Economic Development Commission - Regular Meeting

And I'm going to call the meeting to order and confirm that we have a quorum. And because I know Sadique has a hard lead at 9:30, I if no one objects, I would like to skip to the development agency um item number eight to order and confirm that we have quum. And why am I hearing that? That's because we went live. I just took it out. Okay. All right. I want to make sure I didn't do something wrong on this end. Okay. Good morning, John. So Denise, um I'm going to ask you if you don't mind to take the lead on this to make the presentation. All right. So um over the last um two weeks since your last meeting, um Bonnie, we had sent out a listing of the Toby Graanby TIFF district and asked the members of the board to go out and take a look at the district. There has been um some talk about the EDC taking an active role in this tiff district um as what their focus is. That's not to say that they are not focusing on the rest of the community. This is just a primary focus for them. So they will also um excluding the town center area be focusing on the rest of the town at the same time. But they felt that since we have the tiff districts established, they would focus on this area because it had the most potential at this moment. And Denise, there's a lot of activity on Blue Hills Avenue. So, I'm not sure they ne necessarily meet or they may at some point once things get approved, right? That seems to be moving along rather nicely at the moment. Yeah. And there is there are some sections of Blue Hills that that need attention, but I think with the new the Rockwell Park going in with the library being redeveloped, you've got some things going on. You have the small grocery store that's up there that is undergoing renovations. So, they're putting money

into the neighborhood area and then you've got some other developments that are going along, you know, further through the corridor. So, but so Bonnie, how do you want to take it? Do you want to go through? Um, I think it would be helpful unless people have been down I don't know if anyone had a chance to actually get down Graanby Street and Toby Road and Mosy. Um, but I I went through building by building to a certain degree just so I could refresh my memory. But I'll also share with you, I was kind of walking down memory lane when my grandfather came to Bloomfield in 1909 as a refugee, as an immigrant from Russia where he could not buy land. He, like many other East European refugees, bought real estate. He bought 100 acres of property. Uh, that was his farm. And part of his farm was both the industrial park where Douglas Street is and Graanby Street. and he and the town developed this together. So I and I also our first synagogue or our beginning of our synagogue was a house that you had to walk into during rainy days because the treat street wasn't paved when I was a kid. So that's my my walk down nostalgia lane. But there is sort of a I and a lot of other people of my age remember how it was and I think would like to see some return to to activity. There's a lot of traffic down that street, Janice. That was the thing that really surprised me. Well, it was a major cut through into Hartford and I think as we discuss and we as we look at the pictures of the area, there's some really good buildings in the area. There's some opportunity opportunity in the area with um parcels, but there are also some lighted buildings and that's something I'd like to talk about afterwards, just what that means exactly to us. So, Bonnie, how do you want to start? Do you want to start looking at the pictures and Yeah, I think so. If no one objects, I just uh again has no

one's really I don't know that anyone's had a chance to go down there, but we'll give you just a quick overview of it if we can. Okay, I'm gonna share bring up what you have and Yeah. Okay. So, you should be able to Oh, that was not the one I wanted. Hang on. There we go. Yeah, you got it. Whoops. Hang on. All right. I don't know why that one is Well, as long as we can move. As long as we can scroll, I don't really care. Hang on. No, I just All right. For some reason, my screens are mislabeled here. Well, that makes me feel better, Denise. That's Hang on. I'm going to No rush. Oh, I got it. Okay, never mind. I'm gonna move this over. It's one It's It's morning. Okay. So, no excuse. Can you see this now? I can see that. Yeah. All right. Can you see the photos and everything? I just see the link. See your desktop? All right. Okay. I don't understand why, but let me Hang on. Okay. I'm moving you guys over. Hang on. I'm going to stop sharing for a minute because it's telling me I was showing you the right screen and it actually wasn't coming up. So, uh, Bob and Sadique, I know Sadique, you probably haven't had a chance to go down there because you're you're Yeah, I have seen the photos that you sent out. Yes. And had had you are you familiar at all with Graanby Street and what it looks like in general? No, this was my first exposure to it. Ah, okay. And Bob, for you? Uh, I know it pretty well because I uh I frequent Home Depot. Uh, and uh I Well, anyway, I won't give you the whole history, but I've I've used a lot of uh uh places on on the

street and uh also uh uh went with you. So, I have a a pretty decent uh visual idea of it. Yeah. Good. Okay. By second year, I also visit Home Depot and also the VIP car wash that's up to Well, what's what's interesting, guys, is that end of Graanby Street actually looks pretty good. Yeah. Part that's next to Cottage Road, when you keep on going down towards Toby, which is that's when it starts to really deteriorate. And then if you go and you'll see it, I I included one photo. If you go past the town line into Hartford, there's some beautiful property there. They if anyone's familiar with the old housing project that was uh just by beyond the town line uh that was made into I guess they're town houses or duplexes a couple of years ago. It's absolutely beautiful. And then if you keep on going down Graanby Street into it eventually intersects with Albony Avenue, Route 44, that has been a very stable, I'm assuming owner occupied uh starter neighborhood since I was a kid. It looks really good. There are very few properties that are not being wellmaintained. So, we've got we've got something to live up to, I think. All right. Bonnie, can you now see my screen? Yes. Yes. Okay. Sorry about that. You be able to scroll it for me? Yes, I can. Okay. So, this is I basically started at the very end of Toby Road, uh, which is near the railroad track. And we can kind of talk, you guys can talk about the greenway some bite afterwards, which is another piece of what's going on. So the first three photos are GE, that's the it's pretty good facility, which I didn't realize. I don't know exactly what they do. Does anyone else know what's going on there?

U Bonnie, they develop power systems like uh turbine parts and things like that, but it's more research. used to be u Alam used to be I believe a Norwegian company. Okay. Okay. Thank you. And then the next is Creative Hearts which I thought was daycare but turns out I think it's an early learning center actually. And that building um it looks good. I mean it's it's the property around it doesn't but the building itself has a nice facade and I know that they've got a lot of activity there. Those are the next two photos. Yeah. And then in this this now we've got aerospace there which also surprised me. That's that's 24 Toby. I see. Yeah, that's 24 to. And again a good looking building. This is you know this is what we're looking for I think is clean manufacturing or clean research. Okay. And then again going up Toby road towards branding. This is Pearson Metram which is again some kind of manufacturing. And Dave, can you tell me what that is? I'm actually not sure what they do. Okay. All right. Keep on going. All right. Now, you've got um Hooker Brewery, which is a a a great um facility, but you can see that could probably use a little sprucing up compared to some of the other buildings. Definitely. Yeah. I'm trying to be nice. Well, no, it just You want to know what? Hooker needs a sign. Hooker needs some fresh. Yeah. Well, he he's I think he's so demoralized by what the rest of the property looks on his side of the street that he's kind of holding off, but we'll see. This is I I've met with with Kurt a couple of times and I'm hoping I'm going to bring him over to the bright side. Uh this is the dog rescue at 12 Toby, which also belongs to Jim Hooker Brewery. And I they are about to move, am I correct? Uh over into like um yeah, they are

