741 Colonel Ledyard Highway  
Ledyard, Connecticut 06339  
TOWN OF LEDYARD  
Economic Development Commission  
Meeting Minutes - Final  
Chairman  
John Vincent  
Special Meeting - Public Workshop  
Tuesday, April 15, 2025  
5:00 PM  
Ledyard Senior Center - 12 Van  
Tassel Drive, Gales Ferry, CT, 06335  
MEETING INFORMATION  
The Ledyard Economic Development Commission will host a Special Meeting on April 15,  
2025 at 5:00 p.m. in the Ledyard Senior Center to support the Town of Ledyard Rte. 12 Gales  
Ferry Corridor Study.  
I.  
CALL TO ORDER  
Chairman Vincent called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. in the Ledyard Senior Center.  
Chairman Vincent welcomed all to the Special Meeting.  
II.  
ROLL CALL  
Commissioner Carol Ann Schneider  
Recording Secretary Michael Dreimiller  
Chairperson John Vincent  
Present  
Commissioner Michael Cherry  
Vice Chair Peter Hary  
Excused  
Absent  
Commissioner Richard Tashea  
In addition, the following were present:  
Mayor Fred Allyn  
Director of Land Use & Planning, Elizabeth Burdick  
Town Council Member, Naomi Rodriguez  
III.  
PUBLIC INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP LED BY GOMAN & YORK  
Chairman Vincent introduced Justin LaFountain of Goman + York.  
LaFountain stated that he is a senior Vice President of Planning and Economic Development at  
Goman & York and previously was a Regional Planner for Southeastern Council of  
Governments. He introduced Denise Robidoux, Executive Vice President Chief Operating  
Officer, and Data Analysts Alyssa Flemming and Derek O’Connor all of Goman & York and  
Jared Hite of Solli Engineering.  
LaFountain gave a 45 minute presentation explaining what they will be doing and how they will  
be doing it. A PDF of his presentation will be available for downloading on the EDC’s page on  
the Town’s website.  
Questions from the public in attendance:  
1. Will the study area include just Rt. 12 or will it extend beyond that? LaFountain stated that  
there isn’t a defined limit and they will go about ¼ mile outside of Rt. 12 if there’s something  
interesting there.  
2 Have they learned anything yet that would explain why the grocery stores that have been  
located in Gales Ferry have failed? LaFountain stated that it might have been due to the stores  
being too small as well as having trouble matching the prices at larger stores outside of town.  
3. Will there be any more outreach to the community, perhaps a survey or another meeting?  
Vincent stated that nothing else is scheduled. Cherry stated that when previous two Rt. 12  
studies that were done in 2010 and again 4 years after that and attendance at those meetings was  
far less than the attendance at this meeting. He encouraged that all in attendance talk to your  
neighbors and share what you learned and that everyone submit any questions to LaFountain  
either directly or through the Town. Robidoux stated that they will also be reaching out to  
businesses and property owners, and that there will be a final community presentation of the  
plan.  
4. Will the plan include opportunities for smaller businesses? LaFountain said that it would.  
5. How is Placer.ai able to track young children? LaFountain stated that they can estimate visitor  
information based on the known demographics of the residential areas that cell phone being  
tracked is from. Also, some children have their own phones.  
6. What will this be doing for the Town’s youth to help keep them in town as they get older?  
LaFountain stated that ideas like that are what they want to get in the interactive session that  
follows.  
7. How do you plan to reach out to the younger people in town? LaFountain stated that they’re  
planning to do focus groups.  
8. Could they share studies that they’ve done for other towns? LaFountain said that he would  
send some to Town Planner Burdick.  
9. Could the proposal for this study be shared? LaFountain said that would be up to the Town to  
decide.  
Interactive Session  
Sorrys & Prouds - Participants were asked to write on post-in notes three things that  
they were proud of about Rt. 12 and three things that they were least proud of.  
Roadway Design, Accessibility, and Pedestrian Safety - Participants were given post-it  
notes to note any areas of concerns regarding the roadway, including motor vehicle,  
pedestrian, and bicycle access/safety.  
Continuums of Change - Participants were asked to place a sticky dot on each of 9  
different scales to represent how they felt about those 9 topics.  
Existing Conditions & Future Outcomes - Participants were given post-it notes to  
share three words that describe Route 12, both now and in the future.  
Investing in Rt. 12 - Participants were given a stack of fake money ($50, $20, two $10,  
and two $5 bills) and asked to place them in any of 9 bags labelled with different  
programs and projects based on how important they were to them.  
IV.  
ADJOURNMENT  
Our next regular meeting is scheduled for May 6, 2025 at 6:00pm in the Town Hall Annex.  
A motion was made by Commissioner Dreimiller, seconded by Commissioner Hary, to adjourn  
at 6:32pm. The motion carried by the following vote:  
VOTE: 4 - 0 Approved and so declared  
Respectfully submitted,  
__________________________________________  
Chairman John Vincent  
Economic Development Commission  
DISCLAIMER: Although we try to be timely and accurate these are not official records of the  
Town.