Next Meeting: October Date TBA

Traffic Mitigation Survey: Ridge Road, High Meadow Road, and Haverford Street

Resident survey on potential traffic safety improvements at the intersection of Ridge Road, High Meadow Road, and Haverford Street. All residents who travel through this area are encouraged to provide feedback. Survey results will help inform the town’s final decision on which traffic solution to move forward with.

When you submit this form, it will not automatically collect your details like name and email address unless you provide it yourself.

Link to Survey

Minutes of the SGCA Annual Meeting 10.9.25

October 9, 2025

President Heather Wainwright opened the meeting at 7:02 pm.  

Introductions were made after opening remarks about the agenda for the evening.

Motion to accept the Minutes of October 17, 2024, were approved by a majority.

Treasurer’s report, Robert Hoppenstedt:  Treasury account is stable, down $23.  Voted to accept the report.

Spring Glen Neighborhood Canal Trail Bike Ride: President Wainwright announced that the SGCA will be sponsoring a community bike ride on the Farmington Canal Trail on October 18.. Ryan Ott gave more details about the ride and encouraged members to gather neighbors, friends, and groups to sign up and ride the canal trail together, and make it a fun community day of bicycle riding.

By-law Amendments: President Wainwright introduced revisions to the current by-laws. The purpose of these changes will be to allow the executive board to fill a vacancy between annual meetings if an officer leaves or resigns, or in the case which occurred last year that there were no candidates for the office at the annual meeting. She read the new language to be added to the by-laws. Motion to approve the amendment was passed.

Guest speaker Discussion: Eugene Livshitz, Hamden’s Town Planner and Stephen White, Hamden’s Town Engineer were introduced to discuss what's going on in Spring Glen and Hamden and to discuss questions and concerns.

Eugene Livshitz started with a review of developments that are in the planning stages near Spring Glen. 

Cooper House Square Development On the west side of Whitney Avenue just north of Skiff St. (roughly across from Dairy Queen) will be a mixed-use project of 60 units, with 12 classified as affordable. It will have office and retail space as well. They are going to restore the older buildings on the property, including the historic red house, built in 1780, which will be converted to a coffee house. The rest of the development will be two to three stories, set back from Whitney Avenue. The development team is Calcagny, and the Legislative Council approved the tax agreement that was negotiated. They are closing on purchasing the property now and will likely break ground some time in 2026.

“Town Center Master Plan” The town won a community grant for an initiative focusing on Centerville - centered at the intersection of Whitney and Dixwell going as far south as Skiff St.  This project will focus on conceptual designs, infrastructure, resources needed to attract development, and will include considerations such as interconnectedness, walkability, etc.  It will also include recommendations for implementation. The town hopes this initiative can serve as a blueprint for how to address issues and development in the future. The town put out a bid for a consultation firm to lead the process and are in the contracting phase with the prospective firm. 

Stocky Clark asked what kind of report the town is expecting from the consultant. Mr. Livshitz responded that the focal point will be community engagement for residents as well as businesses - they will include a business round table. The report will identify gaps, trends, as well as conceptual designs, connectivity, public transportation, parking, and market analysis. He continued, “The gaps I see right now are underutilization. T5 allows up to 5 stories but we don’t see them.”  He hopes that when there is a vision in place the regulatory environment will allow the changes to happen.

One member asked if the town could have more public housing to make it more affordable for people on social security. Mr. Livshitz responded that we need all kinds of housing options.

Elaine Dove asked several questions. She heard that the owner of the site of the Spring Glen Hardware Store, which is currently an unsightly hole in the ground, will not do anything with the property until the town approves a three-story apartment building. Mr. Livshitz responded that the zoning currently would not allow for 3 stories, but that the owner of the property has not spoken to him. He said he will reach out to her.

Elaine Dove also asked about the commercial building on Whitney Avenue (site which includes Richard’s Deli) that a local credit union bought - are they planning on adding a second story to it? Mr. Livshiz responded he’s not sure if they pulled a permit for that. Others in the room said they do not think that will happen.

Elaine Dove next asked about the removal of the trees behind the Cork and Barrel property. Mr. Lishitz responded he did not know about that issue.

Affordable housing: A gentleman in the first row commented that the Spring Glen Civic Association should make a plan for how to incorporate more affordable housing into the neighborhood. Mr. Lifshitz interjected that the Town of Hamden has a housing plan that addresses that issue. He went on to describe a specific project addressing that need, a development at 2980 State St which is 100% affordable housing, subsidized by a community development grant. He stated that the town is currently shepherding other development plans incorporating more affordable housing as well, such as 451 Sherman Avenue and 1890 Dixwell (on the northwest corner of the intersection of Dixwell and Benham) which will be mixed use and include many affordable residential units.

Steve White took the floor. He stated that the traffic dept is under him.

Halloween traffic safety: The Police Department will be doing traffic control on Whitney Ave on Halloween, reducing traffic to one lane each way near the Haunted House on Whitney Avenue that attracts hundreds of visitors. This has been done in past years as well to increase safety. 

