OLD LYME — UPDATED 2:40PM At a packed Old Lyme Special Town Meeting held Monday evening in the Meeting Hall of Old Lyme’s Memorial Town Hall, all the motions considered were passed unanimously by voice vote.
With people standing at the rear of the Meeting Room as well as all those seated, Moderator Vicki Lanier determined for each motion that there was no need to call for a paper vote as the majority in support of each motion in a voice vote was clearly overwhelming.
After the meeting, Old Lyme First Selectman Tim Griswold commented to LymeLine via text message, “We had about 100 people in attendance and each of the five agenda items was passed unanimously. The presenters did a fine job describing their motions and there was only one comment (a clarification) from the audience.”
He went on to describe the events of the evening as, “A very good result, indeed.”
A delighted Edie Twining, chair of the Halls Rd. Improvement Committee, who had presented the background to the first motion, expressed her gratitude to all those who attended the meeting, saying to LymeLine via e-mail, “Thank you to all those who came out tonight to show their support [for the various motions.]”
The following agenda items were all approved:
1. The appropriation of an amount not to exceed $45,000 to fund the preparation of a Local Transportation Capital Improvement Plan grant application, to prepare easement documentation for a pedestrian bridge and a walking trail to the Florence Griswold Museum and to fund engineering and legal services to prepare a Village District Zoning Overlay.
2. The utilization of the Standard Allowance for American Rescue Plan Act funding reporting purposes.
3. The funding of a request from the Ledge Light Health District in the amount of $21,622.15 (1% of Old Lyme’s American Rescue Plan funding) to help the District respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The funding will be paid from American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds received by the Town.
4. The funding of an amount not to exceed $20,000 to retain the services of George E. Krivda, Jr. to administer the Town of Old Lyme’s small business and non-profit American Rescue Plan grant program. The funding will be paid from ARP funds received by the Town.
5. An amended and restated Deed of Conservation Restriction 311.50-acre parcel, which amends a Deed of Conservation Restriction from David Sears McCulloch and Jean Adair McCulloch to The Nature Conservancy of Connecticut, Inc., its successors or assigns, dated on or about December 29, 1999 and recorded at Book 260, Page 1007 of the said Land Records, subsequently assigned to Jean A. McCulloch Farm LLC, having been approved by a judgment of the Superior Court on June 4, 2021, providing for the following specific amendments:
a. Paragraphs 3.3 (a), (b) and (c) of the Deed of Conservation Restriction are hereby amended by adding the following at the end of each section: “except as required to construct parking in the three areas shown on the maps in Exhibit B, such parking to be made of permeable surface material and designed in consultation with the Conservancy.”
b. Paragraph 3.3 (e) is hereby amended by adding the following at the end of the section: “except for the placement of sanitary garbage pails or bins and to erect environmentally sound composting toilets as required for the responsible management and in order to protect the conservation values of the property.”
The First Selectman was authorized and empowered to sign, execute, receive, deliver and record, on behalf of the Town, the amended and restated Deed of Conservation Restriction 311.50-acre parcel, and such other instruments and agreements as are required to carry out the foregoing resolution.
Another great night in Old Lyme!
Spring had certainly arrived in Town Hall Tuesday night, where a near capacity crowd (our estimate) was assembled to provide support for those doing good things for Old Lyme.
In discussing her request for some funds to complete requirements for the HRIC grant application, Edy Twining also provided some quiet recognition of the community-conscious Graybill family, who had granted an easement that enables construction of the footbridge, which will replace the historic Bow Bridge.
The group was also enthusiastic in their “ayes” of support, both for LLHD’s efforts in COVID mitigation, and the Town’s American Rescue Plan Committee, whose efforts are directed towards making recommendations to the BOS for the distribution of ARPA funds to Old Lyme residents and businesses who have been impacted by the COVID pandemic.
Nothing says “democracy” like a good old fashion New England town meeting. It provides voters a direct voice on issues that directly impact them, and it also gives policymakers feedback on where people stand on issues. We should be proud of last night’s packed Town Hall meeting. I am particularly pleased that the attendees overwhelmingly endorsed the path the Halls Road Improvement Committee has been pursuing.
Thanks,
Howard Margules
About time this happened. Halls Road has been a big question mark since its inception. It’s the business center in town but Lyme street is still considered “Main street” despite the fact that it has become more and more residential over the years, and yet there is no pedestrian infrastructure connecting Lyme St to the Baldwin bridge, nor to the many businesses along Halls Rd. It’s fairly common to see students from the middle and high school walk between the schools and shopping plazas after school hours during times of peak auto traffic with nothing but a narrow shoulder and some well-worn ruts to walk on alongside the road. It’s incredible no one has been hurt walking that route. Also, Old Lyme is probably one of the few towns along the shoreline that hasn’t developed their Main Street yet. I hope that changes soon.