Letters to the Editor - The Lakeville Journal - 3-25-21

Holley Block is essential for the community, and all who live in it

During the extended process of applying for approval of the Holley Block project, legitimate concerns have been raised about the proposal; the Salisbury Housing Committee has responded, notably by reducing the square footage and the number of units in the building. The façade was also redesigned to align with Lakeville’s historical aesthetic.

The question of the financial feasibility of the project is a false flag. Financing is neither within the realm of the P&Z commission, nor is it in any other respect a legitimate concern. As is the practice with other affordable housing projects in Connecticut and throughout the United States, funding will be provided by grants (federal, state and other). The town of Salisbury is neither providing financing nor extending its credit to support the project. The project will have no impact on the credit rating of the town because the town has no financial responsibility toward the project.

To question the viability of any of the town’s affordable housing projects by comparing them to commercial ventures is spurious.  These projects are not commercial ventures. They do not need a positive return on capital to be feasible. Grants are intended to provide funds for affordable housing projects that would not otherwise be commercially viable.

Rent covers operating and ongoing capital expenses. The Salisbury Housing Committee (SHC) has successfully managed affordable housing at Sarum Village and elsewhere for more than 40 years. Connecticut Real Estate Management (CREM) is their agent. SHC has audited financials and their 990 tax forms are available for public inspection. Financing for affordable housing for our town is not a new or novel proposition.

The goal of affordable housing is not to make a profit, rather it is to create safe and stable homes for the many people who have grown up in Salisbury, work in Salisbury, or would like to build a life in Salisbury but can’t afford to live here. Affordable housing is for the public good, not for personal enrichment.

 Despite the hard and persistent work of the various organizations in our town that endeavor to develop affordable housing, we taxpayers have neglected the legal mandate and the moral imperative to provide for our community in this way. Our town voted to use the Holley Block site for affordable housing and our town should go forward with the mandate from its citizens. Let’s work together to develop Holley Block, the Pope property, the Dresser land and other available sites into homes for the teachers, the town crews, the hospital staff and all the essential workers who are invaluable.  

Let’s offer the security of a decent, affordable home to the essential workers that make Lakeville/Salisbury such a wonderful place to live.

Kathleen Voldstad 

Michael Voldstad

Salisbury

 

Gratitude and giving

Lord a Merci it is cold

Into a blanket I should fold

Instead I am out and about

But it’s not all for naught

Shopping’s done, gas tank full

Into the garage I pull

Upstairs into the living room I go

The fire’s lit all aglow

I’m reminded how lucky we are

Our life is really up to par

Others are not so blessed

To be warmly dressed

So let’s go out and aid

Someone who is afraid

And by doing a good deed

You will have sowed a seed.

Michael Kahler

Lakeville

 

Holley Place so needed

As a resident of Lakeville since 2005, I strongly support Holley Place.

We were fortunate enough to raise our two boys here on the weekends and give them such a rich experience filled with soccer, baseball, skating, skiing, swimming, hiking and so much more.  

I wish much the same for the future Holley Place families.   

Sincere thanks and awe to the volunteers who have stepped up to make this a reality.

Julie Mallin

Lakeville

 

Shout out to HVRHS administrators

For Housatonic Valley Regional High School (HVRHS) faculty and staff, Friday mornings begin with an email from Vice Principal Steven Schibi announcing the “Friday Sing Along” song selections.  Recently, the email has announced the two Staff “Shout Out” Recipients who won that week’s Mountainside gift certificates from the 21st Century Fund.  These are just a few examples of the practices Principal Ian Strever and Steve have taken to bolster the staff’s morale during this extremely unpredictable, constantly changing year.  

On behalf of the 21st Century Fund for HVRHS Board of Directors, who are happy to support these efforts, we wish to acknowledge them as well as the Superintendent’s Office for all they have done to protect and educate our students.  Their focus on the students’ and staff’s emotional and physical wellbeing has been exemplary, and we applaud them for their efforts and steady guidance.  We also appreciate the grace with which they have born the heavy responsibility and challenges this year has presented them. 

David Bayersdorfer

21st Century Fund Board Chair

Lakeville

 

Good reasons to keep Holley Place on track

I am a member of the Salisbury Housing Committee. These are my personal thoughts.

 I believe Holley Place will be a great addition to Lake–ville and to the Town’s affordable housing stock. Affordable rental housing is needed now more than ever. Here are replies to the opponents of the project.

On Parking: Holley Place has the required parking spaces for its zoning application plus a few extra. 

Planning and Zoning sometimes approves applications with insufficient parking on their premises if it seems there is adequate parking in the neighborhood, Satellite Parking.

Several neighbors have relied on parking in the Bicentennial lot, and the lot has been referenced as an example of available Satellite Parking. But I don’t believe anyone has been given specific rights to any parking place or any parking lot. Therefore, I don’t believe any reduction in parking spaces here will make any approved use non-conforming. Let’s see how more parking can be developed.

Anxiety about parking is not a reason to deny a vital project for an important town need where the applicant satisfies the zoning parking requirements on the premises. 

On Historic District Concerns: Any required historic district approvals will be obtained.

But let’s take a look at what exactly is here of historical importance. There is a parking lot. There are trees, a strip of grass, a bench, and a stone wall, all dating from the 1960’s and called Bicentennial Park. That’s it!

Interestingly, it is the parking lot that seems to be held in higher esteem than the unused grassy strip, trees and bench.

The stone wall is not a memorial to Holley Block, a building whose design the supporters of Federal architecture loathed.

Many opponents of Holley Place celebrate the demolition of the Holley Block, yet somehow a wall built from the rubble is sacred.

This Historic Emperor has no clothes.

On Finance: Mr. Muecke, owner of Lakeville Manor, has taken a full page ad in the Journal, to trumpet his claim of the financial futility of Holley Place. I believe this presentation on the finances of Holley Place is both mistaken and misguided.

One glaring mistake is that his numbers are based on a loan at the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority rate of 4% costing interest of $150,000+ a year, whereas the anticipated funding for Holley Place is a grant from Connecticut’s Department of Housing. 

Secondly, it is misguided as he is addressing the Planning and Zoning Commission that makes no judgment on the financial viability of a project. These financial concerns for construction and long-term viability will be closely studied by the Connecticut Department of Housing before they pay for the construction. They are well versed on these issues. The Department of Housing and the Salisbury Housing Committee have a successful record of cooperation.

Town support by donation of the site, and state grants for construction are very much needed to launch a sustainable affordable rental housing like Holley Place. Let’s keep this project on track.

George Massey

Salisbury

 

 

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