Current Issues & Projects - Woodbridge Board of Selectmen

The Woodbridge Board of Selectmen held a Public Hearing  on Wednesday, January 8, 2020 to receive comments on the proposed revisions to the Town of Woodbridge Ordinances. Following the Public Hearing the Board voted in favor of all three. The ordinances will go into effect on Feb. 22.

1)  Chapter 175-2 – Blighted Premises, is amended by adding Article D (11) in order to address maintenance of grounds and yards as to grass, weeds, unstacked wood, rubbish, and deteriorated equipment.

2)  Chapter 370 – Stormwater Management - The existing Ordinance is amended bring it into compliance with the State of Connecticut Requirements.

3)  Agricultural Commission – The proposed new ordinance establishes an Agricultural Commission to help identify issues of concern to farmers, to raise public awareness of the benefits of local farms and working lands, and to identify ways in which the Town can support the business and land use needs of local farms.

Copies of the proposed changes and/or additions to the Woodbridge Ordinances are available on the Town’s website and on file in the Town Clerk’s Office available for review between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Written comments will be received in the First Selectman’s Office until 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 8, 2020.  Thereafter comments should be presented at the Public Hearing.

Insite and Wernert present proposal 

At the September Board of Selectmen meeting Insite Development and Wernert Construction presented their proposal for the Town to sell approximately 60 of the 155 acres for $5.4 million for construction by Insite/Wernert of no more than 120 units of free-standing active adult (55+) housing. Additionally, Insite/Wernert will remove the old clubhouse, renovate the Town pool and build a new pool house for Town use. The Town will retain approximately 95+/- acres for Town use.

First Selectman Heller asked Insite/Wernert to visit all our major Boards and Commissions to do a Q & A presentation and give our board and commission members and the public several opportunities to ask their questions. Members of the public are encouraged to attend any upcoming commission meetings to see the presentation and get the facts and ask questions. 

View the presentation here.

Insite/Wernert will be at the Police Commission and Economic Development Commission meetings on Oct. 10, Board of Finance and Conservation Commission on Oct. 17, Fire Commission and Commission on Use of Publicly Owned Property on Oct. 21, Recreation on Oct. 28, and Human Services on Nov. 4.

Please see the online Town calendar or the online agenda center for details and any schedule changes.


Draft Plan for remainder of property presented

In addition, as I mentioned at a previous meeting of the Selectmen, I’ve asked a small staff committee to create a draft plan for a park at the former Country Club. This group has met several times to brainstorm and discuss potential options for the use of this land as a public park. At August’s meeting, the Board of Selectmen received a preliminary update from a staff committee consider ideas for the remaining 95 acres or so of the former country club property. View the draft map here.  Please stay tuned for more information!

 Selectmen choose preferred developer for former-Country Club proposal

At a Special Meeting of the Board of Selectmen on June 4th, the Board voted to select Brian St. Pierre and Insite Development as the preferred developer for a portion of the former-Country Club property. See details of the Insite proposal (below), previously reviewed by the Selectmen.


Proposals for the Former-Country Club Property

Board of Selectmen Receive Update from Developer Brian St. Pierre 

At the May 7, 2019 meeting of the Board of Selectmen, the Board received an updated site map from developer Brian St. Pierre. This new map  shows a slight re-configuration of his proposal to take into consideration the location of waterways which were identified in the Constructability Report (see below) the Selectmen previously received.

Click to view the updated map submitted 5/7/2019 by Brian St. Pierre 



Board of Selectmen Receive Constructability Review 

At the February 13, 2019 meeting of the Board of Selectmen, the Board received a draft of the Constructability Review they initiated. This document is meant to be an overview from an engineering perspective to identify any issues that may come up regarding the land in question for each of the proposals for the former-Country Club property (see below for more information regarding the proposals).

The Constructability Review document is available for review (click to view PDF).

Presentations of proposals for former-Country Club property on 12-17-2018 meeting_at_gym Opens in new window

At the Special BOS Meeting December 17th in the Center Gym, two presentations were made regarding  proposals for the former-Country Club property. There was also an opportunity for public comment and questions to the developers. 

Presentation materials are available for review (see PDF files, linked below):

  1. 12-17-2018 Presentation by Robert Sachs (click to view PDF)
  2. 12-17-2018 Presentation by Brian St. Pierre/Insite Development (click to view PDF)

The meeting was also recorded and can be viewed online and cable TV (Cablevision channel 79). Visit the Town’s YouTube Channel WGATV to view the 12-17-2018 Special Meeting video.


Previous Meetings and Informational Presentations

At a Special Meeting November 28th, the Board of Selectmen received presentations regarding two proposals for the former-Country Club property. Presentation material is available to review by clicking the links below. 

