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12/29/2015 11:00 PMJanuary
On Jan. 2, Acting Town Planner Richard Stoecker tells The Sound Costco is expected to submit at Planned Development District (PDD) concept to the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) by the end of the month. Submitting the PDD will be the first public step for Costco, which officially met with First Selectman James B. Cosgrove in December 2014 to discuss bringing a warehouse store and other commercial entities to a 44.7-acre East Main Street site at I-95 Exit 56.
Following the close of a Jan. 8 public hearing, traffic, parking, pedestrian safety, building density and other concerns are in mind as the PZC discusses the master conceptual plan for Atlantic Wharf. Developer Metro Star Properties of Milford seeks to build a mixed-use development at the former Atlantic Wire factory site in the town center. Plans call for 205 rental apartments mixed in with retail, restaurant, and commercial spaces. With residences to include high-end details located within walking distance of the town center, bus line, and the Amtrak rail station (currently under expansion on Maple Street), Metro Star envisions Atlantic Wharf as part of a transit oriented district and a magnet for young professional millennials. A Metro Star consultant estimates a fully populated Atlantic Wharf would net Branford approximately $667,000 in annual taxes.
Judge Frank Forgione is sworn in for a second term as judge of probate for the state’s 35th Probate District of Branford-North Branford. In 2010, Forgione was elected to his first four-year term as judge of probate for the newly created district, combining Branford and North Branford. Forgione served as North Branford’s judge of probate from 1991 through 2010.
Branford State Senator Ted Kennedy, Jr. (D, District 12) is sworn in for his first term. Kennedy will serve as Senate chair of the General Assembly’s Environment Committee.
Branford State Representative Lonnie Reed (D, District 102) is sworn in for a fourth term and is re-appointed as House chairman of the Energy and Technology Committee.
As the town grapples with the need for a better senior center, a permanent home for Public Works and big changes for Walsh Intermediate School, Branford’s new Public Building Commission begins its duties. The first five commissioners are appointed Jan. 21 by the Board of Selectmen (BOS).
A new “memory village” home for clients living with Alzheimer’s disease receives Inlands Wetlands Agency (IWA) and PZC approval to build on East Main Street near the Branford/North Branford/Guilford town line. Owned and operated by Artis Senior Living, it will be the first facility of its kind in town. The 32,000 square-foot “H”-shaped single story facility will be surrounded by a seven-foot fence, topped by a one-foot lattice, to “work with the patients to make sure they don’t climb the fence,” a design group project representative told the PZC on Jan. 22.
After clearing up questions of pulling patrons away from local eateries, policing public patronage on a private site, smell/noise emissions, and even potential rodent problems, the town will allow at least two food trucks to operate in specified parking lot sites at Stony Creek Brewery during brewery operation hours. Located on a section of former brownfield property of the Malleable Iron Foundry on Indian Neck Avenue, construction of the riverfront brewery, owned by Branford’s Crowley family, is nearing completion. A spring opening is anticipated.
Residents deal with some high-piled snow, but Branford’s streets stay clear thanks to hard working Public Works employees following snowfall during winter Storm Juno. Branford schools are canceled on Jan. 26 and Jan. 27 and the town issues reminders to residents and businesses about snow parking bans and sidewalk snow-clearing clearing compliance. Blizzard predictions call for as much as two feet of snow; about one foot lands in this area.
Bioscience leader Mt. Sinai picks Branford for its latest expansion site, opening Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology on Jan. 28 at the former 454 Life Science building, 1 Commercial Street. Nearly 20 new staff have been recruited to date; plans call for Mt. Sinai to add 142 new full-time jobs in Branford over the next five years.
February
With conditions, Atlantic Wharf’s master conceptual wins unanimous PZC backing Feb. 5, paving the way for a detailed site plan to be submitted for review in the coming months. The master plan includes 205 rental apartments mixed with street-level retail, business and restaurant spaces in 10 three-story buildings on the 7.4 acre site, including a 36-unit residential building on a Meadow Street lot across from the current factory site. The plan calls for the factory to be razed as other buildings are phased in. A PZC condition of the approval sets developer Metro Star to work with neighbors of abutting properties, particularly those on Wilford Avenue, to iron out concerns related to quality of life impacts. As another PZC condition, the complex’s new town road (facing the Branford River) will connect a realigned Meadow Street/Church Street intersection and a four-way intersection with Pine Orchard Road and Montowese Street.
Vacant since January 2012, the former Friendly’s Restaurant building in the Stop & Shop Plaza (22 Leetes Island Road) is approved to be re-opened as a table-service restaurant, expected to be a diner. The former Friendly’s had originally been approved for demolition in 2012, to make way for a proposed bank with a drive-through window.
Superintendent of Schools Hamlet Hernandez asks for the lowest schools budget increase in the past five years—2.29 percent—with his presentation to the Board of Education (BOE) outlining a $52.4 million 2015-’16 fiscal year budget. Increases include contractual obligations for salaries and benefits. Four current, full-time equivalent positions would be reduced through attrition. The district’s student population continues to decline, down from 3,506 in January 2009 to 3,110 in January 2015, but Hernandez says steady funding is needed to meet emerging challenges of the town’s increasing number of English as a Second Language students, now nearing 25 percent of the district’s student population. Next, the BOE will review budget details.