vacating that building into the industrial park area. So, I don't know what exactly the plans are for that. And now we get to where the problem is. Okay. Now, when I looked these up, guys, it came up as um 6 and 8 Toby Road, but I'm not sure. I thought the corner lot, which we're going to see that is is that Gravity Street or is that Toby Road, but I was a little confused. Um they have three properties listed as 6 through 8. Toby 6, eight, and 10. Yeah. Um, it was a little confusing, but again, a lot of this is a little and this is the first go around. This was just this was for my benefit and so that we can go back and and identify properties. These properties, it's owned by a fellow name. What's the first name? I don't remember. And it it's I know you can only do what you can do, but if you ever saw a blinded property, I think we're looking at a blinded property. And if you don't see them next, you hurt and kind of understand why maybe he doesn't want to do anything right now because it's it's an eyesore. It's embarrassing. This is the empty lot. 97 Graby is the way that came up. I don't know if it is or not. That's the empty lot that was a gas station. and um the town u cleaned it up and then sold it to this gentleman who hasn't done anything with it yet. And I don't know whether whether his status does he have an application that expired or does he have any 97 Yeah, 97 Grand is still Kongstar real estate. Okay. But does Paul, can you stop? Can you stop? Can you shut that off please? Okay. Sorry about that. I don't know but it's been going for a

while. 97 Grammy Street belongs to the town. But did he have to was the requirement when he bought it that he do something with it within a certain period of time or is it just a a use application? So, we had we had looked into that a while ago and it's a the the the town attorney's opinion I think at this point and and Linda and John correct me if any of this has changed but I believe because the way the agreement was worded um it was almost like there was a clawback provision uh if nothing got done within a certain period of time but the language was kind of reversed somehow. So the timeline doesn't exist anymore. So unfortunately, I don't think there really is anything in the original contract that allows for that. John and Linda, is that still the the take in that area? You're muted, Linda. Hi. Um I believe John had more discussion with the town attorney on that, but yes, you I believe you're correct. um the way that the agreement was worded um you know it just didn't give uh you know the timeline pretty much expired um I know they do have a site plan and special permit that is expired as well it expired in 2022 um so there is pretty much nothing you know no current they they haven't been back to the town to submit for new plans um and the property owner just claims that, you know, financially it's it's just not doable for him right now. Um, but he but he also isn't willing to sell it. I I've talked to at least one or two people who are interested in buying it from him and uh so if it's right I don't I don't really know what's going on there, but obviously is not totally true

what he's saying to us. The other question is with the other two properties, um, are is there anything that can be done because they are in such poor shape to either force him to take the buildings down or do something with them? So, um, it's been uh referred to the uh town manager um to to then be referred to town council, okay, to uh include them in the certified um lighted properties list. And once that's done, uh, then the town can take, uh, you know, more, I guess, a strict enforcement by taking him to court, um, and ordering him, you know, the demolition of the, uh, that structure that you see there. Um, I know 68 Toby, but the one on the top left is 10 Toby Road. Um, and, uh, I'm not sure. We we'll see where that takes us. Um, but the process has started. Um, maybe it will give us some leverage and maybe he'll be more interested in selling to have the resources to take care of the other two. It's um, okay, I know we have to be patient. I know, you know, it's I know it's it's as a former real estate person, I wouldn't want someone taking my property if I thought I was going to do something with it. So, we'll just we'll we'll wait. We'll wait for updates on that. But, this is certainly an issue for that end of Grammy Street and for Toby Road. Uh, and here I'm a little confused, but I know one of these is the empty lot that I'm showing you, and the other one is the empty lot that Kirk owns from the Hooker Brewery that I think he said is supposedly under contract again for some type of commercial and or retail. Wasn't really sure. Distribution, storage, and distribution. Um, 30,000 square feet is all they need. Um so the original proposal um for you know the two phases um I I guess I don't

think the second phase is going to happen unless you know years later the the one who's under contract now you know expands and needs it. But at this time um they would have to come back for a special permit because the use changed or it will change. Um it was for a cannabis facility. Um and this other one would be for a storage and distribution. I'm not sure of exactly what it was just um I haven't seen the business plan or the proposal. Um but it was just uh preliminary talks I had with with Kurt. Well, considering how TPZ approached the cannabis facility and what they wanted that to look like, this if it does happen would be a major improvement because you would have corner lot that had a decent looking building with landscaping and that sort of thing. So, that's something to look forward to also. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. And now we're on to the other end of Toby Road. Um, this was interesting. This I thought was on Mosy Drive because it's on the corner of Mosy and Toby. And um this is a concrete company that's taking it over and they look like they they're doing some major renovations. So that was encouraging. This lot looks pretty bad as well. In fact, I stopped and I talked to one of the the foreman of a job. They thought I was going to come and complain about the mud. I said, "Nah, it's been great." I said, "I'm nobody. I have no authority. I'm just talking to you taking pictures." That seems to work pretty well. Okay. This is I think this is the um environmental. No, community solutions. Is that the one you're looking at? Yeah. Yeah. That says it's a national industrial surplus equipment. Okay. That's at two mozzy. That's the building down below which again looking building. And then

this was really interesting. This is at the far end of the dead end of Mosy Drive. Mosy Drive is if you go down Toby Road and you go as far as you can before it is a churn, there's a little deadended road there. Um, and this is the cannabis grow facility that um was sold by my family's some empty property they had. And it's quite a nice looking building. It's it it again has to be all contained, which it is. Um, it has a nice parking area. It's landscaped. So that and you don't see it. So that's kind of okay. Moving right along. Know what it was. Pardon me. You wouldn't know what it was unless you saw ex and I barely knew what it was when I knew what it was. Yeah. Very little signage. Okay. So 110 grandby we're up to now. Yeah. And this was the uh oil company which um looking now by the way I skipped 31 Toby because I want to do that separately. That's the probably the genesis of both Bob and my interest in redeveloping this area. Um, this again with a a nice looking building. He's got decent signage. This is on the end of of uh Graanby Street on the on the town line, the Hartford town line. Okay. Okay. That's I think the tire company 104 Grand. Interesting. I uh sometimes the owners would come out and talk to me. Um, they've been there 17 years. The only complaint he has is he really has a drainage problem. And when the road was redone, I don't know how many years ago, no one gonna put a drain in for him. So, I don't know if someone wants to go and talk to him and see what that's all about. But that was his comment. But he's very happy being there. He and his brother own the business and they they are doing well. This is the tire company I think Graanby and it's, you know, okay, it is what it is. Um, this was interesting. This, I believe, is the condemned

building. No, that's the one that's vacant. There's two buildings that are vacant. One of which is condemned. This is just vacant, I think. Which one? 96 Graanby. Yeah, I think Well, I'm looking for No, I'm looking for the red. There's a red sticker. Can we keep on scrolling? Yeah, I think I marked it. Maybe farther up. Okay. All right. So that's Fukqua, which is a beautiful building. And that's someone who I think Denise, we should definitely talk to about how they feel about how things are going there. This again, I had a little problem. It's either 86 or 92 or something else. But it is I guess it's a clean energy facility. So is that natural gas or propane or natural gas? This is the one. U Bonnie, we had to check and see if they're part of the TIFF district or not. Yeah. Okay. Um and I'll look into that. I just didn't get a chance to do that yesterday. I have a quick update on on 92 there where that gas facility is. They did receive a variance I want to say a couple of years ago uh to convert or to have gasoline uh the sale of gasoline in the site. Um and the property owner um and for an additional um canopy with um two double pumps. um they are now um we're I I believe it's next week we're going to have a pre-development meeting um where they want to improve the site and um have uh you know an additional canopy additional pump on there and maybe one more curb cut. So there is a proposal coming forward on Good. And Linda, this is this currently some kind of of propane or something. What what is clean energy? Uh, I believe that was just it was more for a private fleet um on with for their trucks um just fueling up their trucks.

