ENFIELD, CT — Enfield will seek new ideas for a key group of Thompsonville properties after the town's agreement with a previous developer expired.
The Town Council voted July 13 to have staff prepare and release a request for proposals for redevelopment of 17 North Main St.; 1, 5, 19 and 21 Church St.; and 2 Chapel St.
Town Manager Matthew Coppler said the town's purchase-and-sale agreement with Impact Development for Union Square had expired. The council did not select a new developer or approve a new site plan.
During the discussion, councilors expressed interest in a mixed-use project with some commercial or retail space. Economic and Community Development Director Aaron Marcavitch said the site could likely support about 17,000 square feet of retail. Council members also raised concerns about parking, traffic and making sure a future project fits Thompsonville's character.
The redevelopment RFP was one of several actions taken during the meeting.
The council approved a $550,000 FY27 spending plan from the Midtown tax-increment financing fund. It includes $200,000 for zero-interest façade and downtown-improvement loans, $150,000 for a downtown design fund, $150,000 for Barnes Boat Launch improvements and $50,000 for consultant costs.
Council members also authorized the town to issue up to $28.5 million in refunding bonds to refinance outstanding 2015 and 2017 bonds. Coppler said the move could save the town up to $35,000 per year, or $350,000 over 10 years.
In other business, the council approved a $202,543.16 state funding amendment for Enfield's Early Start and Head Start programming and authorized $115,552 in support for local social-service organizations, including the Enfield Food Shelf and Safe Harbor Warming Center.
The council also approved a one-year agreement with Executive Real Estate for municipal real-estate agency services, with the option to extend it up to five years. Separately, it sent a possible future conveyance of town-owned property at 17 Burnham St. to the Planning and Zoning Commission for review.
Earlier that evening, the council heard a presentation from Sitestream on potential automated traffic-enforcement cameras, including speed, red-light and school-zone cameras. The council did not vote on or authorize a pilot program, contract or other camera initiative.
More details are available in the town's July 13 regular-meeting minutes and special-meeting minutes.
For more Northern Connecticut news, follow Patch editor Jay Kenney.
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