Casey O'Donnell Asserts That He Is Greenwich's Approving And Enforcement Officer And Will Not Let Donald Kiefier And Planning And Zoning Commission Violate Food Plain Regulations At The Cos Cob Power Plant Site
Forget About The Connecticut Open Meetings Laws !!!!!
Planning And Zoning Commission Stops Public Hearing And Conducts Illegal Side Bar Meeting Over Casey O'Donnell's Email.
Barry Montgomery Reports:
The predetermined approval of the Planning & Zoning Board's Power House Park application was brought to an abrupt and rude halt leaving the audience in wonderment.
As the P & Z sat patiently listening to the audience, some in concurense, some with warnings of issues yet to come and only one who thought the project was a $10 Million boondoggle, the commission's common composure and stonewall attitude of a body already predetermined to approval, but needing to go through the charade of listening with great sincerity, knowing full well how they have decided to vote.
Chaos erupted. it started with quiet muttering of three of the members about something appearing to be causing contention. The balance of the members, objecting to the rudeness of these few for both the mutterings and knowing they were being excluded, demanded to be included.
"I've got the floor,"said one member.
The chairman, sensing rebelling in his usually obedient concurrers, called for a time out. In the middle of a public hearing no less, he stopped the tape, cut off a standing audience member about to speak and told the audience to amuse themselves, hoping no had the audacity to think they could listen in to this animated discussion.
What's going on we wondered, intimidated out off prying into this secret conversation unfolding before our very eyes?
Secret meetings in plain sight?
Apparently, someone forgot about the open meeting laws of our state.
Now there’s a new one for the august lawyers in attendance, full of solemn splendor and dignity?
Well it turns out that Casey O'Donnell, the acting zoning enforcement officer had tipped over the apple cart on the way to the coronation of the Town's pandering to the soccer dads who were anxious for another field.
No matter that it would be under the Electromagnetic Force (EMF) of the super high tension power lines with a radiation field so strong, the wires "sing" their carcinogen danger on developing children's bodies. A force so strong, it makes the flagpole hidden cell tower, bathing an elementary school, seem miniscule in comparison.
Anyway, Casey had sent last minute warnings that he would not let the Town bring and place 4 feet of soil over acres of coastal flood plain protected land even if it was the way the Feds had ordered the soil carcinogen to be "capped" so our little dears would not be scampering around in their bear feet absorbing the arsenic up through the souls of their feet.
We want no "Love Canal" here in Greenwich. It would seem so tacky to kill the babies of the "super elite rich" of the families who call Greenwich home. Never mind, the issue of the vast Nutcracker army of water rats who will also call the Power Plant Park their home too. Thanks to the wonderful habitat created by the mammoth stone "rip-rap" placed on the sound's banks at the cost of Millions. It appears no provision by the Conservation Commission was ordered to create a habitat for the Rat's predators.
We can't have "killer" animals living in a pristine Greenwich park, can we?
A $10 million park for soccer players and water rats?
Is there a poetic justice here by the powers that be in Greenwich?
It seems the powers that be have a sense of humor and whimsy to their reprisal.
But back to Casey and his monkey wrench. A little history is order. Back 40 or so years ago when the National government decided that they needed to protect everyone who lived on a river, pond or sea shore from the calamity of flooding; not by removal, but by government sponsored insurance.
But how to get the people to buy the insurance voluntarily?
And how to force every municipality to declare what a flood plain was?
So our congress passed a law.
Really, passed one without an unconstitutional super majority.
The demand was this: If a town failed to adopt the Fed's declared flood plain boundaries and corresponding regulations, no one, not one, no matter whether they were subject to flooding or not, could mortgage their home with any institution in any way insured by the Federal government.
100% voluntary compliance.
Well, fast forward to today.
It seems Casey seems to read the law so that if the Town violates the covenants, with the P & Z's blessings, of the no "filling" of coastal flood plains, no one, no matter where they live, will be able to get a mortgage with one of these Fed insured institutions. Not one mortgage in all of Greenwich.
The powers that be do have a sense of humor, don't they?
What's a little 4 feet of fill here, there and everywhere?
The Feds have to learn to take a Joke.
And then again, maybe we can make a deal for our house mortgages from Abu Dhabi?
They’re it the money these days, aren't they?
So now what?
The Feds say you have to cap. The Feds say, but not with dirty clean fill. A town, home to the gangsters who figured to how to sucker the "little people" into wealth destructive mortgages, surly ought to be able to wiggle out of this conundrum.
They were so smart the last time.
They only collapsed the world's wealth by 40%.
Smart minds can solve any problem.
What's a little 4 feet of fill here, there and everywhere?
The Feds have to learn to take a Joke.