1) Presentation by Robert Sachs (click to view PDF)

2) Presentation by Brian St. Pierre/Insite Development (click to view PDF)

In addition,  video-recording of the meeting where these presentations took place can be viewed on cable channel 79, and on the Town’s YouTube Channel WGATV.

At the meeting November 28th, the Board of Selectmen acted to set the date for a Public Information Session where the public may see each option presented and have the opportunity to ask questions and receive answers:

Public Information Session
Monday, December 17, 2018 at 7:00 pm in the Center Gym

Immediately upon the conclusion of the December 17th Public Information Session, a Special Board of Selectmen meeting will convene. The Selectmen may at that time decide whether to set a date for a Special Town Meeting and Referendum on one of the options. 

Please check the website for further information, or sign-up for email notifications by visiting: tinyurl.com/WoodbridgeEnews


Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC)
Fiscal Health Analysis

The Board of Selectmen received the final report from CERC on February 19, 2019. The report is a narrative write-up and documentation of all the material that CERC presented at Board meetings in September and November 2018. CERC analyzed the Town’s fiscal health by examining the grand list, public services, and demographics, to see how they have changed over the past ten years. The report compares this data to both the state average and a set of comparable towns, and suggests areas of opportunity to pursue additional cost efficiencies. 

CERC Report (click to view PDF).CERC_Report_image

For additional information on the CERC analysis, see the information and links immediately below.

Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC)

To help the Town of Woodbridge understand its fiscal situation and to prepare for potential future challenges, the Board of Selectmen have contracted with CERC to undertake a Fiscal Health Analysis for the Town. This analysis will consider how the Town’s current grand list, public services, and demographics have changed over time (going back ten years and more when possible) and compared to both the state and a set of comparable towns (to be determined by CERC and the Town). The Fiscal Health Analysis will also identify approaches that would help the town strengthen its fiscal health for the future.  A preliminary check-in to review data input received to-date took place at the June 13, 2018 Board of Selectmen meeting, and Preliminary Results were shared at the Board's September 12, 2018 meeting. A final presentation featuring Budget Projections and Scenarios took place a the Board's November 13, 2018 meeting, where final input was gathered in advance of the written report that is expected to conclude the project. Each presentation is available to review by clicking the links below.

  1. CERC_Presentation_to_BOS_11-13-2018
  2. CERC Woodbridge Municipal Fiscal Health Preliminary Results, 9-12-2018
  3. CERC Fiscal Health Analysis Project check-in material 06-13-2018

Former-Country Club of Woodbridge Property

New Options Explored for Former Country Club Property – May 2018 – The Selectmen began consideration of preliminary draft proposals for this property with the intention of using the Public Opinion Survey results to help guide their review of potential options. (As a reminder, the presentation on the survey results, and links to video recordings of meetings where the Selectmen discussed the data and heard public comments, can be found at the Town website). 

At the May 9, 2018 Board of Selectmen's meeting, three preliminary draft concepts were reviewed:
  •      Option A - includes an offer to purchase approximately 10 acres to build an assisted living facility.
     
  •      Option B - includes an offer to purchase approximately 40 acres for 55-and-over, single-unit housing. The proposal also includes an 18-hole renovated public golf course, a renovation of the clubhouse to include a banquet hall and restaurant, and renovation of the pool for public use.
     
  •      Option C - includes an offer to purchase a portion of the parcel to build 68 age-restricted, single family homes along a 9-hole renovated golf course, with recreational space and approximately two miles of walking trails for public use, and 132 age-restricted townhomes on both sides of Woodfield Road.

In addition to the above options, the Board of Selectmen also received information regarding a Solar option for the former-CCW property at the June 13, 2018 meeting:

  1. CCW Solar Project Executive Summary 06-13-2018

Insite_Presentation_graphicAt the August 8, 2018 meeting of the Board of Selectmen, Brian St. Pierre of Insite Development presented a proposal regarding the Town-owned former country club property, located at 50 Woodfield Road. Insite Development's proposal was one of the three concepts the Board of Selectmen reviewed in Executive Session its May 9, 2018 meeting, labeled Option B at that time. The presentation made August 8th is available as a PDF.

Dog Park

The Board of Selectmen voted to authorize the First Selectman to sign a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the establishment of a Dog Park at the Fitzgerald Property located at 100 Center Road (see MOU PDF, below). All other documents related to this matter are now available on the archive page, linked below and in the sidebar of this page.

  1. Dog_Park_MOU_signed_08-10-2018

Archive Collection - Dog Park

Town Center Beautification Plan

The Board of Selectmen approved a beautification plan for the Town Center Campus at the December meeting. The goal is to make the center of town a warm and inviting place for Woodbridge residents and a place to foster interactions among residents. The final plan is available for viewing here.

Tree Donation Program

Memorial Bench Donation Program