Safe crosswalks on Whitney: The CT Department of Transportation (DOT) is still working on a Road Diet for Whitney Avenue. A woman in the audience expressed an urgent need for a cross walk across Whitney Ave between Thornton and Harmon. Kids coming home from Spring Glen School can't cross and it’s dangerous. George Schneider responded that the Road Diet is the place to try to implement this. Elaine Dove added that we have brought this up with the town in the past - state-owned streets need better pedestrian safety, and asked why won't the state do anything about this? Mr. White responded that he has been urging the state reps to make sure the DOT keeps working on this. Hannah Lechman made a motion that the SGCA request Hamden Town Engineer Steve White write to the DOT to request a safe crossing for pedestrians on Whitney Ave in the vicinity of Santa Fe Ave. The Motion was seconded and passed unanimously. 

High Meadows update: A member asked for information on the High Meadows property. Vice President Stocky Clark, who is on the community advisory board regarding the High Meadows development responded that the town and developer needed to agree to terms, but the advisory board has not seen any terms and there is no deal pending. Mr. Livshitz stated that there is no update at this time. It’s still a state-owned property and is not owned by Hamden until a developer comes forward with a proposal. 

Waite St. bridge: Mr. White said that the Lake Whitney bridges at Waite St. and Mather St. are in need of replacement. As he lives too close to the bridge area he needs to recuse himself from directly working on the project, so he’s hiring a consultant now for the project. 

Six Lakes update: Member Kathy Czepiel announced that the annual Six Lakes community update will be taking place on 10/21 at 7pm at the Keefe Community Center. They will be presenting a research document on Six Lakes’ and Olin’s legal obligations, the Dept of Energy and Environmental Protection will be there, and they will be working on finishing up with a letter writing action.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:40 pm.

Respectfully submitted by

Denise Laframboise, Corresponding Secretary

Proposed Changes to By-Laws October 2024:

Minutes of the SGCA Annual Meeting 10.17.24

October 17. 2024

Vice President Stocky Clark opened the meeting at 7:02 pm. President Denise LaFramboise’s father died this past week, and she was unable to attend tonight.

Introductions were made after opening remarks about the agenda for the evening. Motion to accept the Minutes of June 23, 2024, were approved by a majority.

Treasurer’s report: $9000 in treasury is stable, We have $8213.16 at Bank of America and $1181.77 in Venmo/PayPal, which is used for day to day needs. Outstanding invoices are as follows: Rent for Unitarian facility ($150), State of CT filing ($50), 990 filing ($30). Net balance is $9400.

An audit will occur next month.

Executive committee has developed a couple of amendments to the By-laws, which are the following. This will be notified to the membership for the next meeting. It was sent to the members, but we will table until the next meeting as some members do not recall receiving this information. Everyone was encouraged to join SGCA.

Streetlights have been a big issue in the past regarding many issues including the degree of light, the number of lights etc. Bob Pattison presented information. He has been working on this issue since 2016. After almost 9 years, the town will make the move to LED streetlights sometime in the next two years. Ui did not offer a good solution for Hamden. Originally the lights were 4000K. Bob and a group went thru a long process about the need for the appropriate number of streetlights needed and the proper lumens needed. He used West Hartford, as an example, who got an outside group to evaluate their needs, and they did a really good job. UI is a utility company not a lighting company. He gave examples of the number of lights on poles. Some streets have lights on every telephone pole, while others do not. He stated if every light is replaced by the brighter LEDs, it will be too bright for most residents. The utility company put them up wherever they wanted back in the early 20th century. They were looking to utilize the amount of electricity that they produced.

There has been a robust discussion over the years until the present time. Bob Pattison and a group worked hard to educate and advocate for the correct number of lights, the correct and most environmentally friendly lumens and to own the lights outright. This happened during the Leng Administration, and it was never completed. Recently, Mayor Garrett signed an agreement with UI to install LED streetlights. They are supposed to do an audit by an outside consultant. Lights, location and need will be addressed in the audit.

According tp Bob Pattison every lighting expert has stated that Hamden has 30% more lights than we need. It costs $1M each year for the town to power these lights. If we were to reduce the number of lights by 30%, we’d save $250,000. Iif we do an audit and reduce the number of lights in town to a reasonable number, we might save $500,000 per year. The mayor has not pushed for a lower LED level from 3K to warmer lights, which Bob said is a closed issue at this point. Bob stated that the town needs to make it a requirement that each LED streetlight be shielded with a hood, which will protect residents from extra light shining into houses. If this is overlooked by the Legislative Council, residents can request shielding each light from light trespassing. Bob noted that an audit addresses physical limitations not lighting design. Hamden has 7000 streetlights now, which is more than the city of Pittsburg, PA has! Our town government has the right to remove lights we don’t want.