So, it's gasoline. Yeah, it's not gasoline. It's uh diesel. No, not even diesel. That can't be. It's um Yeah, it not gasoline or diesel. It's some sort of other form of Okay, that's what I was curious about. That's again that's an interesting use. Nice to pretty up the property a little bit. It will be a convenience store that little facility. That's what I figured. Yeah, that's good. Are they good? Linda, are they improving that little building as part of it or correcting it? They will be they not but they'll they'll be improving it. Um and and also the you know surface parking area. Yeah. Not sure if another curb cut will be approved, but they they're asking for an additional curb cut on the on the other end. They have one already. Um so they kind of want a circulation plan going on there. Um we we haven't met again. I'm not sure what the town engineer would say about that. Okay. Okay. Uh Bloomfield Motors, that's uh 90 86. It's the three that beige building. It's a you know, it is what it is. It's a It's a used car lot, which is never going to be pretty. So, maybe a little landscaping would go a long way and maybe dust up the building a little bit, but it was neat. There were no abandoned cars. There was nothing there where there were tires missing, that kind of thing. So, all right, here we go. This was interesting. This is 80 Graanby Street. So, I go up there and I see there's a sign for sale. Then I go up to the building. There's this big red sticker that says it's condemned. And and I don't know why it's still standing then. Does anyone know why it has a bunch of building and fire code violations? Um, it there's there's a lot of just serious building and fire code violations. So, unless the property owner or contractor is there to fix the

matter and the issues, um, you know, it cannot be occupied. Uh, currently there is no building permit. So, um, there should be no one in the building at all. No, and the property owner is not, you know, the propertyy's not for sale either. So, I don't know, you know, it's a matter of current. Yeah, it it's an ongoing enforcement. You know, we we get calls of people being in there. Um, we send someone out. Um, you know, there's there's pretty much right now nothing we can do. I I believe this one is also um on the blighted properties list that was sent to the town manager. Can we at least get the sign taken down or ask them to take the sign? No, we cannot. We cannot take that sign down. That sign really that sign has to be posted on the property. Yes. So, it is for sale by law. Even if it's for sale. Okay. Right. I'm getting a real education with all this. Thank you. Yeah. Bonnie, if you can read the date on the condemn sticker, it's Isn't that three like 1925? Yeah. Yeah. So, it's recent that it was done. Yeah, I was just kind of shocked and I go walting up there and see the sticker and I was like, "Okay." Um, the building next to it is a very nice looking building. This is 78 Granley Street and this is Stark Product. I'm not quite sure what they do. I refrigeration. Is that what it is? Is And and they it looked good. They again they were very interested in finding out why I was there and they were very interested that we were trying to do something to upgrade the property. So that was good. Um next is Groen Wegle. If anyone is an oldtimer around here, they have they have been in business for over 100 years and they've been on this site for a long long time. Um they manufacture uh hot dogs and hams and that sort of thing and

they uh it's looked clean, it looked neat. Uh, I had no real issues with it. Okay. Next to it is another. And I don't know who was here. Oh, this was No, this was I don't know who was in this building, Denise, if you do, but it is vacant at this point. It's a nice 94 Grammy 74 74. Sorry, I can't read this morning. Um, but again, it's that's a possibility. You know, there are two things that could happen here. It could be an it definitely could be an entertainment area, but I also think there are maker spaces that might be available in some of these empty buildings. I think we have to me we when we have the discussion I want to have a two-pronged approach to this so that everybody kind of has a possibility to make some changes. Um Dave, I know you and I get um inquiries in a lot about buildings available. I don't know if we have 74 grandby be on our on our list. Okay. Because I'm looking at the warehouse behind it. I know we've had a couple people that have asked for office and warehouse space. Depends on how high those ceilings are in their warehouse. So, yep. Um The next one is Mercury Cleaners, which again really could use a facade upgrade. Is this an active dry cleaning space? From what I can tell, yeah, there were people there. Okay. I'm just um got help from a lot of dry cleaners. A lot of dry cleaners got put on the um contaminated sight list. I was going to say that they ever sell this. Yeah, I'd be interested to see if they had to do any cleanup on that space. When we sold Copakco 20 years ago, we already were remediating battisonins and we are still remediating bisonins probably forever because you just it leeches enough that you have to

just keep undoing things and monitoring it. So, it's a pretty expensive proposition. Yeah. Okay. Next is Dapra, which I do believe has been there for a while. And can you tell me what milling technology is? Anyone? Milling usually has to do with metals. Yeah. So they if they're making parts or Yeah. But again, nice looking building, well man, well uh landscape, well maintained. So that's a that's a plus. Uh next to it is the VIP car wash. Uh which for a car wash is not half bad. Um they do make they do take care of it. They don't leave any cars lying around and it is what it is sort of, you know. And then uh now we're up at almost the just before they get to uh Wendy's on the east side of Graanby. Um you've got this is where Nianda uh used to have her her business Robinson. Um it's a the back of it the side of it a redemption center. The rest of it is a printing company. Again, building looks good. Could use a little more landscaping, but it's wellmaintained. And then Saba, which I'm dying to get into because it boy are they busy. I was there around 10:30 on a Thursday or a Friday and I couldn't even find a parking space. So, they're they're obviously got a great niche there. There is no odor. There are no signs. You have would have no idea what they were doing unless you saw their sign. And that's that's a plus. When were you there? I was there last week. I can't remember if it was Thursday or Friday. Whenever it wasn't raining, I went over there. Okay. Um, and then Denise, you've told me that these the Wendy's and uh Burger King and Home

Depot are not in the tent. Correct. Okay. So, that's the Cottage Grove event. Yeah. I think we have a few more slides up too much. Okay. Cube storage. This is a beautiful facility. This is brand new and it's to the south of um Home Depot. And then the next one, not so much. Uh the next one, 95 Graanby Street, is um some kind of a discount furniture, which is okay except at the back of it, which I couldn't even get to because the driveway was in such bad shape and so full of water. It's some kind of a bakery. I don't know whether had Linda were they approved to be a bakery down there. Um yeah, actually they they did get approval when Jose Ger was here to have a pea manufacturing um and distribution in the rear part. Um currently somehow they they had gotten a certificate of occupancy prior to them doing all of the improvements on site um some time ago. Um but it is currently being enforced uh for zoning uh you know some some violations with the outdoor storage. Um their site plan um was just recently uh extended. It was uh set to expire um this July and the commission uh at their last meeting extended the site plan approval for an additional year to give the property owner time to um you know make some some improvements to the site um and to you know uh kind of get rid of all the outdoor storage um bakeries are permitted use I'm sorry say that again the bakery in the rare is permitted use the retail in the front and the bakery in the back.

Um, yeah, they they were both approved because I had I had heard some complaints from about that. Yeah, if you Yeah, the complaints may be with with all the maybe trucks that have been parked there. And he he felt that they the site had that the the where the bakery was had actually never been cleaned up and there was residue and I but I'm just passing that along as part of the cleanup. Yes, that's part of zoning zoning and Yep. Okay. Then these last few pictures, this is just again that's the that's that corner lot we're talking about on Toby and Graanby which was the gas station and was I assume a brownfield mediated by the town. That's the former Monto building which is Hurts building on the other corner. And then this is really interesting. Bob mentioned this to me. Bob, you want to talk about this a little bit? Uh of course. Uh I've had some connections with university uh and uh in a conversation uh we all had about possible entertainment district uh I mentioned that the University of Hartford backs up to uh to this property. So I did some exploring and found out uh indeed there is an access road. As you can see, it's really not heavily maintained. Uh, but it is a cut uh, you know, a passageway uh, through the university. And they do actually open it uh, mornings and afternoons and close it in the middle of the school day. I I have no idea why, but it does provide access from the university. Uh, and uh, it it lands at uh, a new street for me. It's called Mark Twain Drive, which has uh, no connection uh, geographically with the Mark Twain House. Uh, but it lands at

