Description
There is a lot of controversy about the recent purchase of the beautiful, important, historic home at 89 Sherland, The Babcock Mansion. It was bought from the bank for $165G by a developer who intends to turn it into a sober house. There is not ample parking or street access, no privacy w/ 11 homes all around, and the community of neighbors is largely against it. Can the city do something? Can someone offer the new owner $200G's to buy it and move a family in? Follow the Register thread here, which includes a comment by the owner that expresses interest in the possibility of just selling it:
http://www.newhavenregister.com/articles/2010/08/13/news/new_haven/doc4c64c0bff1a16192949718.txt
8 Comments
Community Mediation, Inc. (Guest)
One thing that could be possible is to have the neighbors meet with the developer and have a facilitated dialogue in a town hall meeting style or conduct a mediation with a neighborhood representative and the owner. This would give neighbors a chance and venue to voice their concerns and also give the developer a chance to reply. Conflicts like this can be worked out as long as each side is willing to talk through the issues and look for a win-win solution.
It doesn't benefit the owner to have neighbors against him and it doesn't benefit the neighbors to give him a hard time as it just builds resentment. Dialogue and/or mediation may be a help in this matter and build community.
Community Mediation, Inc. does offer these services and at sliding scale rates to make it affordable to all involved. Please contact us at (203) 782-3500 with the names of those who represent each side. We will be happy to contact each side to see if mediation and/or dialogue is possible.
Anonymous
Thank you for the community meeting idea. I don't think a well run sober house is the worst thing that could happen to our neighborhood. After all we complain alot here about drugs and now we complain about folks who are sober.
Book thumper (Guest)
By the dialogue on the register site the people who live around 89 sherland are scared of the traffic and parking the random ranting sober folk are taking it personally. Focus on the issues people. Shady slumlord or sober saint, zoning laws are real laws and need to be enforced. I'll be at that meeting.
Anonymous
The issue is not about whether it is a well-run sober house. The concern is about the property itself and the occupancy levels. The home shares property borders with 11 other homes - it is completely surrounded by houses - and does not have private driveways nor enough parking. In a property such as this, the impact of increased vehicle and pedestrian traffic, parking, noise will be huge. It will fundamentally effect and damage the quiet single family character of the surrounding neighborhood.
We are all for well-run sober houses - they provide an important service, but for everyone's benefit (including the residents), they should be located in areas where the impacts of high-occupancy are lessened. There are many properties (especially in multi-family zoned communities), that offer sober houses "community integration" without compromising the community with over-occupancy.
As for community mediation, the founder/director of the sober house made it clear in his comments on the NH Register that he did not care what the community thought and planned to do whatever he pleased. "The law is the law and we are on the right side of it regardless of what Neighbor 1-2-3-4-5 and on and on think. The issue will not be settled by the neighborhood" -Bobby Hargrove. He also stated that he plans to put as many people in the house as the city will allow. Based on the square footage of the house (and some ambiguous federal Reasonable Accommodation laws), that could potentially be a very lot of residents - 14, 20 or even more!
Unfortunately, faced with the owner's stance, it seems that mediation would be futile...and the money better spent on the community's legal representation.
Mark
Does anyone have an update on this?
Sarah
Rose and I spoke to two of the women when we were asking for signatures for our petition to get some speed impediments for Lenox and East Grand. All looked well and quiet. If they are not a problem, why be concerned. Sarah
Guest (Guest)
The last I heard there were 19 residents residing in the mansion, they had paved the yard, a lot of traffic and speeding and several surrounding homes have been put up for sale.
Closed Mark
If the sale has gone through it sounds like it's time to close the issue.
If there are any problems with the house having higher occupancy or different standards than the previous house, those issues should be posted separately on the website, as specific concerns.