Mayor Garrett was introduced to the residents. She did a road safety audit from New Haven town line to Mill River. Report on High Meadow: not much has changed. No memorandum of agreement has been signed. LC and P&Z must be consulted after the signing. There is a new Economic Development director Ayana Wiener, who has a lot of experience in economic development. She also worked in New Rochelle and NYS. She started as an attorney but transitioned to economic development. We are at the ground floor with High Meadows. The State of CT wants affordable housing, so if they do this project, it will be all affordable housing rather than a mix. If it stays in Hamden’s control, we have more input. There will be additional input from the community before the project starts. There will be public hearings at Legislative Council meetings and the Planning & Zoning where the public can speak. Discussion ensued with the High Meadows property. Community input has been good, but many residents are still upset with the plan to develop the property.

Nov. 7th a and on Nov. 19th there will be meetings regarding the reevaluation of property and how it was done and the process they took to reach the new valuations.

Red light cameras are out to bid with vendors. They asked complex questions of our Town Engineer and after answering, Hamden will have vendor selection, who will select sites based on crash data and DOT approval etc. Mobile speed cameras will work in conjunction with the red-light cameras.

Skiff to Connolly parkway will not have red light cameras because we ae getting new traffic lights. This prevents us from having two years data. Discussion ensued about the intersection at the high school (Connolly and Dixwell) and Mayor Garrett will ask DOT for special consideration of putting in a red-light camera to decrease cars from going through the intersection when the light is yellow to red.

Bike Survey was discussed, Ridge Rd is a heavily used bike thoroughfare. Questionnaire has been done to gather information about use of bikes and safety.

New slate of Officers was presented
Co-Presidents: Elaine Dove and Heather Wainwright Vice President: Stocky Clark
Secretary: Denise La Framboise
Treasurer: OPEN
Media: Ryan Ott
Membership: George Schneider

A motion was made to accept the slate, it was seconded and then was voted on and passed unanimously.

Judy Clark presented information on the traffic issue and the bike survey. Sarah Clark produced the survey, and it is being broadcast in all media. They have asked The Traffic Commission to incorporate it into the Complete Streets policy. Safety has been a big concern on Ridge Rd. for bikers and pedestrians.

Meeting adjourned at 8:40 P.M. Respectfully submitted by Elaine Dove

Mtg Minutes June 13 2024

Minutes of Spring Glen Civic Association (SGCA) June 13, 2024

Meeting was called to order at 7:08

Stocky Clark called the meeting to order. Denise, our President, had a family emergency.

A motion to accept the Minutes of 09.23.2023 was made by a member and seconded by George

Schneider. It was passed unanimously.

A Treasurer’s Report was presented in hardcopy and is reported here. Heather, our

treasurer, had a knee injury and needed to leave early. The following information was

provided:

Net account balance: $9260

Current account balances: $9860

Known Accounts payable outstanding: ~$600 (through to Fall membership meeting)

Assets

Venmo: $490

PayPal: $630

BA Checking: ~$8740

Outstanding expenses: ~$680

$35:    990 postcard (due Nov)

$50     Annual incorporation fee, state of CT: (Due Sept)

$175  PO Box annual (Due June 30 th )

$200  Donation to Childrens center (never went through in December – just found out)

(asap)

$150  Fee for space use at UU (due on receipt – 6/17)

Notes/Notables:

(1) To our knowledge, all checks received have been deposited – the last set on 6/8/24;

expected to clear by 6/10. We are not holding onto any checks. If your check to us is

outstanding, please let us know!

(2) We keep money in Venmo and PayPal to be able to easily pay expenses. Presently, we are

not using, and have not needed to use paper checks for the Association, (to minimize

financial risk). Our expenses have been payable electronically or through PayPal and Venmo. 

(3) We will need to do our bi-annual financials audit this fall.

George Schneider made a presentation of the street scape project in SG. The town put in trees

this spring. SGCA representatives asked for more mulch around trees, but the PW department

stated that they wouldn’t want to have the upkeep for such a project. The opening for the trees is

very small.

Stocky reminded everyone to please join the SGCA.

He mentioned the Spring Forward group, whose goal is to increase accessibility of housing for

all. He introduced Danielle Chapman one of the originators of the Spring Forward survey. Her

colleague, Marissa Mead, put the survey together and Danielle was making a high-level report of

the survey, which will be put online next week. The survey was a collaboration between Spring

Forward and SGCA with the questions being created and vetted by both organizations. As the

demolition of SG Hardware store’s today exhibits, there are opportunities for changes that may

revitalize the “SG Village.” There were 320 responses to the survey. Many people were invited

to join in the survey including business owners. Walkability and proximity to shops were

highlights. Improvements wanted included aesthetic improvements, street scape improvements,

and increased businesses. Members asked questions about the survey, why it was established and

what the goals of the survey were. Next steps are how to publish the survey and what we can do

to create a revitalized village. The survey gives an idea of what people would like the area to be

and look like. If the Village is revitalized, the public has had an opportunity to identify what

development and improvements they are desiring.

Stocky Clark mentioned that there are stores are empty and it isn’t clear what type of

development is viable for the future. He stated that developers usually want to know what a

community wants or doesn’t want. He said that development takes time, but the community’s

input and acceptance is a very important factor. He thanked Spring Forward for their work on the

survey.