the corner of Albany uh, right where we're talking about. So, uh, there is a potential access there. if we talked to the university someday if there was something going on in that area, it is a way for for students to um get to that area. And uh I brought it up because of course uh the redevelopment uh downtown uh uh the commercial area behind uh the waterfront uh really took off once Yukon uh moved their dorms uh to to that area. So having students in the area could be a real plus. Obviously some some ways down the road, but there is access already potentially there. There's just a lot of interesting stuff going on in the area. And then these last pictures are just if anyone remembers what used to be called the BS housing project which was uh just on the other side first right over the Hartford line. This is what was built I don't know two years ago, three years ago. I can't remember how long. It's absolutely gorgeous. I mean, it's like the Pope Park redevelopment. This is the new idea of what you do for affordable housing for people. And um again, we should be embarrassed that this is what record looks like. And those pictures are what we look like. But okay, I'm going to if we can bring up one more picture and then I will start the conversation. I'm sorry for this taking so long, but I wanted to make sure everybody saw everything. Denise, can you bring up that um interior drawing of um uh 31 Toby? Hang on. Let me Okay, this is the building that John had been approached. Am I right, John? You were approached by um Steve Kaplan about something potentially being done there and then you passed it along to me. Correct. And um Steve has been a bit of a problem child in the past, but he now has his

son working with him, which I think has kind of been good for both of them. Steve is a is from uh the New York area. He is a um architect. His son is an interior designer from Austin. And that will start to play into what we're going to talk about with this is a sort of an incubator for a potential entertainment zone. All right. Are you able to see that the layout? All right. I don't know why. Maybe you take this one off. Let me see. Hang on. I'm gonna Okay. Shut the cat. It's okay. I can kind of just talk about Nope. I'm going to shut this one down. Okay. And then everybody's still awake. That's good. Uh, screen sharing has stopped. Hang on. The window is closed. So, I got to reopen. Okay. Are we There we go. There we go. If any I don't know if anyone's seen the building. I didn't really give you a picture because I I want to go down the road, but it's a big blue industrial building and it's got kind of a turret. It's two stories, a little bit of a turret on top. And this is the interior of it. And again, you have to apologize. I had to sort of add some stuff in there. But this is basically what I want you to see is that there are big spaces in here. And and the unit 17 to 23, which was just approved, were axe throwing and a smash center, which I got a lot of positive feedback when I it was posted on Facebook. That was interesting. Bonnie, if I can just jump in with one comment, uh because you and I have seen it. Uh these are not just big spaces. They are fully finished. Uh they they have real floors and and walls and nice ceilings. So, they're actually ready to use as opposed

to vacant un unimproved space. Yeah. And and it's industrial space, so you've got 18 foot high ceilings and you've got all the duct work. I mean, it looks like any kind of a a loft you might see somewhere in in New York City. Um, so that's one big unit that he does have rented, but again, he's doing short-term rents because he he wants to change the uses in this building as well. And then unit three and four is an event venue, which is absolutely beautiful if you ever get a chance to to take a look at it. And then there was a dance studio in unit five that was just approved. And I'm show I'm mentioning those because those are all pretty goodsized units. So that's the positive part. Plus there's the ability to do artist studios up on the second floor. The negative part shortterm is what you've got downstairs. There's a lot of automotive uses. Um there's a lot of cars parked where they shouldn't be. The parking lot could use some work. But I think and and John, you can jump here jump in here if I'm wrong, but I think if as long as Steve realizes and he does that um short-term leases because he's not trying to sell it are not going to hurt him. They're going to at least get him let him pay the bills while we start to work on something. And and he's pretty much committed to trying to change this into some kind of an entertainment venue. So that's all I have for everyone and I would love to hear some comments from uh Sadique and Bob and Gman and York and anyone else who wants to talk. Sadik muted muted Sadik muted Sadique. muted. Yeah, come on. Yeah, I think this is sounds very interesting and and

practically yielding some you know activity for for the area and it should be an attraction Bob and you have seen that you know and you have very positive comments about it. Uh although for me uh it is difficult right now to put the exterior of this building with the interior you've shown. So if I could also have a glimpse of 31 to be yeah I unfortunately don't have it. Do you have a picture of it? I don't have one in my file right now. But it doesn't matter. I mean you you folks have looked at it you know I trust your judgment. So it's all good for it's a big blue building. Yeah. Yeah. a couple. It used to be Didn't it used to be black parts of it? I don't remember. I don't remember it being blue, but boy, it sure stands out. Which is actually good because it's kind of funky looking, which is what you're looking for. Yeah. I mean, it would be it would be useful to see the exterior of the building along with the interior so that Yeah, I'll get I'll get you a picture. I'll send it along better perspective. Okay. But but but I I agree. I mean if the it's available for some activity and Bob has some connections where he can attract some people to come in and do the work and especially the access to UHart is very charming for me. It's very attractive if that road can be really populated and and activities go around that and that can have a trickle down effect towards grow cottage Grove and other businesses in our area because as I see um I move around quite a bit on you know Cottage Grove and Park Avenue uh we don't have youth uh connected in that area so that would be a very good connection we we got good entertainment there. Now you know um we we have good restaurants. Ginsa has reopened and you

know there is Thai restaurant and other things you know Japanese restaurant and Sarah's and whatnot. So I think that that ah thank you. There we go. Yeah it's it's beautiful thing. Yeah looks very good. So there you go. So so yeah I think I it it looks exciting. Yeah it's wonderful. So the only way is if Bob can explore more uh with that uh inlet or outlet to the UHart. Thank you Denise. Pathway that would be great. It as I said it's got it's got the look of being something other than what it is. So that's I think it's a plus for us and you've got owners that are interested in doing anything doing something. And I also think honestly we need something for the younger population to do. And I'm not sure we want to have nightclubs in the center of town. This is going to be more of an evening entertainment for the younger crowd. And I think it's exactly where it should be. And if we do things right, we will draw not just from Bloomfield, but from the surrounding area. Um the axe throwing, if anyone's familiar with it, I I was amazed at how positive the response was to it. I mean, other than our age, anyone else was very excited about it. Yeah. me to for the fact that once the students are exposed to this area, they will wander about and maybe find more interesting things. Definitely. Well, that's the whole idea. If if if Steve's if 31 Toby starts to do something, I'm sure that um Hooker will start to enhance their property again, too. And if they can if we can clean up that corner, that's probably one of the biggest issues we have. But the other thing I want to keep in mind is that it what you're going to do on Toby Road may not be what you're going to do on Graanby Street. I still think Graanby Street has the potential because of some of the small vacant buildings to be maker spaces. And Dave, that's something

I'm going to refer to you because that's your field of expertise, not mine. And Bonnie, can I just jump in with a couple of uh various comments on on topics? Uh uh clearly having uh youth in the area uh is is a real positive. Uh I've been told that actually one of the biggest uh uh clientels of Isaac's Bagels is students from U of Hartford who come over there for that. Uh I recall uh uh in the Gman and York presentation about the the center that uh they reported uh in surveying the people in the apartments, the new apartments in town uh that they actually tended not to go to the name restaurants uh but the uh the lesser restaurants. They were interested in things that are a little more interesting, edgy, funky. Uh so that says something about the Toby Road uh attraction. Uh the building uh is very attractive uh as an art space uh for exactly the reasons that it looks like an industrial building as opposed to a museum. You know, uh that's attractive to people. uh not to dignify ourselves, but probably the most famous uh art building in the world is the Pompadoo Center, which has all of its mechanicals on the outside of the building. It's currently going through renovations now, but uh so this is an attack attractive trend. And last thing, and I'll defer to Dave, who of course has the expertise. We've talked about the idea that um manufacturing is uh at least an element if not a requirement

