Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Redevelopment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents and council criticize RDA meeting process and GZA outreach on Johnson—s Pond plan
Summary
Residents and several council members criticized the RDA—s public process and contractor GZA—s outreach on Johnson—s Pond, citing lack of livestream/Zoom, limited townwide questionnaires, unclear costs and deliverables, and disagreement about proposed amenities; council agreed to review RDA authority and schedule a workshop to set priorities.
Multiple residents raised procedural and substantive concerns about recent redevelopment authority work and a public meeting on Johnson—s Pond, telling the Town Council they felt outreach and meeting design excluded many residents and failed to deliver clear answers about spending and next steps.
Speakers said the RDA—s meeting was not livestreamed and that questionnaires were distributed to a pond association list rather than to the town at large. "It was cheaper and easier for them to use the Johnson Pond Civic Association's email list instead of send(ing) questionnaires to the town," said one resident who attended the meeting. Several attendees described breakout-room dynamics that gave pond-property owners different treatment than other participants.
Residents also questioned whether the work by contractor GZA and the RDA justified the funds authorized to them and whether deliverables had been produced. "I wanna know what we've actually spent on them because nobody knows," one speaker said. Council members acknowledged public frustration, noted the RDA is a council-appointed body and differs from a town committee, and agreed to review the authority that enabled the RDA—s responsibilities.
Council members recommended reclaiming development rights if the RDA process proves unworkable, to stop further expenditures until a clear plan is set, and to schedule a public workshop to reset priorities and present options for public access and smaller-scale approaches such as a town-owned boat ramp. Staff said the RDA and GZA materials would be reviewed and that the council could request a formal accounting of submittals and outreach materials.
The council asked staff to place a review of the RDA and its contracts on a future agenda and to plan a workshop so council members and department heads can review documents, costs and proposed options in more depth.