The mayor is holding an open forum on June 24 at 6 pm at Miller Library about the High

Meadows property. We will remind our membership of the location of the meeting. He stated

that he was a participant in the community group. Three applications were submitted for the

property and the group asked for some clarifications and modifications. Dakota produced the

most meaningful and acceptable housing project. Purchase agreement with the State of CT has to

occur first. He said the actual construction of a project would be in late 2026. There are many

reviews and department approvals before it can go forward. The Town will make a

recommendation to the Legislative Council. This goes to the Legislative Council for approval,

lots of approvals must be done before the project takes off. This project is a combination of

rentals and owner 200 rentals, and 48 duplexes are possible. Dakota is the recommended

developer because 20% is affordable in rentals and 20% of for owner occupied duplexes.

Wetlands will be part of the open space and will be trail space. The Land Trust will manage the

open space that is not developed.

Eric Johnson joined the group at 7:38 and discussed this project. Tax deferment was discussed.

A question was asked about the access from Hartford Turnpike vs. State Street access. The tax

issues for the property were discussed. Eric stated that the school population has been steady and

going down and should not be impacted by an increase in children in the school. Eric states that

the assessed value of the property will increase the tax base. Another resident stated that we

have to remember that the State could have developed the land and we would have little input as

a town. Another resident asked what the other applicants were asking for. One wanted all the

units ( a smaller number of units) but all would be affordable. Eric stated that the New Haven

area has limited housing inventory. Eric stated we need to find a way to attract younger families

into the town. This would be an increase in affordable housing possibilities, but not all of the

units would be in this category. This project is meant to be an intergenerational opportunity for

many people. The Dakota project is not dependent on public subsidies. Eric feels that this

development would support the values of the community. Eric explained that once the property

sells for $1.8M AND the zoning changes to something like PDD, the value of the property would

increase dramatically and the tax base will increase substantially even before building occurs.

One resident discussed that the traffic problems will be significant, and that the population

increase in that area will be significant.

Erik stated that they looked at many kinds of developments and they tried to strategically look at

the proposals and chose one that met all the requirements of the community and town.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:35 with a motion made and seconded by two members of the

audience.

Respectfully submitted,

Elaine Dove, Recording Secretary

An Update on High Meadows:

https://www.hamden.com/DocumentCenter/View/9880/High-Meadows-Project-Update-March-2024

2024 Spring Greetings to our Members! 

Time to re-up - April 30 marks the end of our annual membership period. We are always working to keep our members abreast of what is happening in our neighborhood and town, and to keep Spring Glen a great place to live - - see what we’ve been up to, below. Please support our work by renewing your membership to the Spring Glen Civic Association by clicking here  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfb_1CPlLB6NC_CrbVDWHUC_vuaIu_ivzPi_3KGq6G_zdmeig/viewform to pay via Venmo, PayPal or check.  Individual membership $10, Family membership $15, additional contributions welcome to help us continue and expand our work. Of course, checks are still welcome.  See below for our mailing address.

(Please note: If you have renewed already this year [2024], your membership is paid through April 30 2025. If you have previously requested removal from our list, please accept our apologies as we attempt to keep our email list current.  Note that we have ended our relationship with MemberPlanet and are maintaining the membership roster ourselves.  This is allowing us more flexibility at reduced maintenance workload and cost.)

SAVE THE DATE – our Spring Meeting is on May 16th  at 7pm Stay tuned for more details via email, social media, or our website, https://www.springglencivic.org/home/membership-join-online

N*E*W*S  WHAT HAS THE SGCA BEEN WORKING ON?

Spring Glen Village Streetscape: Although we are missing the flowering pear trees on the west side of Whitney Avenue between Hawthorne and Central Avenues, the town will be planting flowering cherry trees on that block soon, along with putting in new sidewalks and curbs. SGCA met with town engineer (and Spring Glen resident) Steve White to advocate for a streetscaping that will be attractive. We plan to follow up on this with helping to facilitate further streetscape improvements.

Village Center survey: SGCA joined with housing advocacy group Spring Forward to put together a survey of Spring Glen residents and other interested parties asking about opinions about development in the Spring Glen Village Center and particularly the Walgreens property. The survey has been completed, and we received 320 responses, 80% of which were from Spring Glen residents, and 7 were from Spring Glen businesses. We will be looking forward to sharing with you the results of the survey and discussing next steps at our spring meeting in May.

High Meadows: The Community Advisory Committee on High Meadows, which includes SGCA Vice President Stocky Clark, has been reviewing developer proposals and meeting with prospective developers with questions regarding their proposal for the High Meadows property on Hartford Turnpike. The committee has made a recommendation which has been forwarded to the Mayor and Legislative Council. Much work will be required to finalize an actual agreement with the developer and a timetable for going forward. We should know more within the month, and we will be discussing more information at our spring meeting.

