Mansfield voters approve discontinuing Carriage House Drive, 37–30

MANSFIELD — Voters at a special town meeting on Aug. 10 approved the town council’s July 13 action to discontinue Carriage House Drive as a public highway, with registrars reporting 37 yes votes and 30 no votes.

Derek Leim, assistant director of public works, told the meeting the discontinuance would end the town’s responsibility for snow plowing, pothole repairs and other upkeep on the short roadway but would not itself transfer ownership of the underlying land. "If it's approved, Carriage House Drive would no longer be a town public highway," he said during staff remarks explaining the statutory process under Connecticut General Statutes §13a-49. Leim also presented estimated fiscal figures: about $6,000 a year in avoided maintenance and a future resurfacing estimate of roughly $300,000, while a developer fiscal-impact study projected about $959,000 in annual tax revenue if the site redevelops.

Councilor Ben Shakin moved to approve the council's earlier vote and urged listeners that discontinuance would align town practice with how shared private drives are usually handled and could facilitate redevelopment that brings utilities and more compliant housing. Opponents urged caution on environmental and affordable-housing grounds and asked that any future sale proceeds be directed to the town's affordable housing trust fund, but the town attorney and moderator said the statute limits tonight’s action to a simple approve-or-disapprove vote and does not allow conditioning at this stage.

The registrars counted ballots after public comment and announced the result: "37 to 30, the vote was approved." The moderator then called for a motion to adjourn.