Quote:
Originally Posted by jonny golden
Especially since the demand is there. It's a shame their building was rejected. So they are planning fewer units, lower density, and of course less tax revenue will be generated. And yet they're still having a public meeting on the 25th concerning this development. I wonder if people will be there complaining about the new proposal?
It was just last month Stratford said they're considering raising the residential tax rate. The mayor also said they're considering raising the commercial rate for businesses.
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I've been lurking this forum for over a year and decided to sign up to comment on this.
Currently I'm the last unit on Reddin Heights which will have the new development directly adjacent to me. I fully support this subdivision, with 1 small complaint.
The rezoning request includes "single dwelling units, a reduction in lot frontage from 72ft. to 45ft., and also a reduction in side yard setbacks from 8ft to 3ft."
At the town meeting there were a lot of angry residents being quite stuck up about the whole thing, but my only complaint is that while I currently have a side deck viewing out to the field (view ruined, oh well, no big at the end of the day), they want to put a house literally 3 feet from my property line.
Another resident brought up that fact as well at the meeting, and the developer responded saying they already plan to install a tall fence around the entire subdivision directly on the property lines. So I guess the 3 feet from my property line will actually be 0 due to a huge fence.
I also feel like Stratford's planning department also missed the ball on the traffic concerns. While I don't think it's as big of a deal as people are making it out to be, their solution was to install sidewalks in the new subdivision, which does nothing for any of the existing narrow roadways where everyone walks in the road.
I absolutely hope this project moves forward, It will be great for the area, but if the plan continues to fence off the subdivision, it will look quite stupid.
As for the reduction in side yard set backs, I think it makes sense for the distances between their own added units which will have side flanking driveways, but doesn't make sense for the first unit on each side adjacent to existing properties. Surely they could afford to leave a regular 8ft side yard setback for the first unit in the subdivision?
I'm all for new subdivisions, development, and expansions. It leads to many great community additions like parks, amenities, hopefully improved busing in Stratford, but I think it's on the town to do things right the first time around. Stratford is going to need to learn to be able to keep up and maintain existing subdivisions when new ones are added. If an existing subdivision needs sidewalks added, that's on them. As is, sidewalks will exist at the entrance to Reddin Heights, as well as what will be built at the other end where the new development begins, with a gap in-between where the existing subdivision exists. All the Stratford has to do to fix the traffic complaints everyone else seems to have is to build/connect those sidewalks, and there's nothing the new developer can do about that, it's neither the developers fault or in something their control.
I'd like to think I'm not NIMBY, and just looking at this logically, but I'm sure I'll get some comments letting me know