Sue Budde introduced our first speaker, Mr. Bill Ferrigno, a builder and the owner of Sunlight Construction Company of Avon. He is past president of the Homebuilders Associations of Connecticut (HAC), and of Hartford County, former chair of the HAC Ethics Committee, and has served on the Governor's Task Force on Building Codes, and in many other volunteer positions. Mr. Ferrigno in turn introduced our other speaker, Mr. Tony Giorgio owner of Keystone Companies of Simsbury. Together they represent "Build-to-Preserve", a single issue advocacy association led by Messrs. Ferrigno and Giorgio and a Mr. Bill Richter, an architect and planner with Richter & Cegan of Avon. Their topic was their effort to redevelop a portion of the Blue Fox Run golf course on Nod Road in Avon, preserving 18 of the 27 golf holes extant, and building residential buildings on the redeveloped portion.
Mr. Giorgio informed the members he was formerly active in Windsor Rotary and was happy to again be among a group of Rotarians. He is interested in developing a new residential community in Avon, co-located on the site of the 230-acre Blue Fox Run golf course, but preserving fully 80% of its acreage in an undeveloped state. The 20% of the site proposed for redevelopment will occupy up 9 of the current 27 golf holes' area and as a part of construction 9 of the remaining 18 holes will be reconstructed. He added, that "we are not being facetious in saying we are building a preserve." The land is available for development, and its owners are interested in his proposal as a way to preserve the golf course and ease the economic hardship of trying to keep it as is in a time of limited revenue.
The "Build-to-Preserve" website lists the following bullet points favoring this proposal:
1. The community will attract empty-nesters and down-sizing families wishing to stay in the Farmington Valley, as well as young professionals.
2. The project will generate $1.2 million in new tax revenue annually.
3. With golf courses struggling for business and closing their doors, this plan provides Blue Fox Run Golf Course with a wonderful business opportunity to enhance their course into a Championship-quality 18-hole, par 72 public course.
4. The golf course will continue to cater to residents and students with affordable greens fees and a more accommodating policy for school teams, compared to private courses.
5. It’s estimated that, at most, the community would add 45 new students to the school system, with negligible impact on education spending.
6. Protecting the majority of the land from future development prevents unsightly industrial buildings or high traffic retail business.
The opposing "Save-Nod-Road" website lists the following objections decrying this proposal:
1. This type of development would be completely out of character on this scenic and rural road.
2. Increased traffic on Nod Road, which is already a problem.
3. Environmental impacts (inland wetlands, wildlife, the Farmington River).
4. Developing Blue Fox Run does not align with the current town Plan of Conservation and Development.
5. Open space in Avon in shrinking; let's save what we can while we still can.
Mr. Girogio described their plan to build 95 single family homes on 42 acres of the 80 available for development, and then placing the remaining 40 into a conservation easement. The project is designed to attract empty-nesters, and will include mostly single family condos of 1900 - 3000 square feet and also 3 single family homes. The partners have agreed with the Foley family, Blue Fox Run's owners, to make the details of the conservation easement public after the land sale is completed. They will present to the Town of Avon Zoning Board of Appeals on 5/21, as they must appeal due to denial of an asked for wetlands declaration and a requested zone change from agricultural to residential to allow the project to go forward. One point the speakers emphasized is that the land will be developed eventually, and their proposal preserves the golf course and the treed street scape residents are accustomed to. Denial could lead to a less favorable proposal in the future and their tag line of "Build-to-Preserve" is not in any way ironic.
Mr. Ferrigno addressed the issue of an abandoned, prior Nod Road proposal would have been highly visible along the road and had upset some residents. This new proposal is fully inside the golf course, and is dramatically less visible from the road, which will contribute much to its appearance. Compared to Wisconsin Road, another of his projects, this has a similar feel. They want it to fit into the landscape, with the least amount of visual impact on residents. He adds, that the "Save Nod Road Organization" opposes this proposal also. He states that in reality, this project actually can save Nod Road. Other possible projects will not do as much to preserve the landscape, and adds the project will also improve the intersection by widening the Nod Road terminus and creating a dedicated right turn lane for joining westbound Rt 44 traffic.
Build to Preserve organization website: http://www.buildtopreserve.com/
Save Nod Road organization website: https://www.savenodroad.org/
The following questions from Rotarians and the speakers' answers were captured as best as possible, but may be incomplete::
Craig Buhrendorf:
Q: Are you planning on using the existing Blue Fox Run entrance? and what makes you think the project will appeal to empty-nesters as opposed to families with children?
A: Our development in Simsbury is similar, It attracts empty-nesters and also those with a second home in the west or south, but who also want something here at home.
A: There is pent up demand from empty-nesters who are attached to their local connections with church, doctors, Rotary, family and friends. Many of our units will include a master bedroom on the first floor. We already have had 20 people call to ask about buying lots. While not age restricted the project will tend to attract people 55 and older, a segment of the market that desires a common ownership community, one without playscapes, backyard pools and other more family oriented amenities There will be some children, probably about 40, but with the schools student population already in decline by 10% these students should be absorbed without much fiscal impact on an otherwise declining enrollment.
Bob Cave:
Q: Are there other objections besides traffic and the environment that have been raised?
A: Tony stated he has heard "we don't want anything!" from some. The fact is, residents have enjoyed a "borrowed vista" for many years, and don't want it changed. That is not, however, a viable alternative for the long term. In our case, we have done a great deal to lessen the visual impact on residents and have gone so far as to look at amphibian migration patterns to understand how to avoid impacting them as well.
Brian O'Donnell
Q: What about the flood plain?
A: Tony says the Army Corps of Engineers upstream dams have since managed the flow. Our proposal is 500' upstream from the 500-year flood plain. We are therefore outside the 500-year flood plain and far away from the river. No houses will be inside that 500-year demarcation.
Don Bonner:
Q: How many houses have you constructed in all of the Avon area?
A: 1000 families in Bills houses in Avon, and he likes to preserve natural landscapes.
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Ed. Note: For further study on land owner's property & development rights, zoning codes & community rights, the following websites may help:
The US Constitution and Property Rights
1. Cato Foundation: https://www.cato.org/cato-handbook-policymakers/cato-handbook-policy-makers-8th-edition-2017/property-rights-constitution
2. Heritage Foundation: https://www.heritage.org/index/property-rights
Zoning Law
1. Findlaw: https://realestate.findlaw.com/land-use-laws/land-use-and-zoning-basics.html
CT Land Use
1. Connecticut Association of Zoning Enforcement Officials: http://www.cazeo.org/
2. Connecticut Chapter of American Planning Association http://www.ccapa.org/
3. Connecticut Homebuilders Association: http://www.hbact.org/
4. CGA OLR: https://www.cga.ct.gov/PS94/rpt/olr/htm/94-R-0732.htm
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