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Showing posts from November, 2023

Enfield Square Redevelopment: What Enfield Could Have Asked For—And Didn’t

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The town approved millions in public support—without tying the deal to walkability, entertainment, or shared spaces residents said they wanted. Proposed project presented to Town Council last year. The Target store is to the right rear. Redeveloping Enfield Square is critical. Once our downtown—a hub of activity and identity—the mall is now a shell of its former self. In public comments and a survey of over 1,000 people, residents voiced a clear desire for the redevelopment: not just retail, but gathering places—entertainment venues, a movie theater, live music, family-friendly spaces, and walkability. Yet on June 2, when Enfield had the most leverage, the Town Council approved a generous package of financial incentives without securing any binding commitments to many of those community goals. Progress, But Not Vision   For sure, the town is taking steps to address the problems at Enfield Square.  The developer, Woodsonia Acquisitions, will redevelop the site into a mix of hou...

Voter turnout will be crucial if Democrats hope to retain Enfield's Council majority

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  In the 2021 municipal election, Enfield Democrats won 7 out of the 11 council seats, helped by a voter turnout of about 7,850 -- a substantial 19% increase over the 2019 municipal election. To maintain a majority, the Democrats will likely need a similarly strong turnout on Nov. 7 But the Democrats face obstacles this time because of revaluation. Property taxes increased by around 10% for many.  Meanwhile, council Republicans are leveraging this increase in taxes. They've taken to their mailers, chastising Democrats as having "gone hog wild with taxes and spending." Aside from being false, this criticism overlooks Enfield's underlying issues — issues for which the Republicans, after 14 years at the helm, cannot evade responsibility. You can think about revaluation like Warren Buffett talks about stock market declines: "Only when the tide goes out do you learn who has been swimming naked." It means everything looked good until the market crashes, and then p...