Obituaries
Letter to the Editor: Town Blight Ordinance
Rocky Hill resident wary of enforcement of proposed blight ordinance.
Resident, Todd E. Cusano, submitted the following letter to the Town Council on the proposed blight ordinance.
Mayor LaRosa –
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I read with interest the story in the Hartford Courant about the proposed new and “tougher” . Because I will be traveling for business, I will be unable to attend and offer my comments at the public session of the meeting or listen with earnest to the dialogue at the Council table. I wish to offer some comments, and hope you’ll take them into consideration as you deliberate.
I urge caution in trampling on the personal private property rights of our town residents. While the Courant story and Town Manager Gilbert commented on the Staska property, I daily drive past the property on New Road that causes as much, if not more, consternation among town residents. I understand, and appreciate, the desire to “clean up” our community. That is, indeed, a noble goal. I don’t question the good intentions of you or the Council. I am wary, however, that the enforcement of the Blight Ordinance may land the town in litigation fighting over the contours of the U.S. and State Constitutions. I am also wary that the town may not equally enforce the Blight Ordinance against “offenders” of it, which could also land the town in court. The specific reference to Staska prior to adoption of the proposed Blight Ordinance already raises questions.
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Please don’t forget what happened when town officials in New London undertook efforts to further economic development back in 2002. Susette Kelo eventually became a household name across the nation, and the U.S. Supreme Court became the final arbiter of those local officials’ noble goal.
I trust you, with the help of legal counsel, have thoroughly investigated the issues and potential consequences of enacting the proposed Blight Ordinance. Again, I urge caution and hope that you have a healthy dialogue Monday evening.
Thank you for your continued service to the Town.
Very truly yours,
Todd E. Cusano, Esq.
43 Windy Hill Lane
Editor's note: A public hearing will be held on the proposed town blight ordinance at 6:30 p.m. inside the Council Chamber at .
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