The plan proposed by QU reveals reasons to say no.
Many reasons, in fact.
Public opposition continues to increase, as people learn more about the plan proposed by Quinnipiac University for the property at 5100-5110 Ridge Road in North Haven.
It is for an unneeded and unwanted mammoth development that would destroy the quiet, rural, residential neighborhood - much too large a development for the size of the property, and considerably larger than the plan that was rejected by the town three years ago.
It would add a two-story structure, about 52’x20’ in size, with a total area is about 2,080 sq ft. This is an addition of about 40% of the size of the existing building -much, much larger than what was initially described by QU officials as nothing more than a “facade” on the existing structure.
It would more than tripling the parking lot size to provide parking for nearly 100 cars, and increasing the impervious surface area by an astonishing 263%.
Traffic and noise would increase dramatically, and the development would pose a risk of severe, adverse impacts to the wetlands and watercourses that border the property.
The more people learn about the relevant issues, the more opposition grows. Among those living within a mile of the proposed site, those who understand the area best, opposition is strongest. And with good reasons.
Who.
Three years ago, the sheer size of the plan, the location, the adverse environmental impacts, serious concerns about public safety, and the flouting of the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development were the impetus for an effort to urge town officials to just say no.
The plan proposed by Quinnipiac University is, unbelievably, considerably larger. It would bring all of the adverse impacts cited three years ago - and more.
The opposition was accurate then, and is again. The proposed education center - in the midst of a residential neighborhood - would operate day and night, 7-days a week, from 8:00am-10:00pm. The traffic alone - and all the dangers it would bring - is just one of the many legitimate concerns that residents of the neighborhood rightly have.
Why.
Amazingly, a representative of QU has said publicly that the only reason they want to have an executive education center at the location of the former church on RIdge Road is because they were given the property and needed to find something to do with it.
Where.
The closer you are to the site of the proposed development, the more obvious it becomes that it would be the wrong project in the wrong place.
That is why opposition is growing, and evidence is overwhelming.
The closer one looks at the details of what is being proposed, the clearer it becomes that it is a project that would, quite simply, do more harm than good.
What.
Public officials in the town of North Haven must decide whether or not to allow this relatively small, less than 3 acre, property to be used as QU proposes.
The Planning and Zoning Commission should recognize, as they have previously and consistent with their responsibilities as outlined in state law, that the proposed plan is the wrong project in the wrong place.
See pages 12, 13, 14, 20, 33, 36, 37, 38, 49, 50, 53, 54, 58, 60, 61, 62, 63, 67.
Therefore, the Commission should support the efforts of a growing number of nearby neighbors, and the incontrovertible facts.
The Commission should preserve the sensitive ecosystem of this area, as envisioned by, and specifically outlined in, the town’s 2017 Plan of Conservation and Development.