SGCA at Hamden Earth Day Fair: Hamden’s Earth Day Fair, held at Town Center Park is on April 27th from 10:00 to 3:00. The Spring Glen Civic Association will be sharing a table with the Whitneyville Civic Association. We will be featuring information and education about the birds and wildlife of Lake Whitney, and especially the Waite St. causeway- tentatively titled “Herons and Osprey and Swans, Oh my!” come and check us out! As part of the display we will be featuring photographs from local photographers of the birds and other wildlife, and we are also putting together an online gallery of photographs with a QR code for easy access.  Please submit your photos of wildlife on the lake!  Photos need not be from this year – send your photos to denise.laframboise88@gmail.com. We will let you know which photos will be included and of course give photographers credit.

Whitney Avenue traffic calming petition: Whitneyville Civic Association (WCA) is sponsoring a petition asking the State DOT to expedite plans to implement traffic calming measures from the New Haven/Hamden line to Skiff Street. New Haven is moving forward with reducing Whitney Avenue to one lane in each direction, and plans to finish by the end of 2025, and there are concerns that once cars enter Hamden they will be speeding up to make up for lost time. WCA wants to gather enough signatures in April to go to the State with the request. Expediting the process means undertaking traffic studies and public review before proceeding with specific measures, so this petition is not specifically promoting a “Road Diet” but moving forward with traffic calming solutions, whatever they may be. See  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScmDiyM88fKSBuIlt3Qu0AHi1QV8fiYzr9OPNURKy_6LZupYg/viewform to sign this petition if you support this, or visit our shared table at Earth Day for more information from WCA.

Neighborhood Spring Clean-up: Litter seems to be an increasing problem and detracts from the beauty and enjoyment of our neighborhood. Come and pitch in with the Civic Association to help clean up public areas of Spring Glen! We will send out a separate email with details, but Spring Neighborhood Clean-up is slated for 9am on Saturday, May 4th (rain date May 5th), meeting at Walgreens parking lot. Bags, rakes, rubber gloves will be provided!

Mailing address:

SGCA

POBox 6240

Hamden CT 06517

Minutes of Spring Glen Civic Association (SGCA) September 21, 2023

Meeting was called to order at 7:08

Denise Laframboise, President, introduced herself and stated that she appreciates the new

members of the Executive Board who have instituted some new changes in the Association.

Elaine Dove, Ryan Ott, Stocky Clark, George Schneider and Heather Wainwright were

introduced. Denise thanked the group for helping her when she was embroiled with some family

issues.

She stated that the Civic Association is a vehicle for discussion of issues and distribution of

information about our town and community. We want Spring Glen (SG) residents to care about

the community, neighborhood, and town. We are focusing on helping members identify

important issues which build community.

Denise made an announcement about our desire to increase committee membership. She feels

our membership was affected by the epidemic. She encourages those who are interested and

wants every one to join.

Treasurers’ Report:

$9200.99 balance in the SGCA bank account with $350 in accounts payable. We have regular

fees and operating costs. Although we are not required by our bylaws to do a yearly audit, we

will do one this year.

The Minutes from the April 29, 2023. A motion was made to approve them, and it was passed

by the membership in attendance.

Announcements: Spring Glen Art Society has been holding walks in the neighborhood. Artists

are either outside their own homes, or at Best Video. You can see what they are working on.

The next walk will be on October 23, 2023.

Bulk Trash is the month of October. No construction materials will be taken.

If you are a member of SG Neighborhood, and there is a “SWAP” occurring October 7, 2023.

People will put out what they want to get rid of and you can take it.

Boy Scouts did drain signs about no dumping into the sewers directly as it dumps into the Sound.

The League of Women Voters is holding a meet-and-greet at Thornton Wilder on Sep. 27,

Wednesday between 7-9 p.m.

Six Lakes update. Rehabilitation of the property is on the east side of Leader Hill Rd.

Elizabeth Hayes spoke about the project. They are collaborating with the neighbors and

government as well as legislators to revitalize this piece of property. Their group thinks that this

outdoor area would have been very helpful during the pandemic. Going forward, they think that

this project would be a nice resource for the community. Currently they are retesting the

environmental contaminants. She would welcome any community members volunteer to support

this effort.

George Schneider reported that the Inlands Wetlands Commission has approved the permitting

for the site sample testing of certain areas of the property.

Hamden Town Engineer presented Complete Streets policy that was recently passed by the

Traffic Authority and other governmental departments. The project started with many requests

for speed humps, which are not a universal solution to traffic calming. The Traffic Authority and

he realized that we needed a policy to make decisions on traffic flow, neighborhoods, use of

bikes, pedestrian safety and traffic calming. He reviewed the 5 Elements of Complete Streets,

which is located on the Town Website under the Engineering Department. These elements

promote lower rates of travel, with all people being safe during their use of the streets.

He addressed speed humps and their pros and cons. Various ways to slow traffic are a median in

the middle of the road, a pinch point, a chicane, lane shifts, humps, a roundabout, street trees and

on street parking, and buildings closer to the roadway. Since the Complete Streets Policy was

approved by the Traffic Authority and Legislative Council, it makes the policy institutional and

will be more useful to have when planning streets and constructing new capital projects. The

Complete Streets is a living policy that can be flexible and changeable as the town and

community’s needs change.

