Stamford Asked to Sell Property for Over 55 Housing

By Liz Page

STAMFORD – Stamford Village Board members were asked to sell a portion of the Rexmere Park property, to consider leaving the River St. culvert as pedestrian use only, discussed a settlement for 5-7 Harper St. and will await an engineering report before moving ahead with demolition for 60-64 Main St. during their meeting on Tuesday. They also set a public hearing for 6:45 p.m. on Sept. 16 regarding changes to the village's Water Use Law.

Mayor Robert Schneider said the village attorney, Lauro Gulfo, of Monaco, Cooper, Lamme and Carr, has recommended some sort of a settlement, such as permitted use of the driveway on an annual or bi-annual basis for the properties at 5-9 Harper St.. If there is no settlement of the case, it will go to a bench trial in October.

He also discussed the burned buildings at 60-64 Main St., which the village is looking to demolish as a hazard and an eyesore. The attorney has recommended the village hire an engineer to provide documentation of the condition of the buildings, with the owner's engineer contending the buildings are still salvageable. The village has the right, by law, to demolish them in an emergency situation.

While village officials would like to be done with the constant comments from the public and business owners about the buildings, trustees agreed to hire an engineer to do an engineering report.

Schneider reported that without that documentation from an engineer, the village would not be able to tack the $300,000 cost of demolition onto the owner's tax bill. Schneider said he and the trustees receive comments all the time about how it is bad for businesses in the village and makes Main Street look like "hell".

The meeting opened with a request from Ulla Wadner and Carol Stratigos, who are looking for at least a couple acres of property to locate four buildings to construct over 55 housing units. "We are four people looking for property within the village to locate four houses together," said Wadner. We are asking if the village would consider selling two acres from Rexmere Park or if they would consider annexing a piece of property to allow hooking into sewer and water.

They are looking at some property at the end of Liberty Street, which is owned by Eklunds, to purchase a couple of acres for the homes. However, she believes it is outside the village limits and may require the property to be annexed in order to hook into village sewer and water.

Mayor Schneider recommended they meet with Code Enforcement Officer Rich Irwin again to get some better answers and to develop a proposal for the planning board to consider. He said annexation of property has been done in the past.

"We have no concrete plans, because it will depend on the piece of property and its location." said Wadner, The area they were looking at in Rexmere Park is along West Main St..

Resident Janet Kirch was present to suggest the village consider leaving the stone culvert along River St. as a pedestrian access only. She said she didn't know where the village was at this point in the process to replace the culvert/bridge. "It might work out better for all concerned. Having it as a pedestrian and bicycle bridge would make it easier to maintain the integrity of the bridge," she said. "I would be supportive of that." She and her husband live near the bridge. The street is now closed to through traffic, deemed unsafe for vehicle traffic, until the bridge is repaired.

Mayor Schneider said the village has used some of the grant funding available to repair the bridge and at this point didn't feel the village could abandon the project. He said they could lay out that option, but it is believed the grant will cover the repairs and the easements are in the process for the repair. A change in the type of culvert to replace the historic stone archways is being used and can be molded in concrete to look like stonework. He said that is being done to address the concern of the historic archways, a concern raised by the state Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).

A motion to publish public ads in The Reporter was tabled to research the cost of publishing the ads.

Trustee Darran Hanway reviewed his proposed changes in the village's Water Use Law which revises it to include replacement of the meters and repair of the lines from the main and the cost of parts and labor when necessary. The document will be tweaked as amended by trustees on Tuesday and made available for review by the public..

Colby Fancher provided a good report of the swimming pool operations over the summer and praised the lifeguards.

Trustee Bob Orcutt questioned Department of Public Works Supervisors Jesse Calia regarding the recent repaving of Main St. by the state Department of Transportation. He said a number of the storm drains and man holes are very low and are almost as bad as a pot hole for drivers. Trustee Hanway said he would research DOT specifications to determine if they are within the guidelines.

An anonymous donor has offered $5,000 for the village to repaint the historic observation building atop Mount Utsayantha. However, the concern is the condition of the building. Mayor Schnieder said there are leaks and his suggestion is to seek a matching grant from the O'Connor Foundation to stabilize the building, if that meets with the satisfaction of the donor. Calia said he stopped painting the building, due to its downgraded condition. It may require a review of the building's status and Mayor Schneider will get a quote. The mountain’s top is a popular visiting spot due to its beautiful and far reaching views.