CTRSVP
Connecticut, New London, Fort Trumbull & Eminent Domain
Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony at Kelo House Court's infamous ruling against property owners in Kelo v. New London, join Susette Kelo and her former neighbors in Fort Trumbull, as well as the Institute for Justice, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new location of the little pink house that started a national property rights movement. 36 Franklin Street, New London, CT Saturday, June 21, 2008 1 to 3 p.m. Remarks at 1:30 by Susette Kelo, IJ Senior Attorneys Scott Bullock and Dana Berliner, and community members involved in the fight against eminent domain abuse. Refreshments provided. RSVP to Melanie Hildreth at mhildreth@ij.org or 703-682-9320 x 222 |    SIMONEThursday, June 19 8:00pm Friday, June 20 8:00pm Simone, daughter of musical icon Nina Simone, brings her vocal dynamism to the Garde in two intimate evenings in the Oasis Room. A highly-praised live performer with an exciting and diverse repertoire of pop, soul, jazz, rock and funk, Simone presents music from her new album Simone On Simone, a big band tribute to her mother’s legacy. 860.444.7373 www.gardearts.org 325 STATE ST • NEW LONDON, CT |
Fort Trumbull Timeline
<><><><>1998-Pfizer given property adjacent to Fort Trumbull neighborhood July 2005 Nation and Fort Trumbull Residents Oppose Plan Calling for Complete Destruction of Fort Trumbull and the use of economic development to justify eminent domain. SEE THE DAY'S EDITORIAL HERE
New London Development Corporation Revived
Municipal Development Plan Presented to Residents
Residents Oppose Plan Calling for Complete Destruction of Fort Trumbull
Plan passed
New London City Council gives power of Eminent Domain to NLDC
Remaining Residents served with Eviction Papers on Thanksgiving Evening
January 2000 The Planning and Zoning Commission, Redevelopment Agency,
City Council and New London Development Corp. approve the Fort Trumbull
development plan.
Residents Oppose Plan Calling for Complete Destruction of Fort Trumbull
May 8, 2000 The NLDC votes to begin taking 11 properties by eminent domain.
Residents Oppose Plan Calling for Complete Destruction of Fort Trumbull
Sept. 5, 2000 The City Council rescinds an earlier decision that prevented the
NLDC from razing buildings in Parcel 4A where the city hopes a Coast Guard
museum will be built.
Sept. 20, 2000 The Coalition to Save Fort Trumbull submits a petition with more
than 400 signatures to the City Council to save Fort Trumbull homes from demolition.
Oct. 2, 2000 The city's law director rules that a petition asking for a referendum
on Fort Trumbull demolition is invalid.
October 2000 The NLDC votes to use eminent domain to acquire the last 22
properties it needs to transform the Fort Trumbull peninsula into a maritime village.
Residents Oppose Plan Calling for Complete Destruction of Fort Trumbull
November 2000 The NLDC offers 11 property owners, including Susette Kelo and
Matthew Dery, more than $2.7 million for their properties. They reject the offers.
Dec. 19, 2000 The Institute for Justice agrees to represent more than a half dozen
Fort Trumbull residents in a lawsuit against the city and NLDC.
Feb. 21, 2001 The city, NLDC and property owners reach an agreement under
which the Fort Trumbull residents will be able to stay in their homes while the
eminent domain case is heard in court.
Residents Oppose Plan Calling for Complete Destruction of Fort Trumbull
March 13, 2002 Connecticut Superior Court Judge Thomas J. Corradino rules on
the eminent domain lawsuit.
March 18, 2002 Fort Trumbull property owners announce they will file an appeal
with the state Supreme Court.
August 2002 The city and NLDC file appeal briefs asking the state Supreme Court
to overturn the lower court ruling.
October 2002 City Council grants the NLDC a two-year extension of its eminent
domain powers in Fort Trumbull area.
Residents Oppose Plan Calling for Complete Destruction of Fort Trumbull and
NLDC extension
December 2002 State Supreme Court hears arguments in the eminent domain
case.
March 3, 2004 The state Supreme Court affirms NLDC's right to take property at
Fort Trumbull by eminent domain.
Residents Oppose Plan Calling for Complete Destruction of Fort Trumbull
Sept. 28, 2004 The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear Kelo et al v. City of
New London, essentially deciding when governments may seize people's property
for economic development projects.
February 2005 The US Supreme Court rules against Kelo. States that Economic
Development is legitimate use for eminent domain.