On Feb. 18, Branford Town Hall receives Costco Wholesale Corp.’s master conceptual plan and application for a Planned Development District (PDD) at 44.68 acres near I-95 Exit 56. The application includes a zoning amendment to allow large retail into a current light industrial/small retail zone. Costco’s plans arrive just in time to make the Feb. 19 PZC docket in order to set a public hearing date. Plans submitted by Costco include two phases of construction, with a 158,070 square foot wholesale store with a 16-pump gas station, as well as an East Industrial Road driveway accessory to approximately 22 acres of land to be developed, as part of the first phase. Later phase development shows additional retail buildings and/or restaurants at the site. Anticipating crowds, the PZC sets a public hearing to open April 2 in the Branford High School (BHS) auditorium.
Branford Education Hall of Fame (BEHF) names ten 2015 inductees, selected by public vote from more than 100 nominees. BEHF annually honors people from a variety of backgrounds who have made an exceptional difference in the Branford community’s education experience. 2015 inductees are: Terry Ahern, Laura Selvaggio Burban, Rhonda Butler, Michelina Fazzino, Ellen Levy Greenberg, Diane Kaczynski, Pam Mahon, Rosalie Pinkham, and Susan Swart as well as posthumous inductee Elwyn “Cappy” Thayer.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy visits Branford to urge state legislators to pass a $1.5 million “Blue Plan” for Long Island Sound. The press conference is at the Owenego Inn. The Blue Plan project will map the entire Sound beginning at a depth of 10 feet, producing the state’s first inventory of human and natural resources connected to the Sound.
Following two budget workshops, the BOE votes to approve a $52.2 million 2015-’16 schools budget, an increase of 2.02 percent over current spending. The BOE slices $144,428 from the budget when Superintendent Hernandez reduces the certified staff salary line by $90,508 by incorporating three additional retirements. The budget now heads to the Board of Finance (BOF) for review, changes and possible further cuts.
With recent town approval, Branford-based Thimble Island Brewing Company plans to move into a much larger new home, in the former Gravy Master facility on Business Park Drive. The move will allow increased on-site brewing and meet growing distribution needs as well as adding a new tasting room. The expansion is expected to be completed by summer 2015. The company is one of several craft breweries in town.
The town takes the first step to pursue a possible large scale solar array installation at the former landfill. The idea is an extension of ongoing efforts to reclaim 10 acres off Tabor Drive for uses benefiting the community. First Selectman Cosgrove says the town has retained a law firm to facilitate a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the solar project. The selected developer would provide operation, maintenance, and power purchase agreements. The finished project could be benefit taxpayers with the town earning renewable energy credits.
Branford’s new Building Commission gets up and running with five members sworn in Feb. 25. By town ordinance adopted in June 2014, the first selectman assigns all projects for the commission to oversee. Among the town’s pressing building needs are a new Senior Center, a permanent Public Works facility, and changes to Walsh Intermediate School (WIS).
March
With a cast of 60 and a custom-built revolving stage, BHS Theatre Arts presents the musical Les Miserables from March 18 to 22 in the BHS auditorium. The production marks 30 years of BHS spring musicals for co-directors Cathyann Roding and Toni Cartisano.
The BOS okay’s a shared-use “Branford Model” Senior Center incorporated as part of a renovated, expanded Community House on Church Street. The goal is to create a comprehensive co-use facility benefiting the greater community while meeting needs for a new Senior Center. Project consultant Sandra Vlock, AIA (Arbonies King Vlock, Branford) presents the concept following what First Selectman Cosgrove terms a “thorough, inclusive process” to find the best space and location for a new senior center. Next, the Building Commission will put out an RFP to hire an architectural design firm.
As per regulations, state police are investigating a Branford police incident resulting in the death of Branford resident, who went into medical distress and died after being struck with a Taser by an officer. Burban Drive resident David Werbrow, 41, was pronounced dead of cardiac arrest at Yale-New Haven Hospital , where he was taken from the scene of his arrest. Police had responded to a disturbance involving a man attempting to enter vehicles driving on Burban Road. Werbrow reportedly ignored requests to stop. An officer used his Taser on Werbrow after he refused to exit a parked vehicle.
The state Bond Commission approves a $9.5 million low-interest loan to help Branford’s newest bioscience employer, Ichan School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, expand. If incremental goals are met over a five-year period, bringing employment up from 20 to 145, Ichan School will be eligible for loan forgiveness of up to $7.25 million.
Branford’s Democratic minority town leadership questions why the town is not taking potential public service costs into the equation in the run-up to the PZC’s review of Costco’s master conceptual plan. Representative Town Meeting (RTM) Minority Leader Chris Sullivan (D, District 6) says costs for added police, fire, and public works need to be evaluated now so the town can be prepared.
Using social media to reach a regional craft brewery fan base and other interested followers, Stony Creek Brewery announces it’s open for business, coinciding with the weekend of the Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The brewery’s new tasting room fronting the Branford River enjoys an immediate response, drawing crowds.
Members of the town’s Elderly Services Commission meet with First Selectman Cosgrove to discuss concerns that commission input should have been taken into consideration prior to the BOS vote to accept the Branford Model for the town’s new Senior Center/Community Center. The commission says issues with the site include playing field flooding issues, limits on parking, and worries about children around traffic.
The RTM and BOF approve $500,000 in bonding for planning and design for Community House renovations to incorporate a new Senior Center.
Branford’s BOF unanimously recommends a 2015-’16 town budget of $103.59 million with a year-to-year increase of 0.09 percent. The BOF includes $52.7 million for schools and votes to appropriate $1.55 million in bonding to meet 2015-’16 BOE capital request plans.
