Norwich council approves easement, property takeover and sale agreement; sets CDBG hearing

The Norwich City Council voted unanimously July 21 to advance several property and budget items, including acceptance of an easement over a discontinued portion of Lola Lane, authorization for the city manager to accept a tax-delinquent property in lieu of foreclosure, and approval of a sales agreement for 29 Division Street with the price added to the record.

The actions came during the regular council meeting at Norwich City Hall and were approved 7-0 in roll-call votes by Aldermen Nash, Hayes, Bettencourt, Gold, Singh, President Pro Tem DeLucia and Mayor Nystrom.

Council members adopted a resolution to accept an easement over a discontinued portion of Lola Lane “for the use by the city as a public right of way,” the measure’s text said. Council discussion indicated the easement preserves public access while allowing parallel efforts to market nearby industrial property. The roll call on the question recorded seven votes in favor and none opposed.

The council then approved a resolution authorizing City Manager John Salomon to accept a property in lieu of foreclosure from Tri Non Group LLC for a narrow lot on Oak Ridge Street. During discussion Salomon and council members said the parcel has more than $30,000 in back taxes and the assessed or estimated value was discussed as roughly $20,000; council members described the lot as about 50 feet wide and roughly 0.15 acre. Salomon and other council members said the city could retain the parcel, offer it for sale or first contact abutters about purchase; foreclosure would likely add appraisal and entry costs estimated in the meeting at about $2,000–$2,500. The resolution carried, 7-0.

On a related item, the council adopted a sales agreement for 29 Division Street after members asked that the missing price and purchaser be inserted into the resolution. Council members amended the draft at the dais to record a $120,000 purchase price and identify the buyer as Treehouse Family Properties; the amendment passed and the final resolution was adopted 7-0. During floor discussion the council framed this as a typical process: city-held property conveyed to return the parcel to the tax rolls.

Council members also set a public hearing for Aug. 4 on proposed Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) 2024–25 amendment allocations and scheduled a public hearing for the consolidated district additional appropriations for fiscal 2024–25, both by unanimous votes.

Two other agenda items were handled without final approval: a proposal to distribute Dodd Stadium through a commercial real estate broker was formally withdrawn from the agenda, and a resolution authorizing a quitclaim and release to Pattern Marina Holdings LLC was postponed to the Aug. 4 meeting.

The meeting included extended public comment in which residents raised concerns about civic engagement, housing and city maintenance. Joanne Filbert, identifying herself as a Norwich resident, said, “Look at this room. There is nobody here.” Rodney Boyes told the council, “This has become a welfare city and I'm not really crazy about it.” Those remarks were made during the general citizen-comment period and were not tied to council action.

The council met in executive session twice — first to discuss real-estate negotiations under Connecticut General Statutes §1-200 and later to discuss pending claims and litigation — and returned to the public meeting with a statement that no votes occurred during the executive sessions. The meeting adjourned following a final roll call that again recorded a unanimous vote to end the session.

Votes at a glance: • Withdrawn: Distribution of Dodd Stadium via commercial real estate broker — withdrawn from agenda (no roll-call vote required on withdrawal). Provenance: agenda introduction and chair comment. • Adopted 7–0: Accept easement over discontinued portion of Lola Lane for public right-of-way. Provenance: resolution presentation and roll call. • Adopted 7–0: City Manager authorized to accept property in lieu of foreclosure from Tri Non Group LLC (Oak Ridge Street). Notes: parcel described in discussion as roughly 50 feet wide, ~0.15 acre; back taxes discussed as over $30,000; estimated value discussed ~ $20,000; foreclosure costs discussed as $2,000–$2,500. Provenance: resolution presentation, discussion and roll call. • Adopted 7–0 (as amended): City Manager authorized to enter sales agreement for 29 Division Street; amended at meeting to record purchaser Treehouse Family Properties and purchase price $120,000. Provenance: resolution presentation, amendment and roll call. • Adopted 7–0: Set public hearing Aug. 4 for CDBG 2024–25 amendment allocations. Provenance: resolution presentation and roll call. • Adopted 7–0: Set public hearing Aug. 4 for additional fiscal 2024–25 consolidated district appropriations (waive full text and reading). Provenance: ordinance introduction and roll call. • Adopted 7–0: Postponed action on quitclaim and release to Pattern Marina Holdings LLC to Aug. 4. Provenance: motion to postpone and roll call.

Why this matters: The council’s decisions preserve public access routes, keep options open for resolving tax-delinquent properties without immediate foreclosure, and advance the sale of a city-held parcel back to the tax rolls. The scheduled public hearings will provide citizens a formal opportunity to comment on CDBG allocation amendments and the consolidated district appropriations.

What’s next: The council set several items for the Aug. 4 meeting, including the postponed quitclaim to Pattern Marina Holdings LLC and public hearings on CDBG amendments and consolidated-district appropriations.