Warren Connecticut

Some 40 townspeople met on the evening of June 30 to address five items of business.

1. First Selectman Jack Travers asked the meeting to approve discontinuance and abandonment of a 900 foot portion of Wolfe Road.  He explained that Wolfe Road is not currently used.  However, there are three building lots on the first 900 feet of road and that portion will eventually be used.  The remaining 900 feet have not been used in many years and only one owner’s property straddles the road. By discontinuing and abandoning the unused portion, the town will be relieved of responsibility for its maintenance and liability.  Some people suggested the road is currently used by people as a nature trail and if the town abandons the road that use would be denied.  Mr. Travers confirmed that the road would become the property of adjacent owners by operation of state statute when the town abandons it. The meeting voted in favor of abandoning and discontinuing the 900 feet of Wolfe Road.

2. The meeting approved an additional $50,000 for trash removal for the fiscal year that started July 1.  Mr. Travers explained that while the budget provided for an increase, the bids received after the budget was approved were substantially higher than anticipated.  A savings on the school budget, passed after the town budget will help offset this added expense.

3.  The meeting approved a town ordinance on open space taxation as required by state statue.  Open space land will now be assessed at $1,000 an acre and farm land at $480.  The ordinance reads as follows:

“Resolved:  Each parcel of record, as recorded in the assessment records, shall be treated as a separate parcel.  No tacking or combination of separately assessed parcels shall be permitted to determine the eligibility of parcels for Open Space Classification.  That portion of a parcel deemed excess acreage, as determined in the assessment records, is eligible for treatment as Open Space for assessment purposes, provided it is equal to, or more than, the zone requirement.  If the portion of the parcel in excess acreage is less than the zone requirement, the excess acreage shall not be eligible for Open Space Classification.  (Example:  3.8 acre parcel in a 2 acre zone.  The 1.8 excess acres is not eligible for Open Space Classification.)  No property for which the assessment is determined pursuant to the terms of Section 12-76 of the Connecticut General Statutes, as it may be amended from time to time, shall be eligible.  The property owner must make application for Open Space assessment as provided in the Connecticut General Statute 12-107e, as it may be amended from time to time.”

4. The co-chairperson of the Building Committee presented the Committee’s two options for addressing office space and recreation space needs for the town.  Option A would renovate the town hall into office space and build a gym behind the town garage near the school.  Option B would build a new town office building on town property to the right of the cemetery on Cemetery Road and would renovate the existing town hall to become a community center.  After much discussion and questioning, the meeting voted unanimously in favor of pursuing Option B.  The Building Committee will now focus its attention on gathering the necessary information, drawings and cost estimates to develop that option.  The Committee will bring the plans before the town for a vote before any construction activity can get underway.

5.  The meeting approved the expenditure of $50,000 for the Building Committee to develop plans for the construction of a new office building and renovation of town hall into a community center.