The BOF approves the RTM’s recommendation to authorize $560,000 in bonding for the demolition of former Branford Hills School, which has been officially transferred to the town by the BOE.
Branford’s Economic Development Commission (EDC) hosts Biotech, Business & Branford, gathering biotech executives representing current and possibly future businesses. Biotech heavy-hitter Jackson Laboratories sends a principal to talk about how efforts like those underway in Branford can help make Connecticut a national bioscience stronghold. Branford is currently home to dozens of biotech startups.
April
A crowd of more than 300 attend the opening of the PZC Costco public hearing on April 2, taking in an overview of the master conceptual plan. At first, attendees are seemingly split evenly between supporters and opponents; but the night ends with the majority speaking in opposition to bringing Costco to Branford at Exit 56. Opponents say the area is earmarked for development as a bioscience hub, as noted in the town’s 2008 Plan of Conservation and Development. They also raise concerns about increased traffic, loss of local businesses, potential environmental concerns caused by water run-off, and pressure on town public services. Factions representing both sides of the argument attend the hearing, including pro-Costco “Bring Costco to Branford Now” and opponents “Branford Citizens for Responsible Development” (BCRD). The PZC continues the public hearing to its next meeting.
From the tidegates below to the roadway above, the state plans to completely replace, realign, and double the width of the Sybil Creek Bridge in Indian Neck. The circa-1921 bridge is slated for work set to begin in fall 2016 and be complete by spring 2017. One-way traffic will be in place during the project, except for a two-week period when the bridge will be closed for deck replacement. At a public hearing, residents ask the state to consider better addressing dangerous site line issues and seek more sidewalk egress from the bridge to the roadway.
On April 16, a steady line of speakers pro and con fill part two of the continued Costco public hearing, attended by more than 200. To date, nearly 200 letters have also been received by the PZC giving input on the item. BCRD disputes several items in Costco’s master plan. Branford EDC Chairman Perry Maresca notes the EDC voted to endorse Costco and that opponents are insinuating the 2008 Plan of Conservation and Development is a “rule book,” instead contending, “it is a guide, a direction to be adjusted as time changes and experience allows.” Four Republican RTM members speak in favor of Costco, while two Democratic RTM members speak in opposition. The PZC continues the hearing to April 30.
Robyn Collins, a 15-year veteran with Shore Publishing (which publishes The Sound), is named publisher of the media group, which includes online coverage component Zip06.com. Collins was promoted from her position as advertising director to take a post vacated by former publisher Lisa Miksis.
In the days following Nepal’s devastating earthquake on April 25, Branford’s 300-member Nepalese community, the second-largest in the state, mobilizes here to raise money, materials, manpower, and awareness for a country in chaos. On April 28, the group gathers a candlelight vigil on the steps of Town Hall and launches a fundraising campaign through Society of Nepalese in America (SONA). Next, Branford members bring Gov. Malloy to town to brief him on their efforts, and to ask what the state can do to assist. The group is working with First Selectman Cosgrove and state Representatives Lonnie Reed (D-102) and Sean Scanlon (D-98) to strengthen state assistance.
The Board of Police Commissioners will honor late K-9 Neecko with a plaque after Chief of Police Kevin Halloran announces the police dog passed away due to complications of stomach surgery. The German shepherd served the town since 2007 with Branford Police Officer David Atkinson. The plaque will hang in police headquarters. Another K9 team is currently training to continue serving the town.
On April 30, an attorney for Costco Wholesale Corp. tells the PZC it can’t exceed regulatory language to ask Costco to develop more aesthetically desirable buildings and public spaces at its proposed Ext 56 site. Costco attorney Thomas P. Cody also shares a revised master plan with four new changes, in response to public input gathered April 2 and 16. The changes straighten one access drive, tweak alignment on another, change some parking, and add more sidewalks. Meanwhile, the PZC receives a petition from opposition group BCRD, signed by 582 citizens and 35 small business owners. Ainsley Highman, Branford Parks and Open Space Authority chairman, notifies the PZC of the town body’s majority vote in support of the Costco plan with two stipulations: reduce impervious surfaces to 60 percent, as current plans “threaten the water quality of wetlands and watercourses downstream,” and meet DEEP “best practices” for storm water management. The PZC continues the hearing to May 7.
May
Branford Historical Society’s efforts to buy the 1724 Harrison House gets a boost on word of a $35,000 matching grant offered by Branford Community Foundation (BCF). The society has leased the house to operate as a museum since 1974, but was notified last year the property would be sold. The non-profit, all volunteer society hopes to raise $225,000, including $132,000 to purchase the house and the rest to establish a maintenance fund.
With annual expenditures up nine-tenths of one percent, Branford’s $103.59 million 2015-’16 town budget is unanimously approved by the RTM. Due to Branford’s slightly diminished Grand List, down by about one percent, combined with an overall one percent increase in expenditures, taxes will increase by 1.9 percent next year. Next, the BOF will set the new mill rate.
Branford resident Grant Briggs, chaplain for American Legion Post 83, is named grand marshal of the Memorial Day Parade by the Branford Veterans Parade Committee. The day includes an early morning ceremony in Stony Creek with a march to the Stony Creek cemetery to honor military at rest, and a Naval Memorial ceremony on the Hubbard Bridge, followed by morning ceremonies on the Town Green and a parade stepping off on Main Street.
