MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Location: file:///C:/A3495A37/031507.htm Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR’S REPORT 3/15/07

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR’S REPORT 3/15/07

Submitted b= y Joe Seacrist

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  1. Met  with a party who plans to build a 4-story 80-100 room ho= tel at the corner of  Buckingham and 262, across fr= om Watertown Crossings.  In addition to the hotel, he proposes a separate building for an “upscale steak house” for the same property which would be= a short walk from the hotel.  The hotel will be a called Main Stay Suites, and would be suites only, with separate areas for a kitchen, workspace, and sleeping areas,  are franchised by  Choice Hotels International a= nd would have a “Newpo= rt” shake shingle construction. Since the property has already been approv= ed by P&Z  for a similar building which was never built, it is the opinion of O&Z staff and= the town engineer that there will be few if any obstacles to this construction.

 

  1. Met with several town council members, Se= an Williams, Chuck Frigon and others concerning preliminary plans to buil= d a 500 megawatt power plant in Watertown.  One megawatt can power 1,000 homes, so this plant would be able= to power 500,000 homes, a major size plant.

 

  1. Met with representatives of Stop and Shop concerning the most recent proposal for three properties they own in town.  First the f= ormer State Dairy property on Straits tur= npike, which they still intend to use for retail space. Secondly the property across from State Dairy, w= here they are now proposing a mixed use of some 96 units of Adult living and two 5,000 sf “pads” for use as retail stores or restaurants.  In doing th= eir detailed research on the property, they found that the residential zone encroaches into almost a third of the property, where they would locate the adult living units.  = Thirdly the property at the corner of straits turnpike and Bunker Hill, they still would= like to hold as either free open space for the town, or potential building = use.

 

  1. Had preliminary discussions with the owne= r of a moving and storage company who is looking to build/buy 100,000sf building in town.  Currently is currently locate= d in Oxford, but lives in Wate= rtown and would prefer selling his Oxford location and re-locating here.  He might be interested in 400 Park Road property (former Winchester Arms building.

 

  1. Concerning 400 Park road, there could soon be three offers made o= n the property.  a) a manufactu= rer from Torrington; b) a manufacturer fr= om Waterbury; an= d the above mentioned moving and storage company.

 

  1. Met in the Hartford office of Sean Williams w= ith Frank Jodaitis and representatives of the = state DOT to coordinate water and sewer construction for the Bus Barn= on the former Watertown Drive-in property,  the potential = Konover project and other developments in town b= eing considered.

 

  1. Had lunch with Steve Sasala of the Waterb= ury Chamber and Steve Librandi Director of Hum= an Resources for Risdon, concer= ning their recent sale, and the impact it might have on the Watertown facility. Librandi indicated that he thought Watertown might lose 20-25 of its current 120 employees in 2007.

 

 

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

 

·        Did an ph= one interview with Mike Puffer, reporter for the Waterbury Republican concernin= g an article he was preparing on whether towns should forgo industrial land for commercial and retail use.

 

·        Talked wi= th a town resident who is currently Director of Food Service for the city of New Haven, about his personal wish to open a sport&#= 8217;s bar in Watertown.  Put him in touch with several poss= ible lending sources for financing.

 

·        The Presi= dent of American Country Barns is interested in the Santama= ria property on Linkfield road.  He is working with Tom Hill to det= ermine whether zoning will allow such a use.

 

·        Continued= phone conversations with a party from Richmond w= ho is a former Watertown= resident and who is moving back this summer concerning his desire to build = an indoor soccer facility.  Put h= im in touch with another town resident who has the same desire, in hopes that together they can work something out.

 

·        Talked wi= th a town resident who represents Dale Carnegie, who is having a seminar on Leadership in Watertown on April 24th and is looking for some help in getting attendees.=

 

·        Spoke wit= h Joe Pawlak concerning EDC possibly sponsoring a farmer’s market around De= pot Street Mall this summer.

 

·        Met with Maurice Fabini concerning his plans for renovat= ions at the Pin Shop.

 

·        Will meet=  with Lauri Kehoe or Kehoe Realty to discuss her further participation with the EDC.