, we:

• Created a refurbishment plan for the Whitneyville branch and worked with the Library Board and the town to implement the first phase of the plan (including planting new trees and painting the exterior).
• Held our first fundraiser to support the Whitneyville branch, which raised more than $2,000 from 100+ donors.
• Held an evening of poetry reading by local resident Bruce Coffin in November.
• Held a Saturday morning family activity with local award-winning children’s book author and illustrator Deborah Freedman for Take Your Child to the Library Day in February.
• Are planning a second annual fundraiser on April 27 at 6:00 pm at The Playwright.  We hope you can attend!

A Local Gem.  A neighborhood library is more than just the books inside a building. It is a cultural and community center that invites and inspires people to learn and become active members of the neighborhood. The Whitneyville Branch Library is an invaluable asset to our neighborhood. It provides much more than merely books. Access to DVDs, newspapers, and the Internet is available‐‐for free. It functions as a public space for community members to meet formally and informally‐‐for free. A library is also a quiet space in which to read, think, and discover new ideas, or just meet new people. The Whitneyville Library’s design invites you to enter it. Its generous glazing allows you to see the sky and trees and the changing seasons, adding to the experience a library can provide.

The Whitneyville Branch Library benefits our neighborhood in many ways, by:

• Providing accessible resources for residents of all ages, incomes, and ethnic backgrounds, which is of particular importance to those who might otherwise have a hard time paying for, traveling to, or even finding equivalent resources elsewhere. The branch is within an easy walking distance from residences, elderly housing, and nearby bus stops.  Walk into our branch any day and you’ll see a vibrant place filled with children, parents, seniors and adults from all walks of life.
• Bringing people to the neighborhood, which benefits local businesses as well.
• Increasing home values and attracting home buyers. For a semi-urban community that wants to attract and retain young families, libraries are an important community resource.

When we posted the New Haven Register article on proposed budget cuts to the branches, the response on Next Door showed how much our neighborhood values the branch:

• “This library is a gem for many folks in this area. In walking distance to many elderly and families.  I’ve been a number of times.”
• “What a disappointment if the mayor closes Whitneyville library. A neighborhood library walking distance, a wonderful staff, and much loved library.”
• “Closing Whitneyville library would be such a big loss. This lovely library is a wonderful resource to the community.  Not only is it a great library for books and DVDs etc., it is a gathering place for young families and creates community.”
• “This would be a disastrous decision if indeed it’s proposed.”
• “We need to save this library. It is an absolute treasure in southern Hamden.”
• “Whitneyville is the most friendly of all the libraries in town.”
• “To close the Whitneyville library would be a loss to the many that utilize it for the computers, not everyone has wi-fi or smart phones, or even online internet.”

Supporting Community Development.  The branch libraries help support the town’s development efforts targeted at Southern Hamden. For example, the town just applied to have federal Opportunity Zone funding go to the same Census tracts that surround the Brundage branch (http://www.hamden.com/qcontent/NewsFeed.aspx?FeedID=1515), and is starting a Neighborhood Revitalization Zone (NRZ) to revitalize the State Street corridor.

Branches Where the People Are.  While it is true that the branch libraries are relatively close to each other, this makes sense given the population density in these neighborhoods.  All you need do is look at the political district map of the town to see how compact the southern Hamden districts are (where each district has close to the same percentage rate of the population).  The less densely populated northern Hamden is served by virtue of its proximity to the much more extensive services – compared to the branches – of the Main Library.

While we realize Hamden faces difficult budget choices, we believe that the branch libraries are a critical investment in our neighborhoods that contribute to a thriving Hamden with a strong local tax base.

Sincerely,

Dave Bechtel, President

Connie Matheson, Vice-President

Deb Maldonado, Treasurer

Deirdre Dolan, Secretary

Janet Kazienko, Past President

Liz Hellwig, Business Liaison

Michael Ross, Library Committee Chair

Mark Foran, Traffic Committee Chair

Dan Kops, Hamden Department of Planning and Zoning

Dear Mr. Kops,

Mixed-income communities build stronger communities and living in these communities has contributed to educational and economic successes and expanded opportunities for all. Acknowledging this, the State of Connecticut passed legislation that dictates that 10 percent of housing in the state meets the affordable standards as established by the state.

The developers of Canal Crossing are building luxury apartments on Mather Street.  In order to get approval for this project, they took advantage of the affordable housing law outlined in 8-30g, which allows a developer to build multi-family housing in a location not zoned for multi-family housing.  In order to get approval under 8-30g a developer must provide affordable housing in 20 percent of their units at that location.

Now, with the project starting to lease apartments, they are asking the Planning and Zoning Commission to allow them to eliminate any and all affordable housing they were supposed to provide on Mather Street and put that number of units at their Mix Avenue property instead.

We see value in the affordable units at the Canal Crossing location and cannot support the reassignment to another location that perpetuates economic segregation.

Sincerely,

Whitneyville Civic Association Board

Dave Bechtel, President

Connie Matheson, Vice President

Deb Maldonado, Treasurer

Deirdre Dolan, Secretary

Thomas J. Wydra                                                                       July 15, 2017

Chief of Police

Hamden, CT.

Dear Chief Wydra,

On behalf of the Whitneyville Civic Association, we offer our sincere congratulations on your appointment to the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council. It’s good to know that even while serving on this council, you will remain as our chief of police.

The tasks of the POST Council are of great importance and reflect the skill and professionalism you have brought to nearly 25 years of police work. We know you will bring your wisdom and experience to overseeing police training and setting department and officer standards.

Hamden is fortunate to have a local police department that, under your leadership, practices 21st-century policing including up-to-date technology, conflict de-escalation, and mediation training for our officers.

We appreciate your support of the citizens of Whitneyville, including speaking at our Civic Association meetings in recent years. This kind of hands-on community work improves relationships between police and citizens.

We look forward to many more years with our police department under your leadership.

Sincerely,

Dave Bechtel, WCA President

Deirdre Dolan, WCA Secretary