After closing the Costco public hearing, the PZC takes up discussion of the proposal. With three of its five voting members appearing to be leaning toward approval of the Costco master plan, the PZC continues its debate on May 21 on the merits and problems of the proposal. Commissioner Charles “Chuck” Andres expects the PZC will convene up to two more times before it’s ready to vote on the matter. “We’ve heard very much passionate testimony, [and] everyone made very good points...I’m very impressed by both the applicant and the opposition,” said Andres. “But none of these are home runs...it’s not a 100-percent issue.”
Removed for renovation in the fall of 2014, the cupola is finally back on top at the historic Academy on the Branford Green. It was removed to be made watertight, after the town went into action to replace several rotting pillars holding up the cupola. The restoration is undertaken by Branford-based M.N. Reale Construction LLC.
June
Branford Alps Farmers Market (BAFM) begins operating under a big top tent at 965 West Main Street on June 11. Open Thursdays, the market provides fresh nutritious local food and other small farm goods, and doubles up to $15 in SNAP (food stamp) dollars; as well as accepting WIC, Seniors and Veterans Farmers Market vouchers. The market features food trucks to encourage family style picnicking at tables and partners with local charitable organizations to provide information on programs available to residents. Market manager Martha Maguire and her husband, Walter Maguire, co-founded non-profit BAMF based on similar successful programs such as CitySeed in New Haven. The market will remain open through Oct. 29.
After meeting June 4 to finalize its discussion concerning Costco Wholesale Co.’s request for a special exception permit and to review the master plan, the PZC has asked town land use staff to incorporate some conditional application language in order to put the matter to a vote on June 18. PZC member John Lust reiterates his opposition to the plan as it’s against the Plan of Conservation and Development. Lust further feels “we don’t have a complete master plan, and I don’t think we have adequate traffic information, so I don’t know how any of us can get by that.” PZC member Joe Chadwick said his opposition continues to be based on a lack of input from Costco quantifying a list of beneficial reasons necessitating the special exception. PZC conditions to be added to the resolution include a maximum impervious coverage of 60 percent (with pre-existing coverage exceptions), total lot coverage not to exceed 30 percent (with existing building exceptions), and construction of the entire interior road with additional access across from TA Travel Center’s driveway on East Industrial Road. Banks, medical offices, and biopharmaceutical labs are added as types of allowable businesses.
Branford makes waves with news of a dolphin carcass found in the Thimble Islands. Residents Kenny Wynne, Alex King, and Spencer Rentas brought the deceased mammal, about eight feet in length and 400 pounds, to shore in Pine Orchard June 11, after finding it washed against rocks at Governor’s Island. The three contacted the DEEP and Mystic Aquarium to report the find. The carcass was determined to be too decayed for cause of death to be determined. DEEP officers responding to the scene said the dolphin stranding was “very unusual” for this area.
The 31st annual Branford Festival arrives on the Town Green June from 19 to 21. The three-day event run by volunteers includes midway rides, games, shopping, eating, and top-notch live entertainment nightly.
Branford’s Nepalese members of SONA return from Nepal where they delivered $40,000 in donations raised here to directly assist with earthquake relief work, but say more help is needed in a country that has recorded 8,700 deaths and 22,500 injuries in the wake of the disaster. Branford Trinity Church’s Outreach Ministry steps in to help the group spread its message and raise more funds with a Nepalese-style dinner, featuring SONA speakers, at the church during the Branford Festival on June 20.
Branford Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Dr. Mary Peraro, Ed.D., retires June 30. The veteran educator of 39 years joined the district as assistant superintendent in 2006 and is credited with reorganizing the district’s curricular instruction procedures and putting Branford ahead of the curve in adopting Common Core instructional standards.
Skies threatened, but rain held off as degrees were conferred upon more than 260 members of the BHS Class of 2015, clad in Hornets red caps and gowns, during commencement on the Town Green June 17.
Branford Police officer Luigi Amasino and K9 Joker are among 12 canine teams graduated as part of Connecticut State Police Canine Training Unit 173rd Patrol Dog Training Troop. The graduation is the culmination of a 14-week intensive training course.
On June 18, the PZC is ready to vote on Costco, but a staff paperwork delay on the written resolution, including conditions laid out by the PZC two weeks earlier, causes the commission to table the vote to its next meeting. The PZC will now vote on the matter on July 9.
Following what Superintendent of Schools Hernandez terms a “comprehensive search,” Margaret-Mary Gethings has been appointed the new principal of John B. Sliney Elementary School. With more than 22 years’ experience, Gethings arrives from her current role as principal of Fair Haven Middle School, a grade K to 8 New Haven public school.
North Branford business Van Wilgen’s Garden Center announces it has raised $15,400 in donations in two weeks’ time with a shoreline gone-viral lawn flamingo promotion, “Gardening for the Cure-Pink Weeks.” Instituted by proprietor and Branford resident Bill Van Wilgen (a two-time cancer survivor), the program prompted flash sell-outs of plastic flamingos, which flew from shelves and landed on local lawns as soon as they could be restocked. Each $10 donation for a flamingo purchase went to benefit Smilow Cancer Center at Yale-New Haven Hospital.
State Senator Ted Kennedy, Jr. (D-12) joins State Senator Len Fasano of North Haven in alerting state health regulators about their concerns for plans by Yale-New Haven Health Systems to close its Branford and East Haven clinics. They say the decision should not be based on revenue and that it will greatly effect needed access to community care.
