At least someone is trying

While some who live in Winsted will tell you the town has never really recovered from the Great Flood of 1955 and that the municipality seems doomed to political stagnation, there are some signs that things are moving in a positive direction.

As reported last week, Selectman Michael Renzullo is working on a new nonprofit organization, Laurel City Revamp, in an attempt to get old factory buildings restored and back on the tax rolls. Some of the business side of the plan still needs to be hashed out, but the plan is certainly an ambitious one with the right direction in mind. Under Renzullo’s proposal, properties would be purchased by the nonprofit organization and rehabilitated with public funds before being marketed to potential developers.

Some in the community may raise concerns, perhaps justified, that a selectman has enough responsibilities on his plate without the added job of managing local properties and dealing with a range of potential conflicts. But so far, no legal impediments have been publicly noted. To town elders, Renzullo may seem ambitious, young and perhaps even naive, but at least he is trying.

Old factory buildings on the south side of Main Street have been a problem here for years. Numerous town managers have said it was their first priority to tackle the issue and bring revitalization to downtown Winsted. That revitalization seems to always end up on the back burner as short-term budget bickering and political disagreements take center stage.

The challenge for Renzullo — or anyone who wants to help revitalize the town’s old mill and factory buildings — will be to avoid such conflicts and try to be as inclusive as possible when it comes to developing and sharing new ideas. If people work together and give each other some time in the spotlight, ideas like Laurel City Revamp may pay off.

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