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Showing posts from May, 2018

Residents Push Back on High-Density Housing in Thompsonville

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  South River Street, Thompsonville CT Doubt is creeping into the Planning and Zoning Commission about high-density housing development in Thompsonville. An impassioned defense by South River Street residents is triggering this reassessment. They live near a proposed 160-unit apartment complex on South River near the boat launch at the intersection of Main Street. This hearing, held last week, became a battle over preserving the neighborhood's character versus building apartments near the train station. But the neighborhood opposition was so strong that the PZC debated whether this housing would benefit Thompsonville. ​ South River Street is a narrow street, tucked between the train tracks and the Connecticut River. It's not a through street, with barely room for two cars to pass, and most people in town are likely unfamiliar with it.​ About a dozen residents spoke in opposition at a PZC hearing, worried about how the project would change the character of their neighborhood. S...

Connecticut Millennials are overpaying for higher education

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The new Democratic nominee for governor, New Lamont, says he wants to make make community college free for those students with "financial need." That's great, except just about everyone graduating from college today is in "financial need." My benchmark on this issue is from my own experience. I started attending Central Connecticut State University in 1976. A full year – two semesters – cost an in-state resident in tuition and fees $601.  Adjusted for inflation, the $601 tuition/fees that I paid in 1976 should be, in today's 2018 dollars, $2,693. For the 2017-18 academic year, the in-state tuition and fees at CCSU is $10,225 – adjusted for inflation, that is almost four times my cost Moreover, I did not pay tuition because my non-combat military service was Vietnam era. (The state still has a  v eteran waiver , but I'm not sure if it's as comprehensive.) When I was a Connecticut student, I can't recall anyone complaining about th...