Building Committee’s First Meeting Draws Public Calls to Consider Alternatives

In their first official meeting, on Friday, November 3^rd, the Building Committee tasked with oversight and design development for the construction of a new Public Works Department and Fire Company Storage Facility at 190 Sharon Turnpike, was confronted by residents objecting to the plan and calling for consideration of other alternatives. While the committee focused on starting to address the technical and procedural issues the construction would involve, the focus of the meeting changed significantly when the floor was opened to public comments, with many of those present questioning the location, size and scope of the plan.

The meeting began with each committee member introducing themselves to attendees. Members of the committee include Inland Wetlands and Water Courses Commission Vice Chairman Allen Kinsella, Fire Company Captain Patrick Lucas, Drew Roehl of DCR Plumbing, Public Works Supervisor Garret Harlow, and Agricultural Council and Board of Fire Commissioners member Seth Breakell. First Selectman Todd Carusillo and Selectmen Dexter Kinsella joined the meeting as advisors to the committee.

Harlow introduced the current site plan and design for the storage facility and explained why a new storage facility is necessary, “So, both the Goshen Fire Company and Public Works Department are out of space at their present facilities and are looking to house both their trucks or other equipment within a facility.” Goshen’s current firehouse is located at 181 Sharon Turnpike.

Most of the proposed new facility would be composed of eight “double deep” storage bays with a smaller, 25’ x 35’, office/janitorial/utility space attached which would also contain bathrooms. The facility will need to be a heated space as the engine that would be stored there holds a thousand gallons of water. In addition to the engine, Lucas said the Fire Co. would want the facility to be able to house their special equipment trailers. “So we have three trailers, quads on an 8x6x17, a UTV on an 8x6x21, and a boat on an 8x3x25. So if we lined those all up they’ll fit.

A portion of the construction cost is expected to be funded by a $500,000 Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) grant that Carusillo applied for in August. Carusillo will ask the Board of Finance to approve an additional $500,000 in matching funds required for the grant. The $200,000 already spent to purchase the land can be counted toward the Town’s matching funds requirement, according to Carusillo.

This meeting was the first time most of the committee members had seen the site plan for the proposed 13,700 square foot storage building. Construction will include several other property developments including a paved driveway area, a well, a septic system, stormwater improvements, utility connections, site lighting, and landscaping. A line of 14 six- to eight-foot-tall evergreen trees would be planted to block visibility of the building from Sharon Turnpike. Motion sensitive shoebox lights like those seen commonly in store parking lots would be used to light the property. Harlow claimed in October’s Planning & Zoning Commission meeting that the lights will not affect areas beyond the facility’s property.

An official design for the facility has not yet been determined. The design presented in the meeting was drafted by the Branford-based Pat Munger Commercial Construction Company to be used in applying for State grant. Munger was the only company to respond to the request for a design. Bidding for a contractor to develop an official design for the building will be made public and will need a minimum of three quotes.

For New Business, the committee discussed a rough timeline to complete construction for the building and set up a schedule for future committee meetings. No official deadline was set since it's unknown whether or when the townspeople and Board of Finance will approve funding. Some committee members discussed breaking ground in Spring 2024 and possibly having the property complete by Fall 2024. The committee will meet bi-weekly on Fridays at 6 pm in Town Hall.

Selectman candidate Scott Olson, attending remotely via Zoom, was the first to speak in the Public Comments segment of the meeting. He expressed his excitement for the facility to be developed while acknowledging that there is a lot of angst, anxiety and concern amongst the townspeople. “The magnitude of this project is unprecedented…It is deserving of the attention required including input and questions from the people.” Olson went on to directly challenge Selectmen Carusillo and Kinsella to help alleviate residents' concerns by hosting a series of publicly-advertised meetings, to have people ask questions and get answers on the facility. He continued by calling the building a “good idea and a sound project”.

The meeting was then opened to comments from the general public. Most of the dozen-or-so townspeople in attendance expressed opposition to the facility being built at 190 Sharon Turnpike.

