Are Fire District Taxes Fair in Enfield? No.

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Thompsonville fire house Everyone in Enfield gets a tax bill based on their property assessment, but here’s the puzzling reality: the amount you pay for fire protection depends entirely on your neighborhood. Residents are taxed at different rates for fire protection, and the differences can be substantial. If I were a homeowner in Thompsonville, I’d be livid — and justifiably so, since they pay the most for the same service. The reason is simple: Enfield has five separate fire districts. Each sets its own budget and mill rate — an outdated system that creates real inequities in our tax bills. I have nothing but praise for Enfield’s emergency services — fire, police, and EMS. They’ve helped my family, and I’m grateful. The problem is how we pay for this help. We don’t charge people for police protection based on where they live — but we do for fire services. Four of the Five Fire Districts May Consolidate That may soon change. Multiple sources, both Democrats and Republicans, confirm t...
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PZC Considers Enfield’s First Dedicated EV Stop with Retro-Modern Cafe

Site plan

Enfield drivers may soon have a new place to charge their cars — and fill their stomachs — if a new proposal is approved.

A developer has filed plans to build Enfield’s first dedicated electric vehicle (EV) charging plaza combined with a cafe at 1561 King Street. The vacant lot is near I-91 and just south of New Day Church, formerly the Namco building.

The proposal, submitted by Global Development LLC for SunEV in Suffield, would create 21 EV charging spaces, including two accessible spaces. Most of the chargers would be covered by solar carports that generate on-site electricity for vehicle charging.

While the town already has some EV charging — including Tesla chargers at the Big Y shopping plaza — this would be Enfield’s first stand-alone EV charging plaza designed specifically as a rest stop, complete with its own cafe.

Retro cafe design

Bob Patrick, the owner of SunEV, told the Planning and Zoning Commission that their approach to EV charging is a little different.

"We try to put something there that people can use, which is a cafe. And we also try to use alternative energy as much as possible," said Patrick at the commission meeting. The structures will have solar panels on them, he said.

The site would also include a 1,500-square-foot building with cafe seating, a kitchen, and restrooms. The cafe design was described as “retro-modern, a modern-day sock hop,” with a feel reminiscent of a 1950s drive-in diner.

The cafe will "look like something you might have driven up to and had a milkshake and a burger in the 50s," said Dante Boffi, the architect on the project, at the commission meeting.

What's next

The PZC tabled it pending more information on the site plan and landscaping.

Commissioners had some preliminary questions about fire safety. The Fire Department has asked for a hydrant and may add other conditions once technical details are reviewed. The commission isn’t meeting in August, which means if this project doesn’t return in July, it will have to be heard again in September.
Cafe layout




Location: Enfield, CT 06082, USA

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