Weather worries cancel Branford’s highly anticipated annual Fourth of July Fireworks display in June and, due to continuing weather concerns, its next-night rain date. The all-volunteer Branford Fireworks Committee asks residents to stay tuned for the new date for the display.
July
The annual Branford Jazz on the Green series returns with a kickoff to the long holiday weekend on July 2. The popular, well attended free shows will continue each Thursday throughout the summer, featuring talented artists from the local, national, and international jazz worlds.
First Selectman Cosgrove announces he’s retained Hamden-based Diversified Technology Consultants (DTC) to provide a feasibility analysis and cost estimates, including anticipated state reimbursements, for three design options to renovate and/or replace WIS. The options will explore renovating “as new,” building a new school on site, or building a “hybrid” concept that renovates a portion of the existing school and adds newly constructed academic space.
On July 9, the debate is over: Costco is a “go” in Branford. The PZC votes 3-2 to approve, with conditions added by the PZC, a master plan for Costco’s PDD at Exit 56. Immediately following the vote he supported, PZC Chairman Ellsworth McGuigan completes more than 25 years of service and steps down from the commission, turning the gavel over to commissioner Chuck Andres. First Selectman Cosgrove is there to hear the PZC vote and later tells The Sound he’s confident the process will ensure “appropriate development” that will put any concerns at ease. Cosgrove adds he doesn’t feel the Costco issue divided the town, saying, “I think the majority, from [what] I heard, are in favor of the development.”
The PZC is reviewing a revised plan for proposed Sterling Ridge, a villa-style complex in the Canoe Brook National Register Historic District, to cluster 12 units into one area at 26 Cherry Hill Road. Area residents voice concerns that the complex would be out of character with the district, which includes the 1724 Harrison House.
Branford Arts and Cultural Alliance (BACA) kicks off its free exhibit series featuring local artists with a well-attended display of an impressive range of work by prolific Branford photographer Bill O’Brien in the Academy on the Green. Other exhibits featuring local artists are scheduled for late July and August.
A Farmington firm with a host of senior centers among its many successful projects has been approved as the architects to create Branford’s combined Community Center and Senior Center. The BOS votes unanimously to approve Quisenberry Arcari Architects, as recommended by the Public Building Commission. The commission reviewed 15 responses to an RFP and interviewed six firms. The firm has completed senior center expansion projects for the towns of Groton, Bridgewater, Columbia, Lebanon, Plainville and Stonington. A design proposal will be shared in the coming months.
Branford Republicans have endorsed First Selectman James B. “Jamie” Cosgrove to run for a second term as the party’s incumbent candidate in this November’s municipal election. At the party caucus on July 21, Cosgrove characterizes the past two years as “productive and successful.” Cosgrove returns to the ticket with incumbent Selectman candidate Joseph Higgins.
The Democratic Town Committee endorses former Tisko Elementary School principal Mark Rabinowitz as its first selectman candidate with running mate Jack Ahern, the town’s former fire chief. The two are newcomers as political candidates, but bring years of public service experience.
The Independent Branford Voters Party, founded by Jacey Wyatt in 2013, is again endorsing Wyatt as its candidate for first selectman in Branford’s municipal election, making it a three-party race. Wyatt is currently a member of the town’s Parks and Open Space Authority.
Though disappointed by a month-long delay, fans of the Branford Fourth of July Fireworks display have something to cheer about when the impressive show finally goes off on July 25 on the Branford town dock.
August
The newly elected Stony Creek Association (SCA) Executive Board convened Aug. 4 following an election punctuated by social media posts calling for voters to oust incumbents perceived as anti-Legacy Theatre and anti-Costco in Branford. The new 10-person SCA board returns with four incumbents including president Daniel Bullard, who had led SCA’s efforts against the town allowing certain additional activities and uses for the Legacy Theatre in the former Puppet House building. Bullard was also among at least five immediate past SCA board members giving input to the PZC against bringing Costco to I-95 Exit 56 area of Branford. After voting to recognize that none of the board members had provided any information to show they had a conflict of interest, the board voted to continue current mediation with the Legacy Theatre.
Branford goes back to school on Aug. 27 with a full day of school.
A $10,000 Branford Rotary Club donation has pushed the fundraising needle above the halfway mark in Branford Historical Society’s bid to buy the 1724 Harrison House. The non-profit society continues to ask for tax deductible donations to help raise a total of $225,000.
Saying he’s responding to what residents want and creating commission “balance,” First Selectman Cosgrove defends his decision not to re-appoint expired memberships of two long-standing IWA commissioners and a sitting alternate. Detractors of the new appointments, which come ahead of a critical IWA review of the Costco wetlands application, feel the town would be better served by continuing with experienced, long-serving members Dr. Wesley Vietzke and Dr. Richard Orson, (a combined 34 years of IWA service) together with alternate Leo Stanlake (all terms expired May 31). The IWA has seven voting members. Current IWA chairman David Shapiro says he was “deeply saddened and disturbed” by the change, likening it to “pulling the scientific legs out” from beneath the IWA.
Mom Manola Schiavo thanks a neighbor, whom police praise for his quick actions to help police nab an intruder who entered the Schiavo’s Patrick Lane house after noon on Aug. 25, where a 15 year-old son was home alone. The intruder fled when he encountered the teen. Police later located the suspect, identified as a North Branford resident. The neighbor, who wishes to remain anonymous in media coverage, called 911 after seeing a suspicious vehicle back into the Schiavo family’s driveway.