He used Mather Street as an example, where they will have a capital project and redesign the

street to encourage pedestrian walking. They will try to use a flat speed table in several areas.

Planning and Zoning is working to incorporate this policy in their site plan reviews and creating

new regulations.

Some examples: They have done two studies using a complete streets study for Whitney and

Dixwell to Benham and the Whitney and Dixwell intersection. The Skiff St. bridge area is almost

completed, and he suggested that we look at the striping as there will be two lanes and a center

land for turns and there will be two bike lanes. A resident mentioned that New Haven had a

complete streets project for Whitney Ave., which has not been completed. He mentioned that

this is a process that will take a lot of time. He showed several real examples of conceptual

designs of roads in Hamden that will be upgraded to include safety features.

More speed indicators and raised crosswalks will be used in the future. One resident raised a

question about cars and trucks using cut throughs in our neighborhood. Another resident stated

that he wondered what the study has done for the Ridge Road area, which hasn’t seem to have

done much slowing of traffic. He also asked about the red light cameras and when they will be

available. New Haven and Waterbury are starting their program. Another resident mentioned

that she is happy about the announcements the town is using to let residents know which streets

are being repaved. She asked about doing the same regarding the traffic calming projects that

the Engineer Department is doing.

Another project is to replace the Mather Street bridge. A resident asked about the Waite Street

area near Bassett Park. He agreed that this needs to be looked at.

Steve stated they will replace the sidewalks and plant trees in front of the Spring Glen village

center. After tree stumps are removed, sidewalks will be replaced. Denise asked about if there

could be community input regarding making the area less concrete and more green space. He

agreed that he will be interested in creating a green belt. Another resident asked about how long

the actual project will take and how it may impact the businesses. He said it all depends on the

weather, the plan concept, and owners of the property.

Steve discussed other ways in which green infrastructure helps us filter water before it goes into

the water system. He spoke of the Rain Garden at the Town Center, which is a drain system for

the neighborhood between Dixwell Ave. going north from the library. On Saturday there will be

a planting to finish the project.

Erik Johnson, Economic Development Director, spoke next. He spoke glowingly of Steve White

and said he is an awesome engineer and great worker. Regarding the High Meadows project, he

stated they received 3 proposals, and they are with the procurement office, and they will not

publicly available until they are vetted by that department. He mentioned Colliers, our

consultants for the High Meadows project; have increased their scope of work to include

reviewing the proposals. They look for quality and other evaluations without considering the

prices or monetary issues. After the proposals are open to public viewing, the community

advisory committee will sit and look at the proposals. Without mentioning the name of the

companies who submitted proposals, he stated that one is for profit regional developer, one is a

non-profit housing developer, one is a housing developer.

Erik stated that we are at the very beginning of this process of finding a developer. He likened it

to “We are still in the dating stage” of the process. There might not be any dates after the first

one! He stated if we pick one proposal, we are at the “second date” stage. They have to go

further down the process before they make a final decision. No partner or ideology has an edge

in this process. The state is supportive of the plan we are taking. Another resident asked how and

if Hamden is going to make money on this project. Erik said he doesn’t know what is proposed.

It is about the money, but it is also about the integration into the neighborhood and the general

Hamden community. The advisory committee votes on the proposal after all the “dating”. The

“marriage” can’t take place until it gets Legislative Council approval. One member raised the

question whether the cornerstone of Hamden’s development that must “enhance” the

neighborhood. Erik stated that the developer has to address the issues to the satisfaction of the

neighborhood and the town. He stressed that he wants transparency with the process.

Move to adjourn made at 8:50 by Christine Esposito and seconded by Eileen Wall, motion

passed.

Respectfully submitted,

Elaine Dove, Recording Secretary

A message from Hamden Town Planner Eugene Livshits (Aug 2nd 2023):

Good afternoon,

I hope everyone is having a great summer.  I wanted to take this opportunity to provide the group with a few updates and get some feedback about future meetings.   

The Town has submitted a Community Investment Fund 2030 application in partnership with Regan Development for an affordable housing project at 2980 State Street along with pedestrian safety improvements along State Street.  I would like to thank Pastor Ortero with working us on the initial community engagement effort for this project.  Regan Development has done additional outreach directly to the surrounding neighbors and had several onsite meetings as well.

The application for the development has been submitted to the Planning and Zoning Department, and a Public Hearing has been scheduled for August 8, 2023 at the Legislative Chambers, there is a remote option to participate as well (https://www.hamden.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08082023-3892).  The background material on the project can be reviewed via the following link:  https://www.hamden.com/210/Pending-Applications.  If you are interested in providing any comments/testimony on the affordable housing project, there is a couple different ways to do so.  If you would like to provide comments in-person, it can be done at the time the public hearing opens on August 8th (in-person or via Zoom).   If you would like to provide written comments, it can be done so via mail or email by 3pm on August 8th. 

In addition, I would like to start planning on setting up a series of meetings in the fall.  The meetings will be coordinated with SCRCOG Consultant Ben Fink, and I would like to get some feedback on topics that would be of interest to you.  Please let me know if there is any topic that would be of interest to you or your organization/congregation and/or whether you would like to set up an individual meeting.  

