To the Editor:
Richard Smith, who is the chair of the Democratic Town Committee, treasurer of the Lamont campaign and puppeteer for the Democratic majority on the Board of Aldermen seems to have forgotten the procedure as to how it all went down; the proposed sale of the Myers Lane land sale.
At the Nov. 10, 2016 public hearing regarding the sale of 0.07 acres of city-owned land was never described as “open space” as projected by the Democratic Town chairman. The party seeking to purchase the land explained their purpose was to permit them to build a single-story home on an adjacent lot they own. Their desire was to move from their split-level home into a single-story home to accommodate a disability.
On Dec. 5, 2016, the aldermen unanimously voted to reconsider their prior denial. Alderman Shaw successfully moved to amend the underlying motion so that the property would be “deed restricted to a single-family home.” The amended motion passed unanimously. Again, a unanimous vote by the Board of Aldermen and unilaterally dismissed by the mayor, who again is over-stepping his authority, making this governing body irrelevant!
Mayor Blake is a guest at aldermanic meetings but frequently interjects his commentary and his untruths; here indicating that the issue is in litigation. Is it, as Smith claims, overdevelopment that is the reason for the mayor’s refusal to act on the board’s direction, or is it the nepotism that has been once again rearing its ugly head as demonstrated with the purchase of 701 North St. and now with the Myers Lane property? It is not an issue of overdevelopment, Mr. Chair of the Democratic Party, but the honesty and integrity of the office that is at stake.
The mayor and the complicit Democratic aldermen severed discussion at the Board of Alderman meeting that was held Oct. 7. Mayor Blake ducked-and-covered, citing “pending litigation,” but misled the aldermen because there is no litigation pending at this point, again making this Board of Aldermen irrelevant!
Milford deserves better.
Ray Vitali
Milford
Alderman, 5th District