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Showing posts from September, 2025

Town Council Begins Revaluation Updates With Sharp Jump in Home Values—and Worries About What Comes Next

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The town assessor cited four examples to the Town Council monday of price gains on Enfield homes since the last revaluation. This home showed the most dramatic increase. The jump may be due to strong demand for lower-priced homes, upgrades made between sales, or a combination of both. The Town Council plans to give regular public updates on the upcoming property revaluation. The first of those updates came last night with a look at how sharply residential property values have increased since the previous revaluation. Enfield is conducting a property revaluation as required by state law. The process will run through 2026, and residents will receive their new assessments in November of that year. Those assessments will apply to the FY28 budget, which takes effect in July 2027. Residential values in Enfield have risen significantly since the 2021 revaluation (See examples below). The concern for town officials is a potential tax shift: if commercial property values have not increased at t...
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Car Wash to Replace Former 99 Restaurant

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Russell Speeder's Car Wash design presented to PZC at its Sept. 25 meeting. The Enfield Planning and Zoning Commission has approved a Russell Speeder's Car Wash at the former site of the 99 Restaurant and Pub, located at the corner of Hazard Avenue and Freshwater Boulevard. The restaurant building, which closed last year, will be demolished to make way for a car wash and vacuum station area Two-Step Approval Process The project advanced in two stages. In April, the Norwalk-based company sought a zoning text amendment to allow car washes in the Business Regional (BR) zone, which covers shopping centers such as the Stop & Shop plaza. Until then, car washes were only permitted in the Business General (BG) zone. The amendment was approved on a 5–2 vote, but only after debate. One commissioner warned of a potential “proliferation” of car washes, noting Enfield already has two on Elm Street. To address that concern, the commission added a requirement that car washes in BR zones m...
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Location: Enfield, CT 06082, USA
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Enfield Square Redevelopment Plan Faces Harsh Criticism From PZC Chair: “This Is Our Town"

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Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Linda DeGray holds up rendering of Enfield Square redevelopment proposal at Thurday's meeting with the developers. To her left is Commissioner Terrence Lynch, and right, John Petronella. Source: YouTube A plan to demolish and redevelop the Enfield Square Mall is facing sharp opposition from the Planning and Zoning Commission. At a meeting on Thursday, PZC Chairwoman Linda DeGray stated that the latest proposal — which includes the potential for 700 apartments, a new big-box store, and smaller buildings for restaurants and retail — was not what the town had wanted. "I understand you're businessmen, but this is our town," DeGray said. "These people live here. You guys live in Nebraska." "This is still way too much," she said, at one point holding up a rendering of the development plan. "We are looking for more open space. We want something that is a little bit more representative of a town, not a city." ...
Location: Enfield, CT 06082, USA
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Enfield's Path Through Nature and Change

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Rotary Park Walking Trail The first time I visited the Enfield Senior Center was about fifteen years ago. My father, a member at the time, brought me there one morning to play pool. It was just time spent together. I hadn’t been back since. He passed away in 2012, and though I’ve since reached senior status myself, I didn’t think much about joining—until a friend recently told me something I hadn’t known. Just behind the Senior Center, there’s a gravel trail—and one of the best things in Enfield. It’s a soft, winding path about a quarter mile long that leads through a quiet stretch of woodland. I had no idea it was there. But walking it now, I felt a deep sense of calm and quiet. There are birdhouses along the way and a few exercise stations tucked here and there. Mostly, it’s the beauty that stands out. The walking trail is called Rotary Park and is open to the public from dawn to dusk. The trail is surfaced with fine, crushed stone, similar to what once covered the track at Enfield H...
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Location: Enfield, CT 06082, USA
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Enfield Council Republicans Give Cold Shoulder To Warming Center, Drawing Rebuke: “Shame on You”

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Enfield Town Council via YouTube Sept. 15 2025 The Town Council Republican majority blocked an effort to restore funding to the Enfield Safe Harbor Warming Center, which provides overnight stays for the homeless during the cold months. At the Sept. 15 meeting, Councilwoman Cindy Mangini (D) asked the council to reinstate a $13,000 town grant to Enfield People for People Inc. (EPFP), which operates the warming center at St. Patrick's Church. Funding for the center is usually included among the town's grants to other service organizations, such as Enfield Food Shelf. But the funding was removed in the 2026 budget that took effect July 1.  The group says the loss of a $13,000 town grant will strain its ability to serve the homeless this winter. What the Loss Means for the Warming Center "EPFP will continue to operate as planned," said Deacon Paul Robert, the group's treasurer, in an email. "Some on the Council who wish it were otherwise will be disappointed....
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Location: Enfield, CT 06082, USA
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Town Council to Consider Housing at Fermi Site

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Enfield is weighing redevelopment plans for the former Fermi High School Annex, with housing at the center and community spaces like the pool and auditorium set to remain. Enfield is considering selling parts — if not all — of Fermi High School, with redevelopment focused on new housing, most likely senior or age-restricted. The town wants to retain some of the building’s facilities, including the pool, auditorium, and meeting spaces, while the sports fields and track would remain town-owned. This plan is outlined in a request for proposals (RFP) that the Town Council will take up at a special meeting Monday at 6:15 p.m. at Town Hall. [ See Council agenda packet ] The presentation itself . Pickleball Courts and Hidden Motives    The timing sheds new light on the town’s recent decision to build pickleball courts at Fermi. That $600,000 project — paid out of town reserves — now appears less about meeting recreation needs and more about making the property attractive to potential...
Location: Enfield, CT 06082, USA
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