Myron “Beau” Beaudin is celebrated by his colleagues with a party and proclamation on Aug. 29, following more than 47 years of service to the town and Branford’s Board of Education. He completed his long-held custodial post at WIS at the end of the school year. First Selectman Cosgrove issues the proclamation recognizing Beaudin’s distinguished service to Branford Public Schools and as a BOE employee.
September
First Selectman Cosgrove announces a new coalition will embark on a Branford Basic Needs Assessment project to get a better handle on the community’s “economic reality.” The project is being funded jointly by the Town of Branford, Branford Cares, Branford Early Childhood Collaborative, and Branford Rotary. The first step is to analyze needs with data gathering, surveys and analysis getting underway soon. Once needs are identified, programs can be implemented or strengthened to assist.
With plans to demo Branford Hills School in the future, Branford’s registrar of voters notifies electors living in District 4 that the polling place will be permanently moved from the school to Branford Fire Headquarters, 45 North Main Street.
Costco returns with a paper storm of information submitted to the IWA as part of its inlands wetlands watercourses application. The company submits three separate applications in an effort to meet requirements set forth by the PZC when accepting Costco’s master plan in July. Costco attorney Thomas P. Cody notes the three applications provide a full overview of all phases of development, as requested by the PZC. Each application addresses one of three undeveloped parcels on the 44 acre site off East Industrial Road. The IWA officially receives Costco’s applications, site plans, and scientific reports at its Sept. 10 meeting and calls for a physical walk of the property with IWA members, Costco engineers, and town engineering staff.
Organized by Second Selectman Joe Higgins, Branford marks the 14th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with a moving ceremony at Branford Fire Headquarters. Branford Fire and Police departments participate jointly in the ceremony. Higgins, a retired veteran of the New York Fire Department, was deputy director of dispatch operations in Manhattan and led first responder communications on the day of the attacks in 2001.
On Sept. 26, Branford organizers mount a very successful “Run4Nepal” helping raise money to replace a ruined school in earthquake-torn Nepal. Event director Saroj Bhandari of Branford grew up in the village of Thokarpa, Sindupalanchowk, and attended the school Run4Nepal will help rebuild.
The BOE gets its first official look at estimated costs and design concepts for three options to renovate or completely replace WIS. The review, presented earlier to the BOF, is delivered by project consultant DTC and architectural firm Perkins Eastman. Gross project costs could range from $77.6 million before-state reimbursement (final town cost $52.5 million) to $92.6 million pre-state reimbursement (final town cost $70.8 million), depending on the concept selected. DTC and Perkins Eastman recommend a “hybrid” concept, keeping the gymnasium and pool portion of WIS, slicing off the undesirable open classroom and media center space at back, and then connecting to a new addition with state-of-art instructional space. The hybrid model has an pre-reimbursement estimated cost of $83.3 million and anticipated cost to the town of $55.2 million. Next, the BOE will hold meetings and a public hearing to gather input, while assessing needs and options before making a final recommendation to the town.
To ensure protection of 22 acres of land trust property and sensitive coastal ecosystems effected by the area, non-profit Branford Land Trust takes action to reduce impacts which could be brought by Costco’s Exit 56 area development. The trust is concerned Costco’s plan for new buildings and pavement adds to an already excessively paved area, generating contaminated runoff (salts, de-icing chemicals, oil, grease, and other pollutants) that, if uncontrolled, could be carried into Van Wie Pond, wetland areas along Jarvis Creek and the Branford River and ultimately Long Island Sound. The trust underscores the need to include low-impact development features to ensure water quality and a well-designed management plan. The trust is hiring wetlands scientists and engineers to present the town with strong arguments to reduce the discharge of polluted storm water and the need to use the most effect storm water treatment methods.
Branford mourns the loss of a young community member and Branford High School Class of 2014 alumnae and athlete in the wake of a tragic accident. Vitalya “Tally” Sepot, 19, passed away on Sept. 27 as the result of an accident involving a vehicle in which she was a passenger. The Pennsylvania State University sophomore was returning to campus following a weekend of fundraising in the community as part of the school’s sorority and fraternity student-run philanthropy efforts. In Branford, friends organize a poignant candlelight vigil at BHS, where Sepot captained the Girl’s Tennis team and was a swim team member. Another well-attended vigil is held on the Branford green. The funeral at St. Therese Church brings an overflow crowd of hundreds.
October
Bringing closure to years of questions, a federal jury finds John Vailette guilty in the 2006 arson/homicide of Branford resident Kathy Hardy, a 39 year-old mother of three. The charge is issued following a federal trial in Hartford and carries a mandatory life in prison sentence. Vailette and Steven “Crash” Martone were indicted 2014 on a charge of arson resulting in Hardy’s death in her Short Beach home. Martone’s trial is set for November.
Branford’s IWA completes a site walk of the Costco planned development area on Oct. 3. The commission is expected to hear an overview of the application at its Oct. 8 meeting and to open a public hearing on the Costco inlands wetlands site plan applications in November. On Oct. 8, following more than an hour of presentations and discussion from applicant Costco, the IWA sets a Nov. 12 public hearing opening date for each of Costco’s three applications related to the project.
On Oct. 8, for the third year, Shore Publishing honors 15 winners of the 2015 Beacon Awards, honoring shoreline Samaritans for their generous community efforts and contributions. The awards are a way for The Sound and its sister publications to recognize a few of the outstanding individuals who selflessly step up to make the shoreline a better place to live. Branford community recipients are Bill O’Brien, Matt and Mary Hally, Patricia Andriole, and Wendy Cowles.