for a tiff zone. But uh I I view and do a lot of reading. There's a a transition in manufacturing today. It's almost not to be silly, but as big as when looms first came in and steamowered manufacturing took over. We're having a revolution now in little manufacturers with machines, 3D printing that can make uh make things. Uh Toby Road in the area would be ideal to encourage people to move into that area if we got some legislation that said, "Yeah, that's actually manufacturing now." So, uh those are some of my comments and yes, I will be very happy when the time is right. We don't want to jump the gun, but if we have something attractive to the university, we can go talk to them about that. Thank you. Thank you, Bob. Dave, I think I think you'd see the university, their engineering school, uh, the Harry Gray uh, center would probably be very interested in, you know, creating some kind of center research or whatever that could go with micromanufacturing. There's also a number of um initiatives that nonprofits and others that the state is doing uh involving AI and um uh 3D printing and and micro uh ma manufacturing that Bloomfield might see its way in getting involved with uh through the Metro Hartford Alliance or uh one of the other regional organizations. Um, I don't know if Bloomfield participates very much in in the Metro Hartford Alliance, but um, that would be

a way to start getting a sense of how this is working. Hartford's uh, paying a lot of attention to it. The new mayor is uh, very active in trying to do that. Um, so I think it'd be parallel and companion development with um with the artist uh entertainment activity. The legislation issue would be way down the road. Um, but preparing for it would be part of the plan. Maybe is there any infrastructure needs unusual infrastructure needs for AI? Um I believe the the um high wifi internet activity would be mostly uh needed electrical circuits that type of thing. Okay. So yeah, and I I think uh there's some special needs obviously for uh for if you have more than just your personal computer there for uh cool cooling and that kind of thing for computers. I'd like to add uh two comments. One, I'll reserve Bonnie till uh uh I give my report about the uh art commission uh uh in manufacturing. But one uh I would add is that uh in doing some early work for the uh arts commission in Bloomfield, I actually took a tour of the uh dog rescue center uh and they have uh I understand they're moving moving, but the current building has a beautiful mural that runs the entire interior perimeter of the building that was designed and painted by the University of Hartford Art Studio. students. Oh, so they are interested and potentially could be a resource if we got them engaged in

addition as Dave says to the engineering. Uh and of course they have an architecture program at U Hartford also now. U but uh the art school uh could get involved in perhaps uh dressing up some of the space at Toby Road. So, just something another feather to put in our cap. Thank you, Lenny. Thank you for joining. Did you have a chance to see any of the presentation? I I did notice when you came on. Yeah. Um, yeah. Yeah, I was here for some of it. Um, I did uh d I drove by there um couple of days ago and I thought that particular building, 31 Toby Road, was not part of the TIFF district. That's what I thought. So, I didn't drive back there, but I did see it and I did take a look at all the other areas and I gave you some comments. I'm not sure nobody got I have I didn't receive any feedback uh from anyone, but uh and you got a daycare center and all those things. So, I'm not sure. Again, I think it'd be more of like a nightife um entertainment, not daytime because it's got a daycare and a grooming place. So, um I again I didn't hear any feedback from anyone about my comments as well as the name comment on the name. Um yeah, and I gave comments on what I saw. That's what that's what drove me. I'm remiss. I should have I should have responded to you. I will go back and I will um the the tiff zone from what we've been told from going to New York and John is that can 31 Toby Road either is part of it or can be part of it. It is part. It is part of it. It is part. We did double check that. Yeah. All right. So, if that's the case, I'm thinking um in my opinion, I'm thinking alliance with the University of Hartford or Yukon or Central, any of those schools, I think it'll put on the map. Um the thing

is utilizing those spaces and make sure they up the code for the different type of entertainment spaces besides art exhibits and so forth. They need activity. Um, so that's where the creative space comes in. Probably a survey from the area colleges would be helpful. Um, so I'm thinking that's my input there. Um, input from what they're looking for. Um, and Hooker Brewery, y' a lot of young people in there. That might be a way to get survey what can happen over there. Lighten up the place with more lighting, better pavement, stuff like that. So, I think that'll work. Um, you just need little input from the community that you and the Baker spaces on Graanby. What do you think, Lenny? Um, yeah, I think that uh Firestone Place where it says condemned. Yeah, that it probably has a lot of violations there, but I'm thinking in those areas it it could be I don't know without tearing down the building and come up with a new concept, but re reusing it. I don't know. Um, you gota really you gotta start from the you gota start from the the area where you want the used to be and then come over and probably get new upcoming businesses in there that um don't mind uh some sweat equity um and uh get a better understanding. A lot of people really understand how the tiff works. You can explain it to them. You almost got to have a training session to make sure that they know exactly what they're getting into and how it they benefit from it. So, I think that's one of the comments I would make. Educate the community on what it's about. I actually I absolutely agree with you, Lyn. Yeah. Once they understand that and the different incentives, they want to see it in writing, layman terms, don't talk quickly. I think it'll work better that way. And then you probably get more

folks um driving in that area, coming to that area. Um, and they don't have to be high for they can be hard for residents but build a business in Bloomfield, you know. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Um, so yeah, it's a lot of folks that want to do business over there. It's just a matter of how do you get incentives and um access to banks and finance um low interest uh you know, we don't have a lot of control over that, but you know, well, that's why we go to the banks, Len. I mean, microl loans would would be a great incentive for a lot of people. Yeah. So, yeah, probably need community needs to get educated on the tiff, like I said, financing, um, you know, those kind of things. And, uh, I think it'll take off from there. And do you see any conflict with what is being proposed for the town center? conflict. Um, no, because really the only entertainment really would be the amphitheater that we they proposing for entertainment, the restaurants and all that. It you know that's what the survey um you know retail space um res bringing um apartments and so forth to the to the town. I don't think it's in competition. And I think they're so far apart. As far as I'm concerned, they're far apart. Um, one is on the edge of town, one is in town. So, but I don't think it I don't think it would be a conflict. Um, um I think it'd be a choice. They and compliment each other because they're they're two different they got two different reasons to be for being. I I agree with you there. Um, Bonnie, yes. If I might, the only

conflict I would see would be the energy capacity of the town to it. This is an exciting idea that you're talking about. So is the town center. How much energy does the town have to devote to to working on this, if you know what I mean? Okay. So you're not talking about about electrical energy. You're talking about No, I'm talking about Okay. backing of Yeah. Oh, I know. I know. And and and I don't want to raise expectations. On the other hand, you've got somebody who wants to do something on Toby Road. And I would like to at least try to get that building maybe started, even if nothing else starts, even if there's no tip at at that point, but at least get people to look at it in a different way. And and we've got a a an owner again who um really is interested making a change there. So, I think we we want to try and take, you know, take advantage of that. And I also know that this is not, you know, there's a third tip zone. You've still got Blue Hose Avenue that has to be looked at and there's an awful lot going on. But I think if you can get the right volunteers to help you work with this, that will help tremendously. Plus, we've got you guys, which is fabulous because as as you've said, you've been here for a long time. You really know us. You know our town. You know what will work and what won't won't work. and and I you know I'm an entrepreneur by by background so I'm always optimistic. No one knows can do it but I can do it. That's why entrepreneurs are successful sometimes you know and you've got to have that that positive and I'm positive. I'm I'm so excited and I think Bob shares that excitement. Um the other thing I wanted to tell you that I've been talking to John and Linda. Um, one thing that I saw with some of the the tenants in 31 Toby who were new tenants, they had real tough time getting through the permitting process, not because there was any problem on the town's part, but because they just didn't know

how it works. So, I volunteered to kind of be a an unbudsman for them and that if they if uh Lindon John give me kind of a a template of what they need to do when they come into town hall, um I'd be happy to work with them to try to get so they're legitimate. Yes, Bonnie. Uh two quick comments. Uh, one, uh, uh, I understand very much, Dave, and and I share your concern about how much attention, uh, the town and its resources and funding can devote to to two areas. Uh, but I I see this and and clearly Bonnie is expressing it in large part this can be businessdriven uh, as opposed to uh, uh, you know, subject of course to need permits and permissions and all of that. Uh but uh one of the attractions for this is of course town center is uh well into planning but actually years before uh we could see any uh any buildings uh on the on the uh site. Uh these are buildings readymade and uh I want to just give a a a very interesting uh quick case study of of uh the power of of art and and youth. Uh uh I've reported before to our group there's a a uh a major art center in the center of Torington now called Five Points and they have actually helped by their presence with uh uh rebuilding the center of Torington. five points and I don't know the history on this but formed an alliance with the University of Hartford Art School between Hartford Bloomfield and

