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Town of Mansfield residents and business leaders attended a meeting Tuesday night to discuss the proposed creation of a structured Storrs town center.

Support For Town Center Not Universal

By: Andrew Peters

Posted: 10/12/05

MANSFIELD - Town politicians, entrepreneurs and citizens met Tuesday night at a public hearing in the presence of the town council to discuss the Municipal Development Plan, a proposed town makeover that would revamp Mansfield and create a structured Storrs town center.

According to the Municipal Development Plan, the goal of the downtown overhaul is "to create a mixed use village at the crossroads of the town of Mansfield and the University of Connecticut," and "to continue to improve the quality of life for Mansfield residents."

However, some local business owners and residents are worried about the plan's implications - flyers for Tuesday's meeting read "Help! New Downtown Plan means eviction for businesses!"

The reaction from businesses came in response to the idea of relocation, as well as the uncertainty of the project's future.

"We met with the business committee two weeks ago," said Cynthia van Zelm, executive director of the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, "several tenants expressed concerns."

The proposed plan could displace over 19 business tenants in the Store 24 area of Mansfield while the new downtown will take shape. It has been in the planning stages since 2002, and is expected to cost around $162 million.

Van Zelm was hopeful before Tuesday's meeting that some of the concerns had already been alleviated.

Development consultant, Max Reim, and relocation consultant, Phil Michalowski, were added to the planning team to help ease businesses through the process. The committee discussed temporary locations the displaced businesses could occupy during the interim.

"Being able to know early on what the plans are is a legitimate concern for businesses," van Zelm said.

However, businesses and residents voiced mixed feelings about the downtown plan during the hearing. Most residents present at the meeting were receptive of the Storrs Center concept, but many remained skeptical about the fine print.

Long-time resident Ron Kelly agreed.

"I think this is a nice plan," Kelly said. "But I would find it inexcusable if we didn't find a way to include our existing village in the new village."
Undergraduate Student Government (USG) President Sarah Domoff, speaking on behalf of the student body, agreed.

"Students are concerned of the businesses that received eviction notices, or so we were informed," she said.

Other residents were wary of UConn's agreement to sell buildings to the development that would be used to temporarily house displaced businesses.

More objections were raised that concerned traffic, parking, and the environment.

"Recently there is a much more positive feeling about the [business] relocation effort," said Michael Taylor, a Mansfield resident. "Why can't we have a community like Amherst, like Northhampton? This is our chance. I want a sense of place in my community."

"UConn still faces a hurdle as it continues to market itself to potential students--the one void is the town in which the university exists," Neil Eskin, associate athletic director at UConn, " The opportunity for a vibrant college community is the one missing piece to this great university."

"We know these are very sensitive issues and we are very concerned," said van Zelm about the public concerns. "It just makes sense to have more to do here for students, faculty, staff, and for the residents."