Tom Conroy offers a few suggestions on the West Haven Voice

Tom Conroy, in a letter to the editor of the West Haven Voice, has offered some suggestions to save property taxes.

First, to summarize (I urge you to read the full letter as I have made this very brief):

• increase the minimum amount of property required to build to 1.5 acres, or eliminate the ability to build new single family homes, as he feels single family homes crowded into properties are a drain on services.
  
• move the train station to Morgan lane, after leveling the Sikorsky building, and add a convenience store and a Dunkin Donuts.
• Buy the property on Prindle Hill (?) and make a 9 hole golf course.
• Instead of buying the Masonic Temple, build a new high school by the Nike site next to the new soccer fields, and instead of revamping city hall, move it to the existing high school, and put the art center in the existing city hall.
• rebuild the area along the shoreline to be full of little cafes and specialty shops, like Mystic Seaport (?)
  

I applaud Mr. Conroy for taking the right attitude of looking for solutions ... but I think there is a few problems with some of his statements and his plans.

First - While I do agree that I'd like to see zoning regulations improve the size of building lots (there's one going up on Ocean Avenue that is absolutely sandwiched between two other homes), property taxes on land are much less than property taxes on homes.... which is another way of saying that houses bring in taxes, while vacant property does not. I think that there is a different value to open land, though, and I still think that the zoning should change.

In regard to this statement in his letter:

I have yet to hear one person explain where economic development is coming from a train station. We are taking buildings off the tax rolls (does anyone who owns or is selling these properties?) to build a building that will not pay taxes.

Wow, I think that the train station is absolutely mandatory. Right now, commuters to New York must go into Milford to get to the city - it's a slow and awkward commute, even from those on the Milford border. As I've mentioned previously, New Yorker commuters have been eyeing shore front property as more affordable than properties closer to the city. If you want to be able to create a higher end development, you need the infrastructure to make it happen - I think that the railroad is crutial to that.

Next - in regard to the building properties being taken off the tax rolls - the reason that Stop & Shop wanted that location was because of the proximity to the new train station. I fully expect that the Armstrong building will also have a new life, full of shops should the railroad station be built. It is a great location in proximity to the highway, and to downtown, and to the beaches. I wouldn't be surprised to see a local bus hub be placed there as well!

I think that the commuter lines could easily revitalize West Haven... imagine a downtown where people commute TO West Haven!

The number of shuffles in Mr. Conroy's plan are not simple ones - moving city hall would be a major undertaking... just ask the Police Department what it cost for them to move. There are many logistics, and infrastructure changes, not to mention reconfiguration and revamping of the buildings once they left...

Regarding the property on Prindle Hill... I really have a hard time with the idea of taking that land by eminent domain for the name of economic development. I strongly disagree with the ruling in New London - I think that eminent domain should exist only when there are no other solutions for city-based services, not for the case of building commercial enterprises.

Also, in looking at Google Maps, isn't this the land alongside the Latella's farm? The land is a very steep hill. A 9 hole course doesn't attract the real golfers, who want a full 18 holes, along with luxury housing. The Google Map indicates that there is a U.S. Military Reservation in the midst of it, as well.. but perhaps that is outdated.

I think we have to be careful about how we develop our shoreline. The State is giving us money to keep it as open space, from what I gather, and we've already made some serious mistakes in how we've put it together even now.

In speaking with another resident, we were discussing how the end of Campbell Avenue really should have been a gateway into the beachfront, instead of the entryway into Adams... there's no link between Campbell and the beach, and it's part of the problem.

So, I've said my piece - what do the other readers here think?

[note: Thanks to TheTruth who pointed out my mistake in the first name of Mr. Conroy - no offense was meant - it's just been a very long day]