Thank you,

Eugene Livshits, AICP

Town Planner

Town of Hamden

An Update from Diane Hoffman of Save Hamden Trees...

7/8/23

Folks,

We have learned from Mayor Garrett that UI has reported to Hamden Tree Warden Chris Rhone that they have completed all of their work for 2023. They fully understand that our expectation for the circuits for 2024 will include a schedule. 

This is excellent news and we thank Mayor Garrett and Chris Rhone for getting and sharing this information with us.

If anyone sees UI or their subcontractors such as Asplundh or Lewis working on town trees in Hamden please email <HamdenTrees@gmail.com> with the date seen, name of company, location, and description of work being done.

Please share this information with other Hamden residents.

Thanks very much!

Diane

An Update on High Meadows RFP (round #2), provided by SGCA Board Member Stocky Clark. Stocky is also on the committee for the High Meadows project because of his long career and deep expertise in this field...

Message from Stocky:

I won’t recount all the details which the 2 RFPs have in common. They are very similar. What is clear is that  the Town :

• Wants more than the 2 applications it received from the first RFP

• Wants to clarify that the property can be re-developed as residential or non-residential, not just multi-family residential. The Town will accept proposals for 55+ Senior Living and/or Assisted Living. They even state that “non-residential may include additional park or recreational or assisted or supportive communities. “ All proposals must meet the minimum purchase price of $1.5 million ( up from $1.4 Million in the first RFP).

• Wants proposals to clearly layout how they intend to preserve and utilize the green space and wetlands spaces. 

• Wants to clarify that real estate taxes will be determined by the As of Rights Assessment Deferral Program and should be reflected in the Proposal’s Financial Plan. 

• Wants specificity in terms of the Management Plan and the Property Management Team.

• Wants to clarify the no ARPA funds will be used for this project.

• Wants to emphasize that no proposals will be accepted where market rate units are segregated from affordable units. 

The Priorities, Scoring breakdown, and the layout of the results of citizen surveys and community meetings are all still there and very prominent. 

The Schedule:

• Site Development Tours: 10 Am July 25 and Aug 9. 

• Final Questions from Developers by Aug 14 with Town Responses by Aug 25.

• RFP Responses/Proposals due by 3 PM Sept 5th ( Although Sept 7th is also mentioned. Look for clarification !)

• Developer Interviews Sept 20

• Announcement of Developer Selection Oct 12

• Preferred Developer Designation/Legislative Council Approval Nov 2023 

The first 10 pages really provide the content you should be concerned with. The rest of the RFP has to do with Town and State Compliance Requirements, etc.

The RFP continues to emphasize that Proposals must be consistent with citizen input; state economic benefits to the Town; address issues and concerns ( traffic, use of Town infrastructure and resources, etc.); and outline quality of life benefits. 

All in all, the new RFP is much improved in terms of clarifying requirements and also requiring much more specificity in terms of the actual plans. 

We will have more specific info and look forward to discussion at our next Spring Glen Civic Association Meeting in early Sept. 

Best, 

Stocky Clark 

Mtg Minutes from April 27, 2023

Mtg Minutes from September 29, 2022

Update on Whitney Ave Trees

Here's the link to the Hamden Tree Commission Meeting Tuesday May 16 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom, and the Zoom link is in the agenda: https://www.hamden.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05162023-3760

During the Tree Commission meeting, there will be a presentation regarding the removal of street trees in Spring Glen Business District as well as an opportunity for public comment. 

Our Tree Warden has had a plan to do a replant between Hawthorne Ave and Central Ave. Our Tree Warden will present his full plan Tuesday night at the Tree Commission meeting.

If you would like to email the chair of the Tree Commission, please email Thomas Parlapiano at TParlapiano_bc@hamden.com. 

If you would like to email the Tree Commission, please email HBC_Trees@Hamden.com.

Please feel free to share this. 

Best, 

Alexa M. Panayotakis

Deputy Chief of Staff

Town of Hamden

(203) 287-7100

Click here to sign up for Town of Hamden Updates

HAPPY HOLIDAYS from the Spring Glen Civic Association!

Help us support a worthy cause right in our own backyard this holiday season by giving a gift to The Children’s Center. The Children’s Center, just south of Spring Glen at 1400 Whitney Avenue has been helping children in need for more than 180 years. They provide therapeutic and special education services, and have an excellent reputation for doing very good work. 

The Civic Association is giving a gift of $200 to their "Holiday Stars" drive to support buying gifts for the children. Can you help us meet our goal of raising $500 from the Spring Glen neighborhood by donating any amount by December 15th?  

Donations can be made by credit card at  www.tccoh.org. Choose “Holiday Stars” as a gift designation, and let them know you're donating from the Spring Glen neighborhood.

We will post the total amount donated from the neighborhood after the holiday drive is finished.   Thank you.

