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Residents urge town to halt sale of 100 Prospect Street and address Holbrook’s Pond
Summary
Residents told the Board of Selectmen that selling 100 Prospect Street would threaten nearby homes, local aquifers and Holbrook’s Pond; speakers pressed the town for studies, conservation review, and cross-town cooperation with Oxford and regional water authorities.
Joanne Cappiello, a Derby resident and property owner on Woodside Avenue, opened public comment by urging the board to prioritize dredging Holbrook’s Pond and reconsider the sale of town-owned land at 100 Prospect Street. “It’s been more than 30 years since Holbrook’s Pond was last dredged,” she said, citing a 1993 proposed bond bill that authorized dredging to address a silt-choked pond.
Cappiello then described the Prospect Street parcel’s steep ledge and caves and warned that blasting could destabilize nearby homes: “Blasting near a home causes damage to the homes because the vibration travels through the ground and affects the stability of the structure.” She asked whether the town, safety engineers, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the water authority or a blasting specialist had completed studies or toured the site.
Deborah Alterio, speaking as an Oxford resident, urged regional cooperation and provided numbers for area water use, saying Aquarion Water Company wells in the Seymour–Oxford area draw roughly 741,000 gallons per day — about 57% of a cited 1.3 million gallon daily system — and warned disturbing an aquifer or watershed could affect residents in multiple towns.
Multiple neighborhood residents from Cooleys Terrace, Swan Avenue and Woodside Avenue described wildlife, recreational uses, and past damage left by a prior buyer. Several speakers asked whether the town’s Conservation Board had performed due diligence and whether any archaeological or environmental testing had been completed; Jim Baldwin later told the board that Planning and Zoning provided an 8-24 referral with a positive opinion and that staff had checked with the state archaeologist.
Board members acknowledged residents’ concerns and recorded an intent to discuss Prospect Street further in executive session. The board voted to enter executive session with Town Counsel and Jim Baldwin to discuss the potential sale of 100 Prospect Street.
What happens next: the Selectmen scheduled an executive session and earlier asked staff whether state blasting oversight, pre-blast surveys and hydrologic evaluations exist; residents asked for clearer answers and formal studies before any sale or site work proceeds.
