Howdy do, honeybunch! Well, who’d o’ thunk it! Jest three weeks or so ago we were shoveling white stuff off the sidewalk and our vehicles with 20-degree weather. Here we are scant weeks later and spring has arrived. Of course, the thought that we won’t see any more cold weather didn’t enter this old gal’s mind.
We’ve been around the block once or twice and know that before March is over, and definitely into April things will be the more-than-cool side in these parts. “Cooler by the shore” is something we all know about around here. Cobina doesn’t expeck to shut down her heat much before Mother’s Day as she resides close to said shore.
Here in the Asylum by the Sea things have been a tad quiet, but we expeck things will heat up. Y’see they’re quiet cuz the boys an gurls in the Actors Colony have been workin’ hard to put together this annual budget. That means they’ve been behind closed doors for the most part and haven’t had time to get themselves into mischief.
The budget is set to come out in the next few days with the annual message before a special session of the City Council. As of this scribing, the special session ain’t been scheduled yet, but it’ll be soon. It’s usually around St. Patrick’s Day. Once that address is given the council will set the one and only public hearing on the matter.
Whilst it will be interesting to see – once it’s announced – what the general feeling on the spending plan is, those of us who are old enuff remember the hooting and hollering that used to accompany setch confabs. Remember the West Haven Taxpayers Association? Cobina does. Those meetings were loud and boisterous, and were the downfall and beginning of many a politico.
Things ain’t quiet so loud nowadays. Whilst many people may not be happy with this or that in the budget, the fack that the city has little to do with the final product makes everyone somewhat resigned to the end result. Y’see with the Municipal Accountability Review Board having oversight and veto power, the city officials can go through all the usual machinations, but the MARB has all the power.
Effen the members don’t like what they see in the budget, they can make changes or force the city to make changes. John and Jane Q. have little input in the matter as it is, but with outsiders making all the decisions, they have almost no say.
That was the reason some members of the former City Council opted outta running for another term – that and the usual “who supports whom” that divides the city’s ruling party.
Tennyrate, more than one former council member made it known that having to spend all that time and effort only to have someone else make all the decisions wasn’t worth the time and the effort. Can’t say as I blame them.
As far as what will happen over the next few weeks, the usual should be expected. The council will meet after the public hearing, make some adjustments effen they have the votes, and pass it on or before the foist Thursday in May. Then it goes to MARB for review, and we’ll see what tomfoolery they inject into the document.
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Speaking of things being quiet. Sammy Bluejay was here t’other day and made mention of the fack that since the foist of the year not much has been hoid about the New England Brewing Company (NEBCO) plans. As yew remember a new plan was adopted by the City Council and Jimmies, Inc. continued its lawsuit. So, no one is quite sure what’s going on.
The developer made some changes from the original plan and it looks like the current building is gonna git a new lease on life – at least with the work that’s going on around the building one can make that assumption. But still, since the lawsuit bombshell, not much has been seen.
That makes one wonder what behind-the-scenes machinations are going on. Y’know that things can’t be just hanging there. Sammy has been fluttering about the burg lookin’ for info, but sez that no one seems be be talking. That usually means something is up.
I guess we’ll find out when it happens, but it’s always nice to know some o’ the details beforehand. Then again, we know that the projeck is kind of on the front burner as far as the city is concerned, so we shall see what transpires.
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And we’ve come up with a theme for this missive – quiet. Speaking of things being quiet, Madame Olga came to call and was wondering what was going on with the Allingtown Library situation. Olga, an avid reader misses the treks to the old Forest School Building, browsing through the stacks. Though the ole gal had an allergy to dust, and those books could be quite the dust magnates.
Tennyrate, about a year ago at this time, the idea was floated to have a combo building on the Post Road that would house the library and give a new home to the City of West Haven Fire Department – Allingtown. That’s the longish name given to the Allingtown Fire Department after it became a city entity. The First Taxation Districk in the Center – the Center fire brigade – is known as the West Haven Fire Department, and yew don’t wanna confuse the folks.
The combo building, which Olga sez is still on the books, is still in the planning stages, and what progress is being made even she couldn’t find out, no matter how much she looked in her crystal ball. Cobina still gits a chuckle when she thinks about said combo building. Just imagine the jumping patrons will endure when a fire is called in next door. I wonder effen a library lady will then shush the fire brigade? One can only imagine.
So, a year or so after it was announced, we’re no nearer this projeck, and there is quiet as to its progress. As I said, there is a theme to today’s missive. Effen I hear anything, yew’ll be the foist to know.
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And effen quiet was a cash crop, the developers of the Haven would corner the market. Here we are 27 years after the initial call for a redevelopment of the area into a commercial hub, ten years after the plan for the Haven was announced, four years after they closed off Water Street and lower Main Street, a year or so after they began demolition of the houses after they sat and decayed for two years, and barely two months after the last of the houses was cleared, and there is still no word on what in blazes is gonna happen over there. It’s a nice view for the neighborhood, but methinks the neighbors would like to know what comes next.
The new administration is having the same problems with the developers as the old administration(s). They act as if the city is just a silent partner in the matter, and will hear things when the developers are darned good and ready. Meanwhile, the rumor mill, which has more than enuff grist, churns on with a story about this or that. Currently, the story going around is that the entire tract is not gonna be sold in toto, but parceled. That means the city will be dealing with more than one entity effen that happens.
One wonders if 2024 will be the year we git some clarity as to what will happen down there. When one thinks of all the plans that have been floated and then trashed as I said to you before, people will wanna see something put up down there, and the urge to get it done may be a mistake in the long run. But, all we can do is wait.
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Nelly Nuthatch traversed over to Beach Street to see how things are going. The roadway ain’t been paved at the writing of this missive, though March was the month the neighborhood was told things were gonna percolate in that regard. There are a few days left to the month, so let’s see what happens.
The developer over there is completing that last of the condos, and people have moved into those that are completed. But they can’t do anything with the restaurant planned over there until the road is put down. Meanwhile, to keep our theme of silence. There was word the Debonair was sold and there was a flurry of info. But nothing since. Let’s hope that little section gits decided as does the former concession stand that was a bait shop on East Street and Beach. Effen those properties are handled, that stretch will be quiet becoming.
With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next mitt luff und kizzez,