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PROPOSED: Utopia Project

Frankie811

By Frankie811
in Connecticut

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Recchia Town

Recchia

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New London County will become much more urban. That's definately gonna happen. However, in the long run it's a new exciting chapter in the story of the region. New London County will become a real power player in the state.

Let's be realistic here. New London County will become more mega suburban, not urban. Unless the state has powers to completely control development, then it'll do nothing more than sprawl out the whole county.

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PCGrad02 Whistle-Stop

PCGrad02

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Basically environmental studies going on at this point, there is an old ash landfill on the property, you can be sure that will be a drawn out process as to who has to clean it up. Now the region needs to focus on affordable housing and trash disposal has jumped into the spotlight. And the clock ticks on......

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drc72 Burg

drc72

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it appears he's been banned. it's too bad... he had some great inside knowledge of this living in the town.

Yeah I thought it was a little odd that I didn't see him on the board for awhile. Do you know if he is perma-banned?

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somad Whistle-Stop

somad

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Day - Preston Officials Get Pollution Findings On Utopia Site But Data Still Kept Secret

Two earlier studies outlined the type of contamination that exists at the roughly 400-acre section of the property located in Preston. Contaminants include the asbestos, lead paint and mold that fills many of the approximately 50 buildings on the campus. Heating fuel rests below the ground near the Thames River, adjacent to two large storage tanks. There are insecticides, PCBs and a variety of other chemicals on the property.

Utopia Studios Ltd., under an agreement with Preston approved at a May 23 referendum, is obligated to do a final environmental study that will determine the extent of the pollution, a plan for cleaning it up and a projected cost. Utopia, which plans to build a $1.6 billion entertainment complex and 4,800 hotel rooms, would be obligated to pay for cleanup.

Utopia has until the end of November to complete the study and come up with a remediation plan.

...

Congdon said because of the purchase agreement it signed with the state, the town has no choice but to keep the results under wraps until a final report is produced. In a complicated deal, the state will turn the property over to Preston when Utopia has met all its obligations in the agreement, and the town will then transfer it to Utopia Ltd. The purchase agreement between the town and state reads:

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runawayjim Metropolis

runawayjim

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yikes... i think i agree with that person from preston. the people who live in the town should have ever right to know what's on the property and what their town is involved with. and the people of the state of CT should have every right to know as well... sounds to me like the state doesn't want people to know what sort of crap was dumped there... and utopia doesn't want anyone to know how much they don't actually clean up.

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somad Whistle-Stop

somad

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Day - Preston Committee Members Say Gentile's Trying to Squeeze Them

Selectman Jerry Grabarek, a member of the committee, said he feels the Norwich development proposal was timed to try to pressure the Preston committee to finalize a deal with Utopia for the development of the former Norwich Hospital property, even if Utopia does not meet all requirements of a Nov. 20 deadline.

Gentile, who attended tonight

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runawayjim Metropolis

runawayjim

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Day - Preston Committee Members Say Gentile's Trying to Squeeze Them

Selectman Jerry Grabarek, a member of the committee, said he feels the Norwich development proposal was timed to try to pressure the Preston committee to finalize a deal with Utopia for the development of the former Norwich Hospital property, even if Utopia does not meet all requirements of a Nov. 20 deadline.

Gentile, who attended tonight

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somad Whistle-Stop

somad

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talk about sleazy... and i think it's odd that norwich has a board of selectmen rather than a mayor.

this is the Preston project. Jerry Graberek is (rightfully in my opinion) accusing Joseph Genital of announcing the Norwich project to increase the political pressure on the Preston side to just hand over the land even if Utopia doesn't fully meet the requirements by the deadline. Keep in mind, this is Joe "the ends justify the means" Genital. They are willing to use sleazeball tactics to get their project built for "the greater good" whatever they view that to be.

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runawayjim Metropolis

runawayjim

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this is the Preston project. Jerry Graberek is (rightfully in my opinion) accusing Joseph Genital of announcing the Norwich project to increase the political pressure on the Preston side to just hand over the land even if Utopia doesn't fully meet the requirements by the deadline. Keep in mind, this is Joe "the ends justify the means" Genital. They are willing to use sleazeball tactics to get their project built for "the greater good" whatever they view that to be.

ahhhh... so where was this guy before the utopia vote?

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somad Whistle-Stop

somad

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ahhhh... so where was this guy before the utopia vote?

he's been on the committee ... problem with this guy is while First Selectman Bob Congdon was basically a cheerleader for Genital & co. during the process even going as far as to say "I'll be voting YES on tuesday" at a public hearing, Graberek has been trying to follow the rules. Everyone who went to the meetings knows Graberek opposes the project, but that was based on tough questions (which anyone on the committe should have been asking) to the Utopia people and answers to questions from the crowd asking for the personal opinions of the hospital committe as opposed to stuff Congdon would say. The most anti-utopia thing I can remember Graberek saying was in response to "what do the members of the committee think Preston will look like in 15 years if Utopia is built" when he said "have you seen the pictures of Orange County before Disneyland?"

Graberek was one of the members who voted against putting this project before the voters since there really isn't a plan and that this project and its ancillary developments would mean the end of life as we know it in Southeastern CT. There have been times when Congdon, as moderator, has been totally partial towards Utopia and at times dismissed anti-utopia questions and/or asked unfair/irrelevant questions (i wish my memory was good enough to come up with a good example) and Graberek was the guy who would grab the microphone and call out Congdon when he did this. I especially honor the way he has handled himself and his position on the committe since he's a farmer. He doesn't make sh*t as the milk companies don't give much to the farmers for their milk even as prices go up at the stores, and his many acres of farmland are located on prime real estate right along route 2 (foxwoods casino road) near the 2a junction. He could make millions if he sold his farm now and more if he held out til Utopia came along, and I think he's honorable for opposing this project given the amount of money he could make.

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somad Whistle-Stop

somad

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updated from last night:

Day - Official: Norwich Plan A Pressure Tactic

Speaking at Wednesday's meeting of the Norwich Hospital Advisory Committee, of which he is a member, (Jerry) Grabarek said if the town amends its development agreement with Utopia because of increased political pressure, he would lead a petition drive to repeal the May 23 referendum at which voters approved the agreement for the former hospital property.

...

If Utopia fails to meet some requirements of its agreement with Preston, there may be tremendous pressure for the town to bend and compromise, especially if the Norwich development would be jeopardized by the collapse of the proposed projected in Preston, Congdon said.

In the discussion that followed, committee members concurred that Utopia must be required to stick to all facets of the agreement.

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runawayjim Metropolis

runawayjim

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If Utopia fails to meet some requirements of its agreement with Preston, there may be tremendous pressure for the town to bend and compromise, especially if the Norwich development would be jeopardized by the collapse of the proposed projected in Preston, Congdon said.

In the discussion that followed, committee members concurred that Utopia must be required to stick to all facets of the agreement.

at least they all agreed that they need to keep utopia to the agreement and not let anything slide. and it looks like congdon might be starting to see the light, although it doesn't say if he'll give in to the pressure.

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