Pool school permit request rejected
From the MRJs Jesse Buchanan:
The Planning and Zoning Commission have denied Joanne Newton's request for an in-home swimming tutoring business at her Oak Ridge Drive home in a six to two vote.
Tim White
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
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11 comments:
I think this was the right thing to do.....
It was the right thing to do, it was competing with the town pool and we can not allow competition.
Besides our local developers didn't have an interest in it.
This just goes to show that once again town councils do not make decisions based on common sense but rather on the influence of the people involved. Has anyone watched it on local tv and seen the people? Hmm. a building inspector on the council and a real estate agent as a complainant? Convenient. A town attorney as complainant...convenient again. It appears that all Mrs. Newton wanted was to find a way to have a second income, but a group of inane people - who apparently didn't like the structure that was already there - stopped her for reasons that were beyond believable. How much traffic or noise can one swimming lesson make? Cheshire, this goes to show that trying to do things the right way will get you nowhere. Forget the permits - build what you want, open home businesses, etc. and leave the town out of it. This council is pathetic and each and every one should be voted off next election.
Political connections and cranky neighbors decide who does what, I guess. It must be nice to have so much time on one's hands and nothing better to do than build a "case" against something that should have been an easy yes vote from P&Z.
Check out the article in the Meriden Record Journal from Wed 7/29... Maye agreed with Newton and said he thought she should have gotten the special permit application. He believed many of the commission members had a problem with the size of the pool and disliked its asthetics. "It was the 800-pound gorilla in the room," Maye said."I think that was the basic problem-it didn't fit with the neighborhood."
My concern is twofold; 1.the council appears to have made a decision based on the size of her pool which is 20'X38'; no bigger than most residential pools and the building itself that clearly was built with permits from the building inspector. Since when doesn't a greenhouse fit in with a neighborhood in Cheshire which has been touted as the bedding plant capital of the state? And 2. If she met the stipulations that the town sets its standards by how could they deny the application based on the pool and building not being to their (the commissioners) liking? Sounds to me like they were trying to make peace with the neighbors because of who they are; a real estate agent and the husband of the assistant town attorney. If she had different neighbors I highly doubt there would have been an issue...
I think she should throw as many loud pool parties as possible, put up an ugly fence for the neighbors to be forced to look at, paint her house lime green and call it a day.
I agree... my understanding of what she wanted to do should be welcome in any neighborhood community. She should leave a boombox playing in her pool area whenever she is not home at a level that is annoying but not excessive. This issue must have caused a strain in any friendship the neighbors might have had.
If the current P&Z gets replaced in the upcoming election, she should reapply.
Although the official reason given for the permit denial was a problem with square footage, it's clear that the council's decision was strongly influenced by the neighbors' ridiculous concerns. I agree with one of the previous comments - it doesn't pay to go through town channels for the correct permits when legal decisions are made based upon personal opinion rather than facts.
I don't know what friendships were in place, but clearly her neighbors weren't concerned about good will. They sabotaged her chance to have a second income for reasons that still aren't clear from the articles. A 1 on 1 swim lesson??? Oooo - how scary. If I were her I'd build an 8 foot fence around the yard to not only block their obvious obsession to watch what she's doing, but also save herself from the daily reminders of the morons who live around her.
I think the ultimate, would be for her to sell her home and her pool to the noisiest, most obnoxious family she could find - hopefully one with a lot of cars that would need to be parked on the street and the lawn.
Why can't people just live by a MYOB philosophy when it comes to their neighbors??!!!
This is pathetic.
She should reapply when the new P&Z commission takes over. Get some people in there without personal agendas.
Get people who, 1: live in town 2:are not trying to start an excavation business 3: are not among the largest pollutors in town 4: are not influensed by contractors, realitors, and builders.
The problem with this board is that none of the individuals on it have had the heart-stopping experience of seeing their non-swimmer child drop into the deep end of a rec (or any other) pool.
Go through that just once and you'll know that whenever and whereever there's an opportunity to teach more and more kids to swim, that opportunity should be happily embraced.
Civic leaders should be held accountable for dim-witted decisions - whether they are elected or not. Do the right thing, Cheshire. Get these numbskulls off your planning and zoning board.
I think the town council made a HUGE mistake with this decision. I have been a Cheshire resident for 5 years and I have no desire to use any services provided by the town pool. My son took lessons at the pool 2 different times - one private and one with a group. He has also taken lessons from Joanne. It is amazing how much more he learned from her in a short amount of time. I think the pool needs a little competition in order for the pool to improve its services.
I totally disagree with the neighbors' complaints - 1st of all no-one blows whistles during swim lessons and there is not a lot of noise, second there is only one student allowed at a time and that would mean one car - tell me that there is not enough room for car??? And traffic concerns - that is a lame excuse; would the neighbors complain about traffic if she was giving piano lessons in her house?
I understand that the son of one of the neighboring complainers swims in Joanne's pool daily. May be he was worried that his son would not have a place to swim if Joanne was providing lessons ...
I could go on but this is a waste of my time. I will not vote for any current council member this November!
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