And then again, maybe we can make a deal for our house mortgages from Abu Dhabi?
They’re it the money these days, aren't they?
So now what?
The Feds say you have to cap. The Feds say, but not with dirty clean fill. A town, home to the gangsters who figured to how to sucker the "little people" into wealth destructive mortgages, surly ought to be able to wiggle out of this conundrum.
They were so smart the last time.
They only collapsed the world's wealth by 40%.
Smart minds can solve any problem.
UPDATE:
As Ussual,
The Grenwich Time Is A Day Late And A Dollar Short
By Frank MacEachern, Staff Writer
A potential hitch that could affect flood insurance rates for town residents caused the Planning and Zoning Commission to delay voting Tuesday on a plan to turn the Cos Cob Power Plant at 22 Sound Shore Drive into a new town park.
The plan would make the 9.7-acre site into a park that would include an artificial-turf field, walking paths and a children's play area.
Midway through the meeting, however, it was discovered that part of the site's waterfront is in an area that could be strongly affected by large waves from tropical storms and may violate Federal Emergency Management Agency guidelines.
Comment:
Once Again,
The Greenwich Time Fails To Report The Full Story
There Is Nothing About Acting Zoning Enforcement Officer Casey O'Donnell Email
There Is Nothing About The Public Meeting Tape Recorders Being Turned Off
There Is Nothing About The Illegal Sidebar P&Z Meeting That Violated The Open Meeting Laews Of Our State
The Greenwich Time Continues .....
The National Flood Insurance Program is administered by FEMA and is a voluntary program whose goal is reduce the loss of life and damage caused by flooding, said Katie Blankley, the town's deputy director for planning and zoning.
In exchange for federally backed flood insurance, municipalities, like Greenwich, adopt and enforce regulations to control new construction, substantial improvements and repairs, she said.
Part of the proposed new park falls into that category, and the commission is going to check with FEMA to see if the development can proceed, she said.
Comment:
Shouldn't Katie Blankley, the town's deputy director for planning and zoning have with FEMA to see if the development can proceed, before the public hearing was started?
Why Doesn't Greenwich Time Reporter Frank MacEachern mention that affordable workforce housing for emergency responders, nurses and teachers was supposed to be on the Cos Cob Power Plant Site?
Maybe Hearst Newspaper Reporter Frank MacEachern Has Been Around Long Enough To Know What Is Really Going On In The Backrooms Of Town Hall?
The Greenwich Time Continues ......
The commission left the matter open and may discuss it at its next meeting on Jan. 26.
The coal-fired plant began operation in 1907 to provide electrical power for the New Haven rail line, which runs just north of the former power plant site. The plant continued providing power to the trains that transported millions of commuters until the 1980s when it ceased operations.
The plant was removed in 1999 and 2000 at a cost of $6 million that was shared between the town and the state. Soil contaminated by PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) has already been removed from the site.
Town officials plan to open the park to the public in 2012..... Blah .... Blah ..... Blah ..... Blah ......
COMMENT:
The Greenwich Time Just Runs Planning And Zoning Press Releases Though The Spell Checker, Before Hi ting The Publish Button.
Once Again Frank MacEachern Has Failed To Stay For All Of The Planning And Zoning Meeting And Hasn't Bothered To Ask Planning And Zoning Officials The Tough Questions.
Mainstream Corporate News Reporter Frank MacEachern Didn't Know About The Illegal Sidebar Meeting, Because He Wasn't There To See It.
However, Citizen Journalist Barry Montgomery Was There Tuesday Night And Reported It On Wednesday.
That's Why If You Want To Know What Is Really Going On In Greenwich You Have Got To Read The Local Blogs And Out Of Town Newspapers
PLEASE SEE:
03/06/09 WHAT WILL THE VOTERS THINK? - Will CT Governor Jody Rell Let Her Republican Buddies In Greenwich Weasel Out Of An Affordable Housing Deal?
03/07/09 READER SUBMITTED COMMENTS: Housing
03/07/09 READER SUBMITTED COMMENTS: Housing
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There is an ugly confusion in this story (and back-story) between a flood plain in a river system (which would apply upstream of the final bridge, the railroad crossing of the Mianus), and a tidal flood, which is caused by tides and low atmospheric pressure.
ReplyDeleteIn a river system, flood plain filling increases down-stream flood damage. In a coastal plain, filling eliminates flood damage by raising the land above the atmospheric surge of tide water. Granted, this is the Robert Moses approach, but it is a simple fact.
Your analysis about mortgages is extreme. FEMA rates communities on compliance by looking at the local regulations adopted, and the enforcement by the LBO (Local Building Official.)
Communities that fail to adopt regs are excluded from the insurance program. Those that permit excessive building exceptions get a higher underwriting rate.