Informational Meeting on High Meadows Property on Hartford Turnpike

Thursday January 7th at 7pm, via Zoom

Hosted by Spring Glen Civic Association

Zoom link will be posted at www.springglencivic.org

The town of Hamden has been studying this state-owned property with possible plans to purchase it from the State. In view of the fact that consultants have finished work and submitted reports to the town, we would like to share information and give the public an opportunity to ask questions and offer feedback. Walter Morton, representing the Town of Hamden, has taken this project over from retired Director of Economic Development Dale Kroop and will be attending the meeting, and Legislative Council members will be present.

ROAD DIET

A "Road Diet" for Whitney Avenue is on the agenda of the next Traffic Authority meeting on Dec 14th. This proposal was made by the State DOT and they are looking at ways to make Whitney Ave. safer by remarking the street to allow a buffer for people walking on the sidewalk and for bikers riding in the street. The State is looking for approval and public comments in support of this plan.

The Spring Glen Civic Association discussed this at their General Meeting in November and the members unanimously approved of the Association sending a letter to the Traffic Authority in support of this proposal.

If you are interested in this plan, please write to the Authority and the Chief of Police expressing your support. To contact the Authority, please follow these instructions: Traffic Authority c/o Hamden Police Department, 2900 Dixwell Ave, Hamden, CT 06518 Attn: Chief’s Office or by email to Chief’s Administrative Assistant: santonini@hamdenpd.com or by fax: (203) 288-4876 .

Traffic Authority Regular Meetings 

5:30 p.m. 2nd Monday of every month

The Traffic Authority, Town of Hamden, will hold a regular meeting on Monday, December 14, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom Meeting. The following topics will be discussed:

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://zoom.us/j/92338897877...

Passcode: 939682

SGCA MEETING

Tuesday 10 November 2020, 7 PM

Email us at sgcahamden@gmail.com for ZOOM link

Historic Properties Commission

This is Spring Glen's 100th year; there is talk of historic designation for the neighborhood.  Todd Levine will discuss his commission's work and the opportunities available.  Community input welcome.

Hamden Traffic Department

Connecticut DOT is proposing a traffic diet for Whitney Avenue from Spring Glen School to Waite Street.  Hamden's traffic department is the point of contact for this effort and is also soliciting community input and concern.

Other community meetings

Monday, 11/9/20, 5:30 pm:  Zoom meeting of the Hamden Traffic Authority.  The agenda can be seen here.  Among other things, there are several items related to Spring Glen (for those on this list who live in the area), the Zoom link, and back-up materials (scroll down the agenda to see these).  The entire document is 30 pp long and may take a few seconds to load.  Comments can be submitted to hta@hamden.com.  The deadline for comments is not indicated on the TA website, but probably best to send them no later than, say, 1 pm, to allow time for the TA clerk to process the materials.

Tuesday, 11/10/20, 7:00 pm:  Zoom meeting of the Charter Revision Commission.  This Commission is scheduled to continue its very important review of the current Town Charter (Hamden's "constitution," which is revised every 10 years).  The agenda has not yet been posted, so you'll want to check here before 11/10 to see it.  (There's also a chance the meeting will be cancelled.)  But meeting or no meeting, Commission members are eager to hear citizens' suggestions for how our system of government can be changed (or not):  Do you want to see a town manager? a re-organization of some commissions?  different requirements for office-holders (volunteer or paid)?  Many, many topics are on the table.  See more information about the Commission here.  Comments can be submitted any time (but sooner is better) to crc2021@hamden.com. 

Thursday, 11/12/20, 6:00 pm:  Zoom meeting on the High Meadows School Economic Development Project.  Here are details from Walter Morton about this information session:  "The contractors who have completed the pre-development work at High Meadows will be present to summarize the work they performed and discuss their findings.  Camoin 310, who is conducting the market and feasibility study, will also be present to discuss their work and take public input regarding proposed uses of the property.  Anyone wishing to submit comments before the meeting can email them to wmorton@hamden.com"   For background info on this project, visit the High Meadows School Economic Development Project facebook page or this page on the town's website. 

COVID-19 INFORMATION

Cancelled Until Further Notice: Hamden Plains Friends Meeting 

Spring Glen Civic Association Winter Meeting Minutes 01.23.20

POCD and Zoning Regulations Update 01-28-20

Reports for the PZC Mtg 01-28-20

23 January: Winter Meeting

Please come to our winter meeting, open to the public.

At the Spring Glen School, 1908 Whitney Ave

7:00-9:00 pm

On the Agenda will be Dale Kroop, Director of Economic Development for the town of Hamden, and Dan Kops, town planner. They will present on the High Meadows Property on Hartford Turnpike. 

This 50-acre parcel of land in Spring Glen,   a former residential treatment facility for boys, is currently state-owned. According to the New Haven Register (6/9/19)  the town is close to buying the property so it can develop the land. 

The Civic Association is interested in learning more about the town’s plans and potential development of the property.

Snow date: 30 January

16 November: Hamden Veterans Commission to Unveil Addition to Veterans Memorial. Here for information.

12 November:  Fall Leaf Pickup to start Town Wide. Here for complete details.