2005-2007 Missed deadlines/Extensions/Still Waiting
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From the Comments section of The Day in response to another commenter To Frustrated and Fearful-You think you’re frustrated and fearful? Imagine how I feel. I spent almost my entire annual clothing allowance on ball gowns and other garments in order to be dressed appropriately for dancing in the ballroom of a 5 star hotel and jumping jacks in the Athletic Club and now I find out that there’s not going to be either one of those places. We’ll be lucky if we get a Motel 6 out of the deal. So what am I supposed to do with all this clothing? Salvation Army doesn’t give refunds and they won’t even let me exchange the clothes for something more appropriate for typical New London dress. And, to make matters worse, not only are we not going to have the “hip little city” that her highness Gaudiani promised us or upscale condos, it’s beginning to look like we won’t even have luxury apartments. We’ll probably get stuck with more affordable housing! And you know the kind of people that will attract. They all had these really bright ideas and then, when it didn’t seem to be working out, they just left us high and dry (so to speak). Gaudiani dyed her hair blonde and is teaching Philanthropy at NYU, Rowland is preaching to kids in church, I don’t know where Milne is, Damon Hemmerdinger married a Day photographer and left town, and that attorney Peter Costas guy who wrote that Op/Ed piece about the Facts and Fiction of the Fort Trumbull situation. I never could figure out how he knew so much about Fort Trumbull when no one had ever even heard of him. Even the plaintiffs in the Kelo v New London case have all left town. They’re all gone along with their tax money and look what we’re left with. If you want my opinion, and a lot of people have indicated that they don’t, I think we should have left the neighborhood the way it was. At least we had some tax money coming in. And we wouldn’t have had to be embarrassed in front of the whole country including New Jersey! So this is what I figure-CJ will default because that will be cheaper than building what they’re supposed to build but will probably fail if they do. Pfizer will probably make an attempt to relieve us of the burden of property that can’t be developed. We could try and persuade the former residents to come back and have a nice little waterfront neighborhood down there but I don’t think that’s too likely. Or we could give it back to the Indians. They’re pretty successful at getting things going. But in the meantime, I have all these clothes and accessories I need to get rid of. Kathleen Mitchell |
Statistics from the FBI show Connecticut ranks among the dozen safest states in the U.S., with a below-average number of all types of crime except robberies, according to a new report compiled by state officials. It is unclear how the report will influence the current debate on criminal justice reforms triggered by July's triple-murder in Cheshire. Gov. M. Jodi Rell's task force on parole, which requested the report, is scheduled to recom- mend changes by the end of the year. The legislature's Judiciary Committee will hold a special session to debate several proposals, including a so-called three strikes law, before the regular ses- sion starts in February. The report shows "Connecticut has a criminal justice system that already works pretty well," said state Rep. Michael Lawlor, D-East Haven, co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Lawlor and his co-chairman, state Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, have cautioned against a Republican- backed three strikes law that calls for mandatory life sentences for anyone convicted of three violent felonies. Current repeat offender laws allow judges to sentence eligible offenders to a prison term up to life. A nonpartisan fiscal analysis estimated the Republican proposal could cost the state more than $200 million per year several decades from now in increased incarceration costs. The system can "always be improved," Lawlor said, but there is no need "for any dramatic change." House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero, R-Norwalk, said the state needs to punish repeat offenders more harshly even if the numbers show Connecticut is safe overall. He said both parties agree home invasion should be considered a violent crime in the wake of the Cheshire homicide. "That's not a drastic change," Cafero said. "I have yet to meet one person in the legislature who disagrees with that." In the Cheshire case, two burglars on parole broke into Dr. William Petit Jr.'s home and allegedly killed his wife and two daughters. Petit survived but was badly beaten. Neither alleged killer would have fallen under the proposed three strikes law, but the case proves the state needs stricter punishments for repeat offenders, regardless of cost, Cafero said. "Ask Dr. Petit if he thinks Connecticut is safe," he said. Lawlor said he wished the study would havemeasured how long Connecticut sentences violent criminals compared with other states. The state would rank among the toughest, Lawlor said, because inmates here do not get credits for good behavior. Violent criminals must serve 85 percent of their sentences before becoming eligible for parole. "People around the country think we're lenient, but the opposite is true," Lawlor said. Connecticut is among the 12 safest states in the country, as measured by the number of crimes for every 100,000 residents, for the following crimes: burglary, larceny, aggravated assault and rape. Connecticut has the 32nd most combined murders and manslaughters per 100,000 residents and the 22nd highest number of robberies, the report found. The state's Office of Policy and Manage- ment compiled the statistics from reports police departments send the FBI every year, officials said. Connecticut's ranking improved or stayed the same over recent years in five of the seven categories of crime, the report found. Violent crime increased 3 percent in Connecticut between 2005 and 2006, slightly more than the increase in violent crime across the country, the FBI numbers show. The number of property crimes per 100,000 residents in Connecticut dropped nearly 3 percent over that time - almost the same percentage decrease the nation saw, the statistics show. The aim of Knowmore.org is to raise awareness of corporate abuse, and to serve as a catalyst for direct action against corporate power. Ethical Consumerism is an important movement toward corporate reform, through which individuals recognize their own role in systems of oppression, and take personal steps toward resistance and positive change. However, the problem of unchecked corporate power is systemic and goes far beyond the scope of any single boycott or campaign. Once you've seen enough of Knowmore's data and familiarized yourself with our Issues section, check out our Direct Action page to get involved!