Marissa Wright, owner of the Wright Farm which adjoins the site, expressed support for the Public Works and Fire departments and the need to protect town equipment, but was concerned about how the facility may negatively impact the local environment. “This land should be placed into open space,” Wright stated. “I have not been made aware of any published material available to the public that justifies why the proposed site is the best and only option for a 14,000 square foot building you are proposing…” Wright suggested that a more suitable location would be behind the existing Fire Co. building across the street. “It would make sense to me to have an independent feasibility assessment done for all proposed sites. It is possible that alternatives haven’t been viewed because the endgame is to add solar to this field? Also, the current proposed site is in a FEMA 100-year flood zone. How do we plan to deal with that? What does the proposed building need a septic field and well for, if the building is only for storage? Why have no resource inventories been conducted at this site? Are you aware there is at least one State-listed endangered species that utilizes this site? Why are you proposing an extensive lighting plan that will negatively impact wildlife?”

Carusillo later clarified that installation of solar panels is no longer planned for the property, a response to the public backlash expressed at the time of the purchase of the property in May.

School Hill Road resident Michael Leonard fears the facility may negatively impact his farm, cattle, and water. “I’m concerned about the effects of the barn or the building on my farm and my farm animals that are right on the other side of that structure and the water that is affected in our farm area,” he explained. Leonard said he understands the town needs more storage, but doesn't think this facility is well planned or organized since Lucas already had some questions about the layout.

Sharon Turnpike resident Lee Kilmer, who lives nearest the proposed building site, also questioned why the building couldn’t be built behind the existing firehouse. He expressed concern about noise, light and activity at the proposed site. He also said he felt that residents were not getting sufficient notice, going back to the time of the property purchase.

Lynette Miller, a Rockwall Court resident, expressed sympathy for the neighbor who would be living next to the proposed building. “None of us would hope or wish for that to happen next door to our homes.” She questioned why the land purchase wasn’t put out for public bid, as there may have been other parcels offered. “And if you’ve got a P&Z hearing on November 28^th, I don’t see how you can break ground in January and have the Town vote on it already.”

Bentley Circle resident Michael Esposito questioned the need for such a large facility, separately asking Lucas, on behalf of the Fire Co., and Harlow, on behalf of Public Works, how much space each of them actually needed. “See, we’re combining two things, here. We don’t need to.” Esposito later explained that the Fire Company’s needs could best be met by a smaller addition on the existing firehouse, while the Public Works garage could be placed anywhere else, as it does not need to be centrally located. “Where are the alternate proposals?”, he asked. We’re putting up a 160-foot-long building. That’s bigger than a Walmart! We don’t need to do that… We’ll use that money that Todd got us, but to put up a Walmart behind these people’s house? Next to wetlands? The footprint of the pad is as big as the building if my eye’s rough scaling it, just rough scaling it. There’s a lot of water flow that’s going to be turning back into the wetlands… I need to see more than one proposal before I can endorse the right proposal. And I see a lot of heads nodding. That’s all we’re asking for. Putting this up–that’s not a storage building, that’s a distribution center.”

Sharon Turnpike resident Mary Stuart asked “Is there any other place in Goshen we could use for a building such as this. We’re in a residential area, so people want to keep it as such.”

Sharon Turnpike resident Toby Geiger expressed support for the facility, especially with how it may benefit future generations of Goshenites. “I feel that there’s been very valid points here.

School Hill Road resident Anthony Cocchiola said “I side with all the neighbors here… And it looks like you guys, your minds [are] already made up and you’ve got everything set, everything’s ready to go. I would make a suggestion that… the firehouse you’ve got now, you’ve got land in the back there, you could get a variance, go back further…”

Others suggested the town could have purchased a neighboring property next to the firehouse, currently used as a school bus parking lot, instead. One resident expressed frustration with how this facility may severely lower nearby residents’ property values.

Sara Leonard, a School Hill Road resident, said “This property would be better as an open space.” She said her concerns included the sound and the lights that would affect her farm and her animals, as well as the water runoff. She said that a portion of her property already suffers from frequent flooding and is worried about the size of the building and how it will affect the water runoff. “I’m worried about the owls, I’m worried about the birds, I’m worried about a lot of things, but I think the lack of information worries me the most”.

One attendee said it felt like the project was being rushed and shoved down our throats. Carusillo responded, “It’s not being shoved down your throat. This process started last January when we started looking for properties. So when the opportunity came up we investigated. We saw the property’s worth building on it… We bought it because it was the only property that was centrally located.”

Despite Public Comment officially closing, many attendees began reacting to committee members' statements, questioning them directly, and effectively engaged in a room-wide discussion of potential other properties to be purchased instead of 190 Sharon Turnpike.