Republicans, Democrats Still Worlds Apart on Beecher Street Plan

There is unanimous support from members of the Southington Town Council regarding the need to develop an exploratory committee to determine the fate of the 100-year-old former schoolhouse and Board of Education building on Beecher Street, but it seems that is where the mutual agreement ends.

Council members remained on edge and split along party lines Monday evening as Council Chairman John Dobbins announced that the committee would be formed “ad hoc,” with the Democratic minority questioning the need for specified elected officials to serve on the committee.

“We communicated directly to you that the three of us are unable to serve on this committee and yet it was worded that it must be a sitting councilman,” Minority Leader Chris Palmeri said, addressing Dobbins. “We have another name to represent the Democratic Party and think it should be our decision to decide who sits on this committee.”

Dobbins and Southington Town Manager Garry Brumback last week announced that the committee would be formed to explore the best use of the property after nearly 60 residents – most from the neighborhood – spoke out in opposition to a plan that would have brought senior housing to the area.

The proposal called for private development of the property, which would be sold at $220,000.

The committee instead is designed to look at what the town wants and find the best use for the property, be it a sale, rezoning the area or a different proposal altogether.

According to Dobbins, the purpose of having the committee “ad hoc” is to provide a voice for the council. Ultimately the council will have the final decision on the property moving forward, Dobbins said, and therefore should be made up of at least two council members.

Under the proposed make-up, the committee would be bipartisan and consist of four voting members, a Republican and Democrat from the Town Council and a second from each party currently sitting on the Planning and Zoning Commission. At the request of Palmieri, Dobbins also agreed to allow a resident from the neighborhood to sit on the committee but that resident will not having voting power.

“This truly need be bi-partisan board and the criteria has always been that for an ad hoc committee, it needs to be a sitting member of the council,” he said.

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