The Board of Selectmen voted to deny the request to open the closed portion of Turner Road. This result protects our neighborhood and honors the natural character of the land we value so deeply. Thank you for staying informed and committed throughout this process.
March 4, 2020
Final supporters
Dear Board of Selectmen,
As Ridgefield residents, we request that the Board of Selectman (BOS) DENY opening the closed portion of Turner Road, as requested by Black Oaks, LLC.
The BOS must deny opening this closed portion of Turner Road because of the following reasons:
1. Increased liability for the town and its residents with no compensating benefit for the added risk to public safety. A partial example of the liability increase is the fact that there are currently 75 children under the age of 18 residing in Turner Hill. Why create additional liability when there is no significant benefit to the town, to Turner Hill residents, or to these children?
2. Negative impact to state-protected animal species living in that area of Turner Road. Sustainability is a significant part of the Plan of Development and Conservation (POCD) and preserving endemic species is crucial to such sustainability. It is the reason residents of Ridgefield voted overwhelmingly to create a separate Inland Wetlands Board.
3. Further negative impact on existing Turner Hill property values. Documentation already shows an overall decline of housing prices in Ridgefield in 2019. Ridgefield BOS should do everything reasonable to maintain or increase property values since they represent the highest proportion of our tax base.
4. Degradation of one of the safe, bucolic residential neighborhoods personifying the iconic character and charm of Ridgefield which attract people to move to and remain in Ridgefield. Families want to live in Ridgefield because they expect and believe neighborhoods will remain the heart and soul of our town, just as those of us who purchased homes in Turner Hill believed.
5. Possibility of setting unnecessary precedent. There are numerous roads in Ridgefield closed and abandoned for specific reasons. If the BOS does not deny maintaining the CLOSED STATUS of Turner Road, you create a “Pandora’s box“ of additional situations where roads may be opened with no benefit to Ridgefield and, in fact, when increased liability can be expected.
If the BOS is unable to deny opening this abandoned portion of Turner Road, we request the BOS put this forth before Ridgefield voters in a Town Vote. This TOWN VOTE is supported by the attached valid PETITION from residents across Ridgefield.
Respectfully signed and submitted,
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
February 19, 2020
Reached 100 supporters
February 17, 2020
68 Comments
Please keep this side-road closed. It is too narrow to support a single unit let alone nine units. Also, the last thing Turner Hill needs is additional traffic right across from the Community Center.
BOS should please be aware that the portion of the closed town road is immediately adjacent to the town's OPEN SPACE along its entirety. Reopening this section will degrade this set aside land for conservation and nature.
Increased traffic in a residential area with no sidewalks directly opposite the residents pool is a major concern for families with young children.
Keep Turner Hill Road closed. There are significant downside risks to allowing the road to be opened, from safety, home values, to animal species, that there is negligible upside to considering. The precedent could/would be regretted for many years.
the town is obligated to represent the needs of it's constituents and not the needs of a developer, who is leveraging a flawed piece of legislation to circumvent state and local zoning and building code requirements, in an effort to ram 9 rental units onto a 1.1 acre parcel of land. this is simply unsafe, unnecessary and a poorly conceived plan.
I believe we have enough condo's for a minute
Keep Turner Road closed.
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The Board of Selectmen voted to deny the request to open the closed portion of Turner Road. This result protects our neighborhood and honors the natural character of the land we value so deeply. Thank you for staying informed and committed throughout this process.
March 4, 2020
Final supporters
Dear Board of Selectmen,
As Ridgefield residents, we request that the Board of Selectman (BOS) DENY opening the closed portion of Turner Road, as requested by Black Oaks, LLC.
The BOS must deny opening this closed portion of Turner Road because of the following reasons:
1. Increased liability for the town and its residents with no compensating benefit for the added risk to public safety. A partial example of the liability increase is the fact that there are currently 75 children under the age of 18 residing in Turner Hill. Why create additional liability when there is no significant benefit to the town, to Turner Hill residents, or to these children?
2. Negative impact to state-protected animal species living in that area of Turner Road. Sustainability is a significant part of the Plan of Development and Conservation (POCD) and preserving endemic species is crucial to such sustainability. It is the reason residents of Ridgefield voted overwhelmingly to create a separate Inland Wetlands Board.
3. Further negative impact on existing Turner Hill property values. Documentation already shows an overall decline of housing prices in Ridgefield in 2019. Ridgefield BOS should do everything reasonable to maintain or increase property values since they represent the highest proportion of our tax base.
4. Degradation of one of the safe, bucolic residential neighborhoods personifying the iconic character and charm of Ridgefield which attract people to move to and remain in Ridgefield. Families want to live in Ridgefield because they expect and believe neighborhoods will remain the heart and soul of our town, just as those of us who purchased homes in Turner Hill believed.
5. Possibility of setting unnecessary precedent. There are numerous roads in Ridgefield closed and abandoned for specific reasons. If the BOS does not deny maintaining the CLOSED STATUS of Turner Road, you create a “Pandora’s box“ of additional situations where roads may be opened with no benefit to Ridgefield and, in fact, when increased liability can be expected.
If the BOS is unable to deny opening this abandoned portion of Turner Road, we request the BOS put this forth before Ridgefield voters in a Town Vote. This TOWN VOTE is supported by the attached valid PETITION from residents across Ridgefield.
Respectfully signed and submitted,
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
February 19, 2020
Reached 100 supporters
February 17, 2020
68 Comments
This is a safety issue. Many young children live in the neighborhood and currently travel the road freely on bikes and on foot. The added volume of cars-not to mention construction vehicles-will add a huge element of danger to the children in the neighborhood.
Please keep this side-road closed. It is too narrow to support a single unit let alone nine units. Also, the last thing Turner Hill needs is additional traffic right across from the Community Center.
BOS should please be aware that the portion of the closed town road is immediately adjacent to the town's OPEN SPACE along its entirety. Reopening this section will degrade this set aside land for conservation and nature.
Increased traffic in a residential area with no sidewalks directly opposite the residents pool is a major concern for families with young children.
Keep Turner Hill Road closed. There are significant downside risks to allowing the road to be opened, from safety, home values, to animal species, that there is negligible upside to considering. The precedent could/would be regretted for many years.
the town is obligated to represent the needs of it's constituents and not the needs of a developer, who is leveraging a flawed piece of legislation to circumvent state and local zoning and building code requirements, in an effort to ram 9 rental units onto a 1.1 acre parcel of land. this is simply unsafe, unnecessary and a poorly conceived plan.
I believe we have enough condo's for a minute
Keep Turner Road closed.
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This is a safety issue. Many young children live in the neighborhood and currently travel the road freely on bikes and on foot. The added volume of cars-not to mention construction vehicles-will add a huge element of danger to the children in the neighborhood.