How the meeting went

Dear All:

I believe that we had a good meeting on Tuesday about 131 Colony & what is a Historic Commission. It was covered by both the Register & the Independent. I think that they covered most of the issues but I would like to add what I posted on the comment section of the Independent.

I would like to thank Andy Rizzo and Elaine Brafman of LCI, Robert Grzywacz from the Historic District Commission & David Barone of City Plan for coming out and laying out the facts and helping to clarify what we can do to protect our neighborhood and at what price.

I really hope that we don't stop here and ask that all that are able to come to the WEB Management Team meeting held at the Whalley sub station on the corner of Norton 5/15/07 at 7pm.

Yours,

This is what I posted at the New Haven Independent

In response to Dana B & Jonathon Hart’s concern of the “prohibitively expensive” cost of living in a Historic District, that exact issue was brought up. A neighbor asked a hypothetical question: The family has a slate roof on their beautiful Tudor home. If & when the roof needs to be replaced would the commission force him to put a new slate roof on? A full slate roof can cost over $100,000. The answer was that the Historic Commission would probably have the homeowner do the part of the roof that is visible from the “public right of way” in Slate or Faux Slate (which is cheaper but not as cheap as asphalt) and perhaps allow the balance be done in asphalt.

This then lead into a discussion of the fact that yes we will be giving up some of our property rights and to an organization that we only we one seat on as well as the fact that this will force us to put more money into our homes then we may have done without the designation.

I believe that the folks of Beaver Hill that attended understand the consequences of their actions. This process is not one that we can rush into blindly this must be and will be a deliberative thoughtful process.

To Cedarhill & All other interested parties – Please come to our next WEB Management Team Meeting this Tuesday May 15th, 7pm at the Whalley Avenue (corner of Norton) Police Sub-Station. The Historic District will be discussed and your input would be greatly appreciated.