Torington. It's quite a distance. I've been to a half a dozen events at uh Five Points, gallery openings, shows, uh meeting with people who run the place, and there are always uh a whole bunch of professors, students, and even hangers on supporters of the art school at Five Points Gallery. Uh I went over to the University of Hartford uh just a week ago to drop off some brochures for our upcoming uh show which is opening in in 3 weeks, three and a half weeks. And uh when I went to put some uh brochures down on the table, there were a half a dozen uh printed uh brochures and invitations and announcements from Five Points, which is in Torington sitting on the tables at U of Hartford. So if we did something that was attractive, could get attention, form some some alliances, they could uh right in their own backyard help uh be an engine to to drive this uh uh successfully. So yeah, it's a real case. Oh, and I should add the obvious. When I've gone to receptions and there are people from from Hartford uh at the receptions in Torington, the next thing they do is they go out to restaurants for dinner there. Yeah. And that's the whole engine that drives. Thank you, Bob. Sadique, I know you have to leave. Can can either Can someone tell me do I need to get a resolution at least a motion asked about whether this is something that we want to pursue? I don't quite know what the next step is. No, Justin. I'm okay. We can just I don't I don't think there's any resolution. I think this is just sort of a um you know a working project of this commission needs to be a vote because we're going to have to go back

to the town manager and tell them um I told him I would bring it to the commission. Um just a a general does anyone is are people interested? Is something that you'd like to try to pursue and see if we can get this started? Definitely. Yes. Lenny, I assume you're on board too. Yeah. Great. Okay. All right. That's wonderful. Me, too. And all the best you folks, you know, ask your permission to leave. Yes, you do. Be well. Same soon. Happy Eastwood. Happy holidays. See you soon. Same to you. Okay. Um, let's go back to Let's see. I didn't know what this approval of minutes to OB be tabled means. Now we're back at the at the uh agenda. What does that mean? What's to ob town of Bloomfield be tabled? Uh I I think it was just a typo, but it's to be tabled. Um it just was not ready. Those are the But that was a special meeting that was filled. Not a problem. Okay. All right. Let's move along then. Is uh there any old business now? We're we're under the EDC piece of it. No. Okay. Any new business? Well, I have a bit of new business, uh, Bonnie, to report on, as you know, uh, when it's my turn to report on. I know. Well, you're the next up if nobody has anything. Any new business? No, I'll wait. I'll wait, of course. Oh, you're next. Go ahead, Bob. Okay. I'll give a a uh a quick update. Uh, I've sent invitations to all of you, and we really encourage you to come. The uh Michael Borders uh show is uh about to be installed at the Oliver Philly Barn and House uh next week. Uh a lot of

mechanics and arrangements went into that and a big big group uh from uh our commission and the town and and volunteers is making this happen. It is uh such an important uh show artistically that we are actually attracting attention from out of state. Uh, and Michael Borders, uh, has a sister who lives in Chicago who is publicizing the show in Chicago, and I suggested to her that she bring it to the Chicago uh, Museum of Science, which you may or may not know is the largest science museum in the world. And she's doing that. And so along with that, we're going to bring the idea for the show to uh uh the Museum of Natural History in New York and the Science Museum in Boston. That's just an aside uh to say it's a very exciting uh show to see and if you can't come to the reception, do try to find a time to stop off. Uh however uh as uh some of the ripple effects from this uh Neil Clark who uh I think every one of you knows uh is also uh besides being on uh the uh town commission is a commissioner with us on the art commission. He introduced me to a woman who I spoke to just yesterday. Her name is uh Kate uh um now I'm blocking out it I believe it's uh uh Kate Hokinson or Hutchinson. In any event, uh what's important is she's the executive director of the Connecticut Manufacturers Association. Neil met her at a social event, told her a little about this show, and she said, you know, we'd be very excited to come

see that show. So, I've already arranged with her. She's going to have a private showing uh of the show with Michael uh uh giving them a tour uh in the month of May for her association. they're going to have a meeting uh on on our grounds uh of their association as well as a tour. And then she brought up I did not. She said, "You know, we're trying to reach out to communities around Connecticut. We've already uh done this several times, most recently in Berlin. We'd like to talk to your economic development commission to see if we can uh bring the attention of our manufacturers to your town. I said that would be very desirable and obviously uh deferring John and all of your staff to uh what the uh the proper rules are and not to uh cross lines with what you're already doing, but they'd like to come talk to us and do a presentation to our commission on what the manufacturers association uh is about and doing and get involved uh in uh in Bloomfield activities. So I uh I said that would be terrific and encouraged her to uh to stay in touch on that and we are arranging for uh for their tour and meeting uh in the middle of May. That's great. Any comments? Do we have any participants besides us on the line? Uh Lenny seems to be still there. I don't No, I know. I'm looking looking at at uh Yeah, public. Oh, the public. The public. Okay, that's what I was checking for to see if I'm sorry. Yeah. Yeah. No, no, that's okay. You have 12 listed. Yeah, I checked. I think it's all you guys.

You No, it says there are three attendees. Andrew Kaplan is on. Uhhuh. Okay. And Kevin's on. And Kevin Goff is on. Uh why don't we bring them on so they can why don't we take some public comment now before we go any further because we've had an awful lot that we've talked about I'd like to hear from the public. Anyone want to raise their hand if they want to say anything? Andrew I I don't think I can do this. I think Linda has to do this. Yeah. Okay. first uh Andrew and then Kevin. Hello. Yeah. Hello, Andrew. Welcome. Please uh introduce yourself to the commission. Hi. Uh I'm Andrew Kaplan. My dad Steven Kaplan is on. He might have just had to drop off. Uh we're from 31 Toby Road. Um, thank you so much for this uh this great discussion today and for taking the time to go down Toby Road and look at our building and and the neighborhood. Okay, any thank you for being interested in being a driver to get this Nothing person to get this thing off the ground. Um, we're going to be at some point coming to you to talk about what needs to be done to the building to get to the next stage. And um what I'm also hoping to do is get a tour of the whole area of the t of the facility with this commission. So that's something that we'll talk about. We try to coordinate that. But thank you for joining us, Andrew. That'd be great. Thank you. And and we were excited to hear some of uh what you had to say today about uh we we we had been privately discussing um doing some murals on the building or even in the building. Um, we think that is so it just elevates things with

