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Politics & Government

Residents Voice Opinions Over Great Pond Development

The project planner and town manager present 18 months of planning to Windsor community

Previously presented to the Town Council and Planning and Zoning Commission, developers of the proposed opened their presentation to the more than 60 residents and business owners who attended a community forum last night at Town Hall.

Planner of the development of Great Pond, Rob Robinson told those in attendance the objectives of the mixed-use neighborhood built on 650 acres of land off of Day Hill Road would be to connect Great Pond back to the town and to “get the community wired for technology and for the way we’re living now.”

Residents voiced a slew of concerns regarding the development, ranging from possible tax increases, wildlife conservation and the preservation of Windsor’s integrity and community.

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Windsor resident Robert Ellis said he believes Great Pond will “serve Windsor well,” but he is concerned about the downtown portion of Windsor and the business that will be detracted by new amenities.

“They say it will attract a lot of residents,” Ellis said, “but what happens to the shops downtown," he asked.

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Town Manager, Peter Souza said that Great Pond “achieves the goal of keeping Windsor competitive in the next 15 to 20 years.”

In response to residents’ concerns about taxes increasing, Souza said that the results from a fiscal impact analysis, where project expenses and services were taken into consideration, indicated that Great Pond will create a revenue stream for the town.

According to the proposal, the development and the 7,000-plus residents that would live there would allow the town to remain competitive while maintaining the current property tax base.

Windsor resident Lisa Boccia said she was “skeptical” of the idea that residents would not incur higher taxes.

“It’s all in the numbers for me,” she said. “I don’t think we know enough yet,” she said in reference to whether she supports the development or not.

Boccia expects the next meeting regarding Great Pond, one that will focus on the financial aspects of the development, will produce many more questions.

A major question that presented itself numerous times refers to the recent consolidation of schools in Windsor and how the town will accommodate the new students who are likely to come with Great Pond Village.

Assistant Town Manager Emily Moon said that the influx of students will more than likely happen in 20 years if at all, and the accommodations will not require the re-opening of a school but simply the addition of classrooms.

“There may just be one or two second-graders over capacity in one school and one or more over capacity in another grade,” she said.

Other concerns brought up in the meeting include an increase in traffic, proper escape routes from the community in the event of an emergency and preventing the housing from becoming “undesirable” or comparable to a “project,” as one resident put it.

Between information from Robinson and Souza, questions were answered to the extent of the planning.

A repeated answer from Robinson referred to the necessity of “seeing how this thing lives.” He told residents that the development will be built in comfortable increments, with plenty of time to assess the situations that will arise.

Residents were assured the fire and safety professionals were consulted and are comfortable with the plans, both for emergency safety and every day business.

Robinson also explained to residents that a “Form-based Code” is being developed over this summer and the fall to ensure that the building types and construction constraints that are presented and voted on remain the plans for Great Pond so residents will "know you're getting what you voted for," he said.

The overall plan of Great Pond, according to Souza and Robinson, is to help Windsor “grow as an organic town” while taking advantage of the assets already in place.

“We’re looking to attract the next generation,” said Souza.

The financial meeting regarding Great Pond will take place in August, Souza reminded residents. All community members are invited to attend the open meeting and to access the information regarding the development through the public offices or on-line. 

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