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Simsbury Forums  


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DirtyJobsGuy
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Senior Board Member
Posts: 13
graphgraph
 
 The Charette Again? - 2008/07/17 07:48 According to the Current, the Charette is again rearing its ugly $500K head. Evidently the town is asking consultants for proposals and cost estimates. We have town boards who can hold all kinds of hearings and public comments. Things like the Charette are always ways to dodge that responsibility or to hide what actually is going to happen.

I just spent a few days in Wyoming in a real small, rural town and happened to be in town at the same time as their town festival. A lot of fun. It got me to realize that Simsbury doesn't have any real town events not tied to some commercial deal like the Meadows. No Independence day fireworks, just the Symphony.

The goal of the Charette is really to keep people and businesses out of town. Keeps the views nice but kills the spirit of any community.
 
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SBspook
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Posts: 19
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 Re:The Charette Again? - 2008/08/06 23:55 "The goal of the Charette is really to keep people and businesses out of town."???

Really? How so?

Don't business leaders, developers, the EDC, the Chamber, and all of the self-interested individuals in town also have an opportunity to throw in their 2 cents? Just like the majority of residents who would also get their say.

And the $500k is a scare tactic. There are funds state, federal, etc. available to underwrite a good portion of the cost.

Sounds like a very democratic process to me.

The alternative is that we just continue to spin our wheels, and risk another multi-million $ lawsuit because our town hasn't properly defined it's land use policies. The way that jerk from that Dorset development talks, I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up suing.
 
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Watchful Eye
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 Re:The Charette Again? - 2008/08/21 08:42 A charette is not needed. We elect a planning commission (every four years?) which is to serve this function. The anti-development SHARE folks have had their views espoused on that Commission for quite some time by virtue of having members on the Planning Commission. The Courant system is working and a charette will only serve to misdirect blame for any unpopular planning. It's telling that the Courant had to explain what a charette was! Ask any person you know (who hasn't been educated by the article). They won't know what a charette is. Telling.
 
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DirtyJobsGuy
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 Re:The Charette Again? - 2008/09/15 16:14 I see the bids are in. At least $250K!!!!!!!!! I could always groan slightly when the town spent $10-20K on unnecessary opinion surveys and other foolishness, but accept them as part of normal town politics.

But the price of a small house paid for out of our regular town budget!!!!!

Surely there must be some increased heating bills for the town that this could help with this winter? (or for that matter heating aid for the elderly)

Outrageous...
 
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