something as simple as paint really. It's it's a great idea and um and some of the ideas that you have all discussed about uh getting the school involved and the the various not just the art school but the engineering. I think it's really uh some unique ideas. Um so thank you. Thank you. We will be in touch. Um, Kevin, can you There we go. Hi, Kevin. Hi. Good morning, good morning, Kevin Gau. Uh, I'm on the plan and zoning commission. Um, and just generally interested in uh uh revitalizing the town. Uh, obviously great discussion. Uh, I've talked to uh the chair a few times about this project. I think it's great. And obviously the last uh the last uh comments from uh uh Bob Ferger about the manufacturers being interested to come just seems like it uh you know to come and talk to the town seems like it just goes perfect fits perfectly with the conception of continuing the small manufacturing and trying to expand that on Graanby road. So uh I think this is a great project and look forward to seeing the results. Thank you for the support. Appreciate it. Kevin and Steve, are you still on the line? Would you like to comment? I am. Can you hear me? Sure, sure can. So, also I want to say thank you for the continuing interesting conversation and we we're all in we're all in I uh on this uh to the extent that if anyone who has um some connections to the arts people, which you all seem to have, send them our way. We're ready to get started. we have some vacancies and rather than continue in the direction that uh uh we've been with more manufacturing or say industrial uses like mechanics and things, we we're happy to entertain some new type of

entertainment venues. So, it sounds like you all have some uh uh contacts and we're interested in those type of referrals to start gearing our building towards this goal. Uh we did that with the arts uh with the dance studio that we have now. We uh did that with the axe throwing in rage room um venue. We have music studios, recording studios. So we we would like to start trying to get those kind of referrals. Uh right now what we do get honestly are the uh small entrepreneurs who are more um say mechanical guys uh or car guys and um that's what we have now. So, we'd like to maybe help turn that tide because we don't have those connections, but we would would like to start doing that. I'd also like to mention that with regards to this arts arts um environment, you know, those people need to to have affordable housing as well. So, we would also like to hear from you all at some point about the necessity for uh work work live space. We do get a lot of calls. People want to live in our building and work there because they basically they're the lover they're lovers of their uh of their entrepreneurship, but it doesn't always support their their um their housing. So to have a combination space where people can live and work like you know was started I guess in the loft district of Manhattan we'd be we'd be very interested in in working through that with the municipality especially on a site where we had approval or we have approvals for self storage uh which is a great business but I think now with the cube smart around the corner and all the other facilities in town that that use may now have been um fully exploited.

So, so we are interested in in um maybe with you know with the town to get moving on a master plan of some sort and even in anticipation of the town moving that forward on the on your own initiatives. We would like to actually maybe start our own master plan development of those four acres or whatever else is available on our 18 acres to accommodate um you know these new uses and leave the building pretty much as it is but for the entertainment uses but also um very nearby um housing and workers lofts. Thank you once again. Thank you Steve Bonnie. I just a couple of quick comments in in response to both Andrew and and Steven Kaplan. uh we uh would be very happy to help make the connections when the time uh is is appropriate. Uh with the art school uh and they actually have uh I should have mentioned that uh in their uh uh doing the mural inside the dog center that was an assigned uh student project. In other words, they did that as part of their coursework. the professors are quite receptive to this kind of thing and they um they help design it as part of a course so we can make those uh those connections. Uh and uh the other is uh I can't speak to uh the housing uh component on behalf of the town that's all very uh you know rules and regulations based but I'll make an observation. And it was one of the early uh uh uh things that I discussed with Bonnie. We have several uh conversions of old industrial buildings and uh uh into housing and art space. Of course,

uh the cult building in downtown Hartford was one of the very early ones. And uh so this is a model that's actually well known and and is is doable. Uh so uh be very h Oh, and last I did want to mention uh we're in our third year now uh of uh getting an artist director directory uh in uh Bloomfield. We have uh now almost 100 names of people who are artists of various sorts uh who have signed up with us uh showing an interest in arts in town. and we'd be very happy when the time is appropriate to uh help share that with you to uh uh see if they're interested in in your property or uh in any event uh participate in the whole project. Thank you. Thank you, Bob. I'm going to um have Kevin speak and then Steve again and then I have a question for the whole group and York and the planners as to housing and what has to be done to have housing permitted in this tip. Kevin, is your you're done? your hands down. No, no, I I think you're calling me. So, hi. Yeah. Uh, thanks, Bonnie. Um, no, I just wanted to mention in response to um Mr. Kaplan's comments, uh, the town uh, the plan and zoning commission is looking currently looking at an ordinance uh, for inclusionary zoning which would, uh, hopefully increase the amount of affordable housing and in particular the workforce housing. So, um I would urge him uh and his son and and this commission for that matter to make sure you come to the April 24th um TPZ meeting uh because we will be having a public hearing on that. Uh and any comments um comments on that will be much appreciated and help us move the

whole thing forward. Thanks. What's the time for that uh Kevin? Oh, 7 p.m. 7 p.m. Okay. Thank you very much. Um, Steve. Yeah, thank you, Mr. G. Um, that sounds great. We will attend. I just wanted to mention and uh that Andrew and I spent a couple of days touring and walking around and speaking with the project manager over um in Hartford at that arts center, which Andrew could remember the name of. Honestly, I can't, but I know that what was it called? Real Artways. Yeah, Real Artways. And you know right there adjoining them are the uh artist loss of course and then you have the food place across the street which again which the name I can't remember but that really is a lot of activity and we really were quite excited. I mean they're doing great things at at uh art at real art. They're even expanding. They're I think adding three more uh independent theater for viewing and the gallery space is beautiful. uh we're very excited to head in that direction and almost to the point I might say that with our with our ability to be independent uh we you know have spoken to your town planners about forging just forging ahead in anticipation of what's to come irrespective of the timing of the town's you know ability to get things um through so I think entrepreneur Steve that's what I want to Um, can can anyone either go in New York or our planners tell me um what we need to do to allow housing in one 31 Toby Road? And I guess in general we do we in the tip zone. Is it permitted there? Anyone who wants adjusted? Yeah. So this is all part of the the I Linda.

It's all the I1 in that area. Yeah. Yeah. So, there would need to be a text amendment to allow for residential. I think the only residential that's allowed now is like a caretaker's house or something like that. Um, I don't have the regulations right in front of me, so Linda and John feel free to jump if I'm speaking. So, yeah, there there's a lot of uses that are not listed in the I1 um that currently um have been uh permitted by the commission if appropriate through um I I believe Oh. Oh, no. that that one is you're correct all other non-residential use. So that one is challenging. It would be more of a text amendment um to allow for such in the I1 district. What does that actually entail? A text amendment? What what's the process? Um just just looking at um the text to allow for um for residential development. Um TBZ determines that. Uh yes, the town commission would would entertain a a text change. Yes. Or a text amendment to add a provision um to allow for for some residential development in the I1 district. Okay. I think that's something we got to keep in our pocket that uh we may want Bonnie that the more challenging may be the building codes and fire codes in terms well that's the other piece of yeah terms of egress um fire suppression um um bathrooms um that would probably be the more challenging from an from an investment um perspective for the property owner you're talking about 31 now zoning is pretty simple and um you know that a tax amendment of this type if it's a desirable uh activity is is not a complicated and lengthy procedure but I think the that the um the retrofit of the space to make it uh meet the fire

and safety and egress codes um would be more challenging particularly in from a cost perspective. I I think both of the owners want to say something. Uh Steve, you had your hand up first and then Andrew. Yeah, I just wanted to thank John for that's very true. If um to renovate to revamp that existing building, I think Andrew and I are talking more about indep where the uh self storage uh units were initially intended to go. So yeah, Jonathan, we agree with you that revamping that existing building would be too much of a challenge. Uh so that's why I was we were thinking it separate buildings out out buildings really. Thank you. Thank you, Andrew. I was I was just going to say probably the same thing, but we do have most of those units. It the majority of the units in our building, the existing building do have restrooms in each unit. Um, but I think the separate building is is exactly what we were thinking. It it also might not hurt though if I might suggest that sometimes we try to get maybe a Zoom meeting with um with the planner and myself and you and you folks and just look at your building to see what if if what is possible on a small basis to get seeing something moving now. Just a suggestion if you don't want to fine but might not hurt. I think that would be great. Okay. Uh, Linda, maybe we can try to set up a meeting, a Zoom meeting with these gentlemen. Sure. Okay, good. Kev, uh, yeah. No, I just wanted to point out, and I haven't read it for a while, but I was, uh, on the council when we passed the TIFF zones, and my recollection is that the TIFF zone for the Graanby Toby Road area anticipates housing. In fact,

