Choate Will Build Without Town Road

[Bustopher Jones]

So, Choate will build its new environmental center without the closure of Old Durham Road. Choate still gets its new building, the relations between the town and the school are damaged (perhaps irreparably), Wallingford students may lose access to the center and the educational opportunity it represents, and the Town (which could have realized a significant contribution from the school in exchange for a worthless road) winds up with nothing.

Nice job, Emperor Brodinsky. You can't blame this one on Mayor Bill or the Republicans. This will be your legacy as you leave office.

[oldnickel]

do not blame Brodinsky. he wasn't the only one who felt that the original offer by choate was a joke!!!!

Choate could have always built this without the closure of the road - that wasn't the issue. The closure of the road had to be for their benefit. Fear not, if the republicans take control of the council, they will give this away to choate.

Those in charge at Choate have said that wallingford students would be able to use the facility, are they backtracking on that or was that just a negotiating ploy? Looks like Choate is having a little temper tantrum because they can not unload the boat house or they have to actually negotiate and give up something of real value. Maybe Choate can explain why 120 or so houses are off the tax roles even thought the school no longer uses them as dorms?? Doesn't seem neighborly to me, especially since Choate has $millions!!!!!!!!!! If this is all it took to create bad relations in perpetuity then the relationship wasn't very strong to begin with.

[don'tcareattitude]

hey- give them nothing- they aren't about to pack up and leave the town.

[TRUTHANDTOOTH]

You have not been paying attention Bustopher. Or, maybe you just want to ignore inconvenient facts to make the chairman look bad.

Wallingford students were never promised any access to the center. That is what the councilors were fighting for, including Brodinsky. In June, Choate made it appear that there were to be great educational opportunities. But in August, Choate refused to make any promises. It said to the councilors that they should not count on anything specific in the way of an educational opportunity. That has been its position all along since August. That frustrated all of the councilors except maybe Parisi.

More importantly, Choate said in the press and at the Council meeting that whatever educational opportunities there may be, those same opportunities will be there for Wallingford students whether or not the road is open or closed. You have no grounds --- none --- to say Wallingford students may lose access because the road will be open.

Wallingford has lost nothing, except maybe Choate is a little irritated it could not push the town around like it thought it could because Brodinsky pushed back.

The hatchet job you are attempting should be more fairly distributed. Choate would not have accepted any offer made by the town based on the proposals expressed by both Letourneau and Economopoulos. They had a price Choate probably thought was too high, but I thought was reasonable. And it would not have accepted any offer (Rascati's included) that committed it to anything specific on the educational side. Choate killed this by trying to get this road on the cheap and by setting expectations too high and then backing off.

[don'tcareattitude]

hey- give them nothing- they aren't about to pack up and leave the town.


this is the answer- or let them TRY to sell their property and start up somewhere else.... not likely.

[oldnickel]

Well said truthandtooth!!!!!!

In addition, the so-called open space option offered by choate was only an agreement not to develop or sell to developers. Choate would still own the land. Not much of an offer.

Parisi is good buddies with Shanahan. Choate is probably in a holding pattern now waiting for a Republican victory in November, after which they will get a much better deal (give away). That is why they are not interested in negotiating right now.

[Bustopher Jones]

You have not been paying attention Bustopher.
Actually, I have; and for far more years than I care to remember. One can be as cavalier toward Choate as one chooses. But the bottom line is still this: the Environmental Center will still be built, and the Town, thanks to the intractability of the Town Council, has chosen to forego any benefit that might have been realized. Was Choate's offer enough? Maybe, maybe not. But is something better than nothing? I leave it to each person to answer that question for himself/herself.

[TRUTHANDTOOTH]

Is something better than nothing? Is that the issue? So maybe the Council should have accepted a buck? Maybe it was Choate that was cavalier?