Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Development Historic Preservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves addendum; town confirms preservation intent for Copper Watts House at 952 East Broadway
Summary
Council authorized an addendum to the August 2024 review for the Center School property that includes the Copper Watts House at 952 East Broadway; town officials said the house will be preserved and attorneys will finalize transfer and lease language with the developer.
The Stratford Town Council on Jan. 13 approved an addendum to the previously approved August 2024 review for the Center School redevelopment that explicitly incorporates the Copper Watts House at 952 East Broadway into the first phase of the project and preserves the building, councilmembers and town attorneys said.
Attorney LeClaire told the council the Copper Watts House had always been contemplated as part of the project and that the addendum reflects that the house will be preserved rather than demolished. The motion approved authorizes the town attorneys to finalize the addendum language so it can be included in the contract packet with the developer, the Romano development team, which was present at the meeting.
Town staff and the developer said the final agreement will formalize how the town retains control over future use, possibly through lease language that might include a long-term lease (for example, discussions referenced a 99‑year structure) or other controls; attorneys are negotiating the specific terms. The council and administration stressed that, in the near term, the African American Museum will remain at 952 East Broadway until the museum’s planned move to the Sterling Homestead is complete.
Council members asked clarifying questions about the transfer process, the intended future use of the preserved house and the timing of the museum’s relocation. Town staff said the museum will occupy 952 East Broadway until renovation of the Sterling Homestead is finished; grant funding and architectural plans for the museum relocation are in place and the museum’s move will take time because work must meet State Historic Preservation Office standards.
Why this matters: The addendum clarifies that the historic Copper Watts House is part of the approved redevelopment scheme and is intended to be retained, addressing neighborhood concerns about potential demolition and preserving a planned civic/cultural use in the short term.
What the meeting record does not show: The transcript records general descriptions of draft lease structures (for example, a 99‑year lease was discussed as an option) but does not provide final lease language, specific mortgage or financing terms, or exact timelines for the museum relocation.