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From Around
Regarding the newest extension granted To Frustrated and Fearful-You think you’re frustrated and fearful? Imagine how I feel. I spent almost my entire annual clothing allowance on ball gowns and other garments in order to be dressed appropriately for dancing in the ballroom of a 5 star hotel and jumping jacks in the Athletic Club and now I find out that there’s not going to be either one of those places. We’ll be lucky if we get a Motel 6 out of the deal. So what am I supposed to do with all this clothing? Salvation Army doesn’t give refunds and they won’t even let me exchange the clothes for something more appropriate for typical New London dress. And, to make matters worse, not only are we not going to have the “hip little city” that her highness Gaudiani promised us or upscale condos, it’s beginning to look like we won’t even have luxury apartments. We’ll probably get stuck with more affordable housing! And you know the kind of people that will attract. They all had these really bright ideas and then, when it didn’t seem to be working out, they just left us high and dry (so to speak). Gaudiani dyed her hair blonde and is teaching Philanthropy at NYU, Rowland is preaching to kids in church, I don’t know where Milne is, Damon Hemmerdinger married a Day photographer and left town, and that attorney Peter Costas guy who wrote that Op/Ed piece about the Facts and Fiction of the Fort Trumbull situation. I never could figure out how he knew so much about Fort Trumbull when no one had ever even heard of him. Even the plaintiffs in the Kelo v New London case have all left town. They’re all gone along with their tax money and look what we’re left with. If you want my opinion, and a lot of people have indicated that they don’t, I think we should have left the neighborhood the way it was. At least we had some tax money coming in. And we wouldn’t have had to be embarrassed in front of the whole country including New Jersey! So this is what I figure-CJ will default because that will be cheaper than building what they’re supposed to build but will probably fail if they do. Pfizer will probably make an attempt to relieve us of the burden of property that can’t be developed. We could try and persuade the former residents to come back and have a nice little waterfront neighborhood down there but I don’t think that’s too likely. Or we could give it back to the Indians. They’re pretty successful at getting things going. But in the meantime, I have all these clothes and accessories I need to get rid of. |
Find sex offenders near meDelocate your city
Why "Delocate" and what does it mean anyway? It is a very interesting concept and one designed to put and keep small businesses in our city. As many of you know, Parade News, a "historic" establishment in New London recently closed due, mainly, to the competition of chain stores. Somewhere on the Delocator site are these words-"Corporate industries invading American neighborhoods, from coffee chains to bookstore chains, music chains and movie theatre chains, pose a threat to the authenticity of our unique neighborhoods." If you agree, as I do, then take some time to add local businesses to this database.<SCRIPT type="text/javascript" src="http://delocator.mapyourcity.net/stuff.js" mce_src="http://delocator.mapyourcity.net/stuff.js" language="javascript"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT type="text/javascript" src="http://delocator.mapyourcity.net/dwindow.js" mce_src="http://delocator.mapyourcity.net/dwindow.js" language="javascript"></SCRIPT>
Delocator.MapYourCity.Net provides participants with alternatives to corporately controlled cafes, bookstores and movie theatres; and celebrates the diversity that exists within the culture of independent businesses across the United States. Delocator.MapYourCity.Net enables participants to strategically avoid corporate chains that dominate market niches where culture and consumption most frequently intersect.
Non-corporate bookstore, cafe and movie theater locations are entered into our database by any interested user and automatically annotated using Google Maps.
Delocator.MapYourCity.Net enhances the original Delocator.Net web service. Delocator.Net initially launched on April 1, 2005. By September 2005, over 5000 entries had been posted to the Delocator.Net database, and over two million users had viewed the web site. Over a thousand emails from participants across the country were emailed to Delocator.Net. The most common complaints were the inability to edit the results page, and the fixed distance of the search radius.
Delocator.MapYourCity.Net addresses these concerns and also adds new features to the site:
a) In addition to coffee shops, bookstores and movie theaters have also become part of our database.
b) You can now enter and retrieve locations on your cellphone, while on the go in urban environments! Any SMS enabled phone will be able to communicate with our Delocator.MapYouCity.Net database.
For general information please contact:
info@delocator.mapyourcity.net
For technical problems please contact:
bug@delocator.mapyourcity.net
Ground Lease? Celebration? Hah!
| It’s nice to know that there is so much enthusiasm, not only in the city of New London, but also coming out of Governor Rell’s office over the recent signing of a ground lease which transfers control of property at Fort Trumbull from NLDC to the developer Corcoran and Jenisson. The originally scheduled signing was delayed due to minutiae such as electrical service necessary for the proposed development, financing, performance bonds, contractors, zoning permits and building plans just to mention a few little bits and pieces. But who’s worried? Frankly, I don’t know who is worried but I know who should be worried…the taxpayers of New London who have been promised for close to 10 years now that any day/month/year something spectacular was going to happen that, RETURN TO TOP | in addition to easing the property owners tax burden, would cause New London to be erased from CT’s distressed cities list and become the jewel on the Thames. We’ve been waiting and while we’ve waited, we have lost millions of dollars in taxable property and there is a glut of For Sale signs up and down our streets. |
Every Mailbox in New London The Payphone-Project.
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