To the Editor:
The CT Humane Society is planning on building a facility along Danbury Rd./Route 7 across from Caraluzzi’s, just a few hundred feet south of the supermarket. It will be a facility for treating sick animals whose owners cannot afford to pay for veterinary care and for the adoption of cats and dogs. I understand that the Society has presented its plans to the Planning & Zoning Commission.
I’ve been informed that there is some resistance to the project by a few people. Objections are
- There may be the sound of barking dogs.
- It will create more traffic.
- The proposed architecture of the facility is not in keeping with the “Colonial” architecture of many buildings along Route 7.
- People leaving the facility will have to cross Route 7 to travel north.
These objections make little sense to me. The Society is taking measures to minimize any potential noise. The building will be recessed from the road and any noise will certainly be drowned out by the traffic noises on Route 7.
Route 7 is an already well-trafficked road and the Society building will not be a high-volume facility.
There are many buildings along Route 7 that are modern in their appearance, ranging from car dealerships to office buildings and medical complexes (which are high-traffic facilities)
The objection about having to cross Route 7 to travel north can be made about every building on that side of Route 7 and could be made about every facility or business on the opposite side if someone wishes to travel south on Route 7.
The Human Society does such fine work in rescuing and treating pets in need of care and finding forever homes.
Mark Rubinstein
Interesting that the town advocates colonial style architecture for privately owned buildings (a good thing in my opinion) but then builds schools, police HQ that look like carbuncles…
To the editor:
I am afraid Mr. Rubenstein is misleading the public; perhaps he hasn’t been north on Route 7 lately.
The proposed new building is not across from Caraluzzi’s. The lot for sale is across from New Street and the soccer fields at the historic Gilbert & Bennet school. It is directly adjacent to Wilton Historic District #6.
Furthermore, it is unclear why Mr. Rubenstein is pointing out the fact that there are car dealerships and other businesses on 7. Of course there are. There is no correlation to this particular property, which sits in a residential zone.
The Georgetown section of town is in a particularly narrow part of the Norwalk River valley: directly west is a steep slope up to the ridge on Irmgard Rd, and to the east a slightly more gradual slope up to Sunset Hill Rd and beyond to Redding. The topography of the landscape lends an ampitheater-like echoing of noise throughout our neighborhoods. His contention that there will be no noise from the proposed new facility is misguided.
These are just a few of the many issues, which I won’t belabor here.
The Connecticut Humane Society, a charitable organization with nearly $100MM in net assets, has emailed Wilton residents to ask that they write letters to the town in support of their proposed new 14,000 sq foot facilities, as Mr. Rubinstein has attempted to do here. It would behoove those doing so in the future to know what they are talking about.