The community reels from news of the death of Branford Deputy Fire Chief Ronald R. Mullen, after Amtrak Police identify him as the victim of a tragic accident involving a person struck and killed on the tracks in the vicinity of Pleasant Point Road. Tributes on social media and a service on Oct. 20 are filled with those wishing to show their respect for Mullen, 55. Following in the footstep of his father, former BFD Chief Peter Mullen, the Branford native began service with BFD as a cadet in 1976, joined the career staff in 1981, and rose to become a highly respected incident commander, fire investigator, and educator.
Embracing a “community concept,” the redesigned Community House/Senior Center will be a larger, brighter, multi-use facility for recreation and senior citizen programming, as a well as offering community gathering and socialization within its renovated and expanded spaces. That’s the project vision shared by Farmington architecture firm Quisenberry Arcari with renderings unveiled Oct. 21 during the first of several planned public information sessions. The re-imagined building includes a covered Church Street entryway, a two-story building addition on the north side with dedicated programming space on both floors and a large community kitchen and café upstairs, and a two-floor tower involving a lower lobby entrance from the rear parking lot and a second-floor pub and café space. First Selectman Cosgrove says he feels public response shows the plan was “positively received, overall.”
More than 100 new citizens receive the Oath of Allegiance at a unique naturalization ceremony at BHS, witnessed by family, friends and the school’s sophomore class, which is studying naturalization as part of the U.S. history curriculum. The event is the first in the country to be held at a high school, say event organizers from East Shore Region Adult Continuing Education (ERACE). Senior U.S. District of Connecticut Judge Charles S. Haight, Jr., administers the oath and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal is among the day’s honored guests.
Superintendent of Schools Hamlet Hernandez is appointed to a new state education commission. Hernandez will serve on the Planning Commission for Education, tasked with developing a strategic plan to map out Connecticut’s education future.
In less than five months, individual donations have helped Branford Historical Society match more than half of a $35,000 matching grant given by BCF. The BCF delivers a $17,500 check to help the society celebrate the milestone on Oct. 26. The society needs to raise $225,000 by the end of 2016 to buy the historic 1724 Harrison House and establish a property maintenance fund.
Non-profit BCF reports receiving a $91,365 endowment from the estate of long-time Branford resident Jacqueline Trask Ulrich. The gift will generate nearly $5,000 of grant funding each year; as the fund grows, so will the amount of grant funding.
State Senator Ted Kennedy, Jr., calls for a change to the 100 year-old name of an “offensive” Branford maritime navigational marker. Identified on U.S. nautical maps as “Negro Heads,” the landmark is located just off the southeastern Branford coast, comprised of a reef of rocks. The DEEP will work with the state Geologist to officially change the name.
On Oct. 29, one of Branford’s newest businesses pays tribute to a Branford industry that once operated on the same site. Stony Creek Brewery unveils a monument to the Malleable Iron Fittings Co. (MIF). Generations of workers fueled production at MIF’s Branford River location from 1854 into the late 20th century. Brewery proprietor Ed Crowley, Sr., is thanked by the monument committee, led by former Branford police chief Robert Gill, who worked at the foundry in the 1950s and has long hoped for a monument at the site. The monument stone recognizes MIF as once being Branford’s largest employer and outlines MIF’s history. It is situated outside the brewery’s main entrance at 5 Indian Neck Avenue.
November
On Nov. 3, a victorious James B. “Jamie” Cosgrove once again leads Branford Republicans in winning surge at the polls. Cosgrove claims a decisive second term as first selectman and an overwhelming GOP majority is returned to office to continue as elected leaders at Town Hall and on the RTM and BOE. Cosgrove’s running mate, Joe Higgins, is re-elected second selectman. Branford Democrat Jack Ahern is elected third selectman.
Branford’s annual Veterans Day Parade steps off along Main Street on Nov. 8 led by co-parade marshals and military veterans Elliot Hastings and Richard Dunn. Organized by Branford Veterans Parade Committee, the day begins with veterans gathering at military graves at all town cemeteries for the playing of Taps, a Naval Ceremony at Hubbard Bridge, and pre-parade ceremonies and speeches on the town green.
A Branford developer seeks a zoning amendment for incentivized housing in a commercial space known as Summit Place, to create a 115-unit condominium complex with 20 percent as “workforce housing.” The application calls for a change to the zoning map to create an incentive housing zone district. The change would bring at least 23 affordable housing units to the Branford Hill site, which includes neighboring commercial businesses and Branford Hall Career Institute.
With the IWA still waiting to hire independent scientists to conduct peer reviews of Costco’s submitted engineering and wetlands reports, Costco resets the clock on its IWA application and its pending public hearing by withdrawing its application, then immediately re-submitting it to the town. The change will give Costco time to review completed IWA peer review reports ahead of the start of a public hearing. The hearing will now likely take place in January.
The public hearing for Atlantic Wharf’s site plan is delayed after the applicant, Milford-based Metro Star, requests more time to review “a number of technical comments” on the plan, PZC Chair Chuck Andres tells a small crowd gathered for the hearing, which opened without further comments on Nov. 5. The hearing is continued to December, when Atlantic Wharf principals are expected to present a site plan overview to the PZC.
Branford Town Engineer Janice Plaziak hosts a public information session and workshop to gather input to further Branford’s Coastal Resilience Plan. The plan, which is state funded, will ultimately identify areas of current risk to storm surge, wave energy, erosion, and flooding and locate areas subject to increasing risks in the future. Branford, Madison, and Milford received funding in 2014 to undertake the effort to create a coastal plan that will have an emphasis on protecting people, buildings, and town infrastructure.