that was one of the, you know, sort of one of the designs we were looking at to encourage. So, even, you know, I understand there might be uh some changes to the actual zoning. Uh, but I do think that the the TIFF the TIFF concepts um already include housing. Okay. Can anyone comment on that off the top of I I remember um when we were going through some of the tiff stuff that the end parcel Bonnie I believe it's your family's parcel at the end of um Toby Road had a Are you talking about behind behind Lowe's? um at the way down the end of Toby Road where the power thing originally there were some drawings done that showed um apartments and more of like an industrial feel apartments that were done that Dusty had done some conceptuals for Yeah. Uh and again I have to be very careful when I comment because I'm still a partial owner so I'm not Yeah. that was as as what could be in that area and and it and it could be something like that and still have a bit of farming there or public gardens. I mean there's there's 31 acres there and that again that would tie in the the farming heritage with the manufacturing heritage with the entertainment and it just all kind of things just sort of start to fit together. Um I think this was a great conversation. I hope everyone else feels the same that you're energized and um we'd like to get a couple more members on our commission so we we are at full strength but we're going to start working on that. Uh any other comments from anyone? Okay. So, on the to-do list, um we're going to take a look at the text amendment to add uses. Uh we're going to see if the Kaplins are interested in

giving it to us a um an idea of what possible changes, small changes for small spaces might be able to be used in 31 Toby. And I understand uh Steve and Andrew that you're starting to work on some kind of a a master plan for the 4 acres plus the existing space. Is that correct, Steve? Yeah, we've we've had initial conversations which we like to expand now that we've you've all had this meeting if things are heading in the proper seeming to head in the in a you know from the town perspective a favorable forward motion. Uh we would like to continue to uh work with your your town planners just for you know because they're competent but also continuity. So, I just want to make sure that's not objectionable to have that kind of crossover before we um get too far. Can you comment on that crossover? Uh what do you mean by crossover, Steve? Is it is it a conflict for for them to for us to hire them? Are you talking about Go and York now? Yeah. I just conversation you guys rather have off offline, I think. Okay. Okay. All right. Okay. Yes. All right. Thank you. Um, all right. And the only other comment I'm going to make is that what I think is the other thing that's appealing about this project is that as much as the town center is is such a focal point and needs to be a focal point of the entire community. It's going to take some time and a lot of money to get that started. I think this is something that can be a baby project that perhaps because of um the Kaplan's interest, they already have a building, they already have property, that we can hopefully get this off the ground and see some change happen. And I think once that happens, that will um energize everybody involved with the process, including the the community. So

that's all I have to say. Any other final comments from anyone? Okay. Um, is there any update from uh the uh planners department? We're not doing anything. That's what I heard. My god, I should have applied for this job. John, you should. I know. Him and Linda are just whiddling their thumbs. That I've been in there and that's what I've seen. They play a little peuckle. They play a little poker. Get up. Okay. We come in at 10. Leave it to So I Okay. a little slap happy. Uh yeah, next meeting is Tuesday, May 13 at 8:30. Oh, the other thing I would like to talk about having a tour of the of the TIFF zone. So maybe um offline I can talk to John and Linda about that and try to set something up. I think in addition to having a Zoom meeting, plus I want to start talking about maybe once a quarter meeting in person just because I think we need to see each other. Just a couple updates quickly. Um the POCD um we're finalizing for the commission the future land use plan and the and the text and hopefully at their meeting on the 24th of this month they'll release it for public consumption and start the 65 days so that they can actually formally adopt it uh in May or June. On the town center um they have uh that plan has been released for public review. uh they will be holding a public hearing on their meeting on the 29th of this month uh with a view to acting on the plan on the 6th of May which will be a a regular meeting and then forwarding it to the to the uh town council for uh we're trying to schedule a special meeting of the town council governance committee

immediately after the next day or two so that the council can actually act at its meeting um on February 12th or third. I'm not sure if it's a 12th or 13th because the 12th may be a holiday. Um, May 12th. May No, May 12th. Yeah, May 12th is when they be acting. Uh, the the mayor has asked to see whether or not it can get to her committee sooner. I've sent an email off to Justin and and Don Poland to see whether that's possible. It's it's my understanding that it cannot go to the legislative body until after the uh town center committee has acted. Uh but that may or may not be accurate. So it may go to the council committee sooner, but I don't have a date for that. And also, if you following the press at all or the so or the social media at all, the council has established a uh $4 million economic development fund um by transferring money out of the reserves to that fund that was adopted at at uh their last special meeting. And um it is um I think everyone's understanding that that uh that fund is available uh to begin um uh the public's funding side as appropriate and determined in the town center either directly or in my mind would be a great leverage uh for um for additional state grants um to do what is necessary to revitalize the town center and basically demonstrates that the uh that the public uh sector is prepared to put its money where its mouth is. That's great. Um Linda or or John, could you send the EDC uh a list of significant dates for what's happening because I think we would like to attend some of these. I'm

taking notes, but I'm not sure I got everything down. Um and the other question is when does the budget going going to be acted on? Say again. the budget. When is that when is that actually going to have a is that going to have a public hearing? Is it going to go to referendum? It's been sent to it had the public hearing on the town on the council side. It's been sent to um to the town meeting. Okay. Which is that's the first Monday in May. Again on the list, please pretty sure that's and this is an actual meeting. Am I like the old days, right? This is an actual meeting. Yes. Okay. Um Bonnie, I just want to say um if you go to um we'll send it to you, but also just you know for uh to just put it out there um in the town's website, if you go to um I think the calendar um events calendar, it should all be listed on all the upcoming meetings that the town is going to be having. So, it's not in each um sometimes you go to the website, you've got to go to different committees. It's not in the calendar. I'm going to see everything. Okay, that's great. Yes, there's a calendar where you can see everything happening that month. Okay. Yeah. All right. Thank you very much for that. Any other comments from anyone? John, anything else? Linda, anything else? Uh, we're good. I'm good. All right. Bman, New York, we got your your report and you're going to be busy hopefully with us. Yeah, the only thing I want to bring up is that we have been actively working with a business um and nonprofit on um Cottage Grove Road that was the recipient of a CIF grant and um they're trying to get things moving. What they do is they support through different types of businesses the um minority

community in town. So, we're continuing with them. Yeah, there's I mean a lot of activity going on in town. It's it's pretty impressive. Okay, I won't take anyone else's time at this point. I'll entertain a motion to adjourn. Uh it's just the two of us, Bonnie. So, I guess we can't do it. I Well, we can't, right? You can't adjourn. You're here for We'll continue the meeting and we'll adjourn it the next meeting. And what do we do? You can adjourn. You've had you had a quorum at the beginning. Yeah. If the quorum disappears during the meeting, that's okay. Okay. Bob, entertain a motion to adjurnn. So moved to adjourn for today. All those in favor? I both of us. Happy Easter or Passover, depending on what you're celebrating, if anything. And thank you very much. It was a great meeting. Very excited. Bonnie, if you get a chance, give me a call, please. Uh, why don't you call me right now on myself? Okay. All right. Thanks. Okay. Thank you all. Bye. Thank you. Bye. Bye.