Higganum Center Revitalization – Advice for a 90-day Plan

By Sharon Challenger.

Despite the holiday rush, many people in Haddam were eager to hear the results of plans for the development of Higganum Center, on Wednesday evening on December 11, 2019.

The meeting lead by Town Planner, Bill Warner and members from Mullin Associates, Inc. was held at the Haddam Fire House on Saybrook Road on December 11, 2019. There were at least 100 residents in attendance. The presentation began with an introduction by First Selectman Bob McGarry. He thanked all who were present, and all who had attended the previous charrettes. He told us that he had gotten a chance to have a “sneak peek” at the final report and thinks we have some great opportunities going forward.

Town Planner, Bill Warner then spoke about how the consulting team spent the past 45 days going through the maps, lists, and charts that were created in the two previous charette meetings. They were looking for a consensus on what residents are looking for in the revitalization plan for Higganum Center. He spoke about the importance of a 90-day agenda beginning January 1^st. Now that the data has been collected, analyzed, we must figure out how we “can jump start the process.”

Mr. John Mullin spoke briefly about the history of the project and the conclusions he and his Associates came to. For those who could not attend the meeting, the Power Point presentation can be found here: https://www.haddam.org/sites/haddamct/files/uploads/final_presentation_-_12-11-2019.pdf

Mr. Mullin explained why the 90-day agenda is most important. In his experience, when towns fail to move forward, it is because they hire firms for advice, and then fail to act on the recommendations. That is why it is crucial to focus on the most important issues and begin working on them within 90 days.

Haddam has many historical assets, and Natural gems, i.e. the Connecticut river , the Cove, Swan Hill. All these sites can be attractive to both residents and tourists. He mentioned the fact that we have several trails that are unknown or ill defined. With some effort, we could make better use of them.

Residents agreed that they want Higganum Center to maintain a “village like” quality. In order to accomplish this, we need to make the center friendly to pedestrians. We will need better landscaping, lights, and connecting sidewalks which will help make a safer environment for pedestrians.

The consensus in both workshops was that we need to develop the septic system on the HES property. Without this, Higganum center will not see much progress. We must take the steps to move this forward so that the project is “shovel ready.”  Plans must be in place with details regarding the costs so the work can begin without endless delays. This will make it more attractive to developers to come and want to invest in the center.

The key issues Mullin and Associates focused on were:

HES – The consensus was that residents want the school to be in use. Possibilities were for it to be used as a school, or a commercial kitchen, or a community resource for meetings. If a private school is interested in HES, Mullin suggested that First Selectman Bob McGarry set up a meeting to discuss the plans.  If we want to set up a Community Kitchen, the U.S. Economic Development Agency promotes Commercial Kitchens in small towns and there is money available that we could have access to.

Town Garage – There was a disagreement on what the consensus was on this subject. Some in town feel that it needs to be moved while others think we should keep it in the center. If kept in the center, it would need to look nice and sited in the back of the property. Mullin recommended that we take a hard look at the possibilities. He and his Associates think that keeping it in the center has merit They presented three different options for this decision.

Rossi site – It is the “lynch pin” between HES and the Town Garage. This property could be developed, and three plans were presented to demonstrate the possibilities. It has been established that the current site is inadequate, and no decision has been made regarding a new site. Buying the Rossi property would give the town control of what happens in the center regarding any future development. The suggestion was that we may want to take steps to make an agreement to buy the property.

Scovil – Mullin described this site as “a gem,” and said it is crucial to get it on the National Register. https://savingplaces.org/stories/the-devils-advocate-guide-to-national-register-listing#.XfmQXmRKg7E

The Scovil buildings could house artists galleries, a theater, makers shops, restaurants and more as suggested in the charrettes. He advised us to investigate applying for a $200,000 grant, so we can get a work plan in next 90 days.

Higganum Center – Has a lot to offer, but it lacks cohesion. We must consider sidewalks to connect all areas, more green spaces, bump outs along roads to slow down traffic, and easier ways to access each location. Landscape improvements add a lot of value, and money spent on that is always beneficial to towns. Any improvements made along the streets should be well planned so that all the work is done at once.

Citizens Bank – Mullin suggested we try and meet with the bank regarding their decision not to lease the building. Maybe they will listen to reason. He mentioned the Community Reinvestment Act wherein banks must be responsive to needs of community. If Citizens Bank won’t allow us to use the building for other needs, we may have a case to present. Their decision is preventing us from moving forward and we need to address that issue.

Recommended actions we should take during the next 90 days:

Create a detailed map of the center depicting current structures and open land that can be developed.  Determine how much more growth we can have without changing the zoning.

Look into the Connecticut Main Street program. https://ctmainstreet.org/ It is rated #1 in helping towns and cities. Go to their meetings to get advice on what steps we might take towards improving Higganum Center. They offer education and training on how to analyze core issues in communities.

Businesses should start a Merchant’s Association and work together to keep money here. Haddam residents spend around $16 million each year on food and dining. Of that $16 million, $8 million is spent out of town. We need to create a community where we are not losing money to other towns. Keep the money here – that is how we will improve our economic condition.

The meeting was followed by a question and answer session (see video for details). The meeting was taped for Valley Shore Community Television and can be watched here.

In conclusion, Mr. Mullin said the three main matters we should focus on in the 90-day period are: begin the septic system project, work on finding a use for HES, and investigate purchasing the Rossi property.