On Nov. 12, following a bidding process, the IWA votes to hire Milone and MacBroom of Cheshire to conduct the professional peer reviews of Costco’s submitted engineering and soil studies for its inlands wetlands application to build on a 44 acre site located off I-95 at Exit 56. The IWA also sets a new date to begin its public hearing on the Costco application. The hearing will be held on Jan. 14, 2016 at Branford Fire Headquarters.
During what the BOE terms “ideas and needs” sessions, members of the public join Branford Public Schools in delivering suggestions for the next generation WIS, above and beyond what’s already on the drawing board. Ideas include an all-season community tennis “bubble,” private individual music rehearsal rooms, a dedicated community services space, better/larger health care and nursing facilities, a 3-D lab and other “maker” spaces, and hands-on vocational classrooms, among other input. The BOE convenes two sessions on Nov. 12 and 17 and will follow up with a final public hearing on Dec. 2.
After an inaugural season drawing thousands of customers, Stony Creek Brewery is recalibrating to adjust for some “growing pains” by adding a third food truck and responding to overflow parking issues affecting area residents. The PZC allows the third food truck in at the request of the brewery. Based on input from residents including neighboring Anchor Reef, the PZC asks the brewery to take the unusual step of going forward with implementing the completion of its overflow parking area across the road on Indian Neck Avenue. A proposed schedule for completion of the overflow parking area is expected to be submitted to the PZC in December.
Branford’s annual Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting take place on Nov. 28, with plenty of dazzling parade entries followed up by an antique fire truck carrying Santa and Mrs. Claus. The jolly old elf lights the town Christmas tree on the Branford Green, strung with 1,000 new LED lights. The lights were hung on the 35-foot blue spruce thanks to an assist from John Witkowsky & Sons Tree Removal of North Branford. Recreation Director Alex Palluzzi also thanks North Branford business owner and Branford resident Bill Van Wilgen for donating the town Christmas tree 25 years ago, when it was planted on the Green as a living gift to the town.
On lamp posts along Main Street, beautiful baskets of fresh holiday greenery with big red bows, placed by Branford Garden Club (BGC), are each embellished with a small blue, white, and red ribbon, colors of the French national flag. BGC members added the ribbons to honor victims of the Paris terrorist attacks of November.
December
Branford Dramat presents Midsummer Night’s Dream at BHS from Dec. 3 to 5 in an inspired production that trades the enchanted forest for a fairy-filled tropical jungle, with Calypso music, Jamaican folk songs, and even a Bob Marley tune sprinkled in. BHS AP English teacher Maria Ogren has been directing the school’s fall plays since 1971.
For leading 25 years of growth and success at Community Dining Room (CDR) the non-profit has named the heart of CDR, its dining room on Harrison Avenue, in honor of Patricia B. Kral. Kral retires Dec. 31 following a quarter century working as CDR’s first executive director, and before that as a CDR volunteer.
As Costco heads toward a Jan. 14 Inlands Wetlands public hearing, the IWA accepts an intervenor request, brought by petition, from citizen’s group BCRD. The intervenor status is granted at the Dec. 10 IWA meeting after BCRD properly follows state statutes to become a party in the contested case.
Branford resident and former North Branford Senior Citizens Program Supervisor Judy Barron is named the new executive director of CDR. Her tenure will begin on Jan. 4.
From problems with pesticides to solid waste, State Sen. Ted Kennedy, Jr., gathers input during an Environmental Summit in Branford, where participants from six shoreline towns arm him with local environmental issues to address in Hartford in 2016.
During a Dec. 3 public hearing, support from the town center review board and very few concerns left among area residents indicate the site plan for Atlantic Wharf appears to be sailing toward zoning approval. However, some minor issues still need working out. The PZC continues the hearing to Jan. 7.
BCF gives a $10,000 grant to CDR in support of providing food, basic services and companionship to low income individuals and families in need.
With a unanimous vote on Dec. 16, Branford’s Board of Selectmen (BOS) acquire Foote Park and Foote Riverside Park for the town with a ceremonial $1 transaction from the Foote Charitable Family Trust. The win-win decision locks in valuable public recreational spaces for generations to come, while honoring the legacy of Wallace “Wally” Foote and creating economy of scale by turning maintenance expenses over to the town. Revenue from the trust’s endowment is anticipated to continue to contribute to future park infrastructure and programming needs.
Branford’s elected education leaders vote on Dec. 16 to recommend a hybrid building model to create the next generation WIS, to be constructed at an estimated final cost of $56 million to the town and possibly completed by December 2019. The BOE votes to add several program space amendments, based on input from the public and BOE members during three discussion sessions. The project recommendation now heads to the BOF, RTM, and BOS for review and action.
On Dec. 18, a federal jury acquits Steven “Crash” Martone of involvement in setting the house fire which killed Branford resident Kathy Hardy in 2006. Branford police arrested Martone in 2014 and he was detained while awaiting the trail. In October 2015, a federal jury found co-defendant John Vailette guilty of the crime.
A Branford family of four is displaced just three days before Christmas, after their Harding Avenue home is heavily damaged by smoke due to a basement fire which broke out at about 5 p.m. on Dec. 22. Branford Fire Department responds quickly to douse the fire. Friends of the family ask the community to help the family, which lost all of its belongings.