741 Colonel Ledyard Highway

Ledyard, Connecticut 06339

TOWN OF LEDYARD

Economic Development Commission

Meeting Minutes - Final

Chairman

John Vincent

Special Meeting

Tuesday, August 5, 2025

5:30 PM

Town Hall Annex - Hybrid Format

CALL TO ORDER

CALL TO ORDER - Chairman Vincent called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. in the Council

Chambers of the Town Hall Annex Building. Chairman Vincent welcomed all to the Hybrid

Meeting.

II.

ROLL CALL

Commissioner Carol Ann Schneider

Recording Secretary Michael Dreimiller

Chairperson John Vincent

Present

Vice Chair Peter Hary

Commissioner Richard Tashea

Commissioner Michael Cherry

Commissioner Kevin Aherne

Absent:

Town Council Liaison

In addition, the following were present:

Director of Land Use & Planning, Elizabeth Burdick

Mayor Fred Allyn III

Justin LaFountain of Goman & York

Derrick O’Connor of Goman & York

The Commission confirmed there were no changes or additions to the agenda.

PRESENTATIONS / INFORMATIONAL ITEMS

III.

Justin LaFoutain of Goman & York: Update of GF Corridor Study

Justin LaFountain presented a quick overview of the changes in the final draft. It incorporates

updated graphics from the SOLI report as well as feedback from EDC. There’s also an

implementation table of recommended changes listing estimates for cost and time. The last page

of the document is a list of references which was requested. The engineer work does not address

all intersections on Route 12. Due to limited funds for the study they focused on most impactful

intersections.

Vincent asked if the total of about 350 responses from the survey and the public meeting was a

good number. LaFountain says they usually get 1-2% response rate and the response rate for this

project was over 2%. Cherry noted that in his experience, 350 responses is a good number if they

agree with the data but it’s not enough if they don’t agree with the data. With the Affordable

Housing survey that was done recently, people who disagreed with the results of the survey

claimed that there weren’t enough responses to support the results of the survey.

Vincent asked if the lack of sewer was a reason why existing businesses don’t upgrade their

buildings. LaFountain said it doesn’t stop rehabs for façade improvements, but it does impact

new construction as well as expansion to existing businesses that would require upgrades to their

existing septic system. Vincent wondered if current businesses would bother to connect if sewer

was available. Cherry noted that a new septic system was a major part of the conversion of the

bank to Sunnyside Diner and the CVS development also included significant sewer and storm

water work.

Cherry asked that the dates could be added to the new list of references page.

Approval of the final draft.

MOTION to approve the Final Draft of the Rt. 12 Corridor Study with changes requested (dates

for sources on final page).

IV.

CORRESPONDANCE

Mayor Allyn stated that the Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce has

requested assistance from Ledyard EDC with filling out a survey of empty retail

storefronts in Ledyard and Gales Ferry. Vincent and Dreimiller on the case and will

start by referencing the 2023 Non-Residential Property Inventory.

CT Mainstreet has a workshop scheduled for Aug. 28th at Otis Library in Norwich.

RESIDENTS & PROPERTY OWNER COMMENTS

None.

VI.

REPORTS

Mayor’s Report

Nothing to present.

Planner’s Report

Planning & Zoning Commission has on their agenda for their Aug. 14th meeting a

development for 8, 9, and 11 Colby Dr. for Habit for Humanity of affordable housing. 27

single (2, 3, and 4 bedrooms) and multi-family duplex (3 bedrooms & garage) houses

and includes completing Colby Dr. through to Col. Ledyard Highway. May be pushed

back to Sept. meeting due to additional survey work.

Also have a discussion/decision on an application for proposed zoning regulation text

amendments for multi-family dwellings submitted by Eric Treaster. Public hearing was

closed last Thursday.

New tenant trying to open up a business at the old Lou’s Garage site. Site plan

approval has been pushed back to Sept. 11th. Original application, which was denied

without prejudice due to an incomplete application, was for a landscaping and light

towing and roadside assistance business. Peter Gardner met with him to try to help him

get through the process. Under current enforcement action for operating without

permits. Large office trailer is gone.

George Koutouzis who owns Gales Ferry Plaza at 1598 Rt. 12 Plaza (2 buildings

including Yoko Loko) is converting upstairs office space to three 1-bedroom

apartments. No site work required just interior work but needs site plan approval. LLHD

signoff required.

Request for a pre-application conference for a 3-lot subdivision off of Long Hill Rd. from

Rob Holhfelder, the developer of Marty’s Way. He also owns a property on Colby Dr.

and once Colby Dr. is complete he may construct a small multi-family there.

A husband & wife optician team are opening an office in the old veterinarian’s building

on Inchcliffe Dr. There is one apartment on the top floor that was approved many years

ago and they’d like to add two more apartments but it is in a CIP zone where mixed use

residential is not permitted. She’s hoping they can make some regulation changes to

allow that.

Dreimiller asked about Dr. Shiller’s old office building. It is in the development district

where mixed use allowed and is being converted to four apartments. Almost done.

VII. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

EDC Special Meeting Minutes of July 1, 2025

MOTION to approved the EDC Special Meeting Minutes of July 1, 2025.

APPROVED AND SO DECLARED

Michael Cherry

RESULT:

MOVER:

Peter Hary

SECONDER:

Schneider Dreimiller Vincent Hary Tashea Cherry

Aherne

AYE

ABSTAIN

VIII. OLD BUSINESS

Business Directory Update

Vincent mentioned that there is a new business, Smudge Makeup, going in above the

Refrag Zone gaming store. Burdick stated that they haven’t received a application for

permits yet.

Vincent reported that there were 8 new businesses in Ledyard that registered with the

State of Connecticut Dept. of Consumer Protection between June 27-July 26.

There’s a new owner of Stonecroft Inn. Burdick said that it has been a public restaurant

but they can’t find anything on record approving that. She suggested that he get a new

Special Permit. Cherry suggested that Eric Treaster may have records of the public

restaurant approval. They would like to move the breakfast service into the house that

doesn’t currently serve food and keep the public restaurant where it is. Final inspection

tomorrow.

Mohegan Trading Post has closed and there is a new occupant.

The Salty Heifer restaurant is for sale.

Avalonia Land Trust has relocated to Ledyard.

Vincent asked whether we should add these new home-based businesses to the

Business Directory. Cherry said that we would need to make sure that they have a

zoning permit for a home business. Dreimiller noted that the process we had decided

on was to have businesses use the online request form which would be routed through

the Planner’s office to make sure they had done everything necessary before adding

them to the directory. Burdick noted that Hannah Gienau receives copies of Trade

Name Certificates that are filed with the Town Clerk. She will pass those to the EDC for

addition to the directory.

Business Directional Signage

Mayor Allyn talked to one of the DOT engineers in Norwich who didn’t sound optimistic.

He suggested that we could provide a mockup with exact dimensions of signs and

exact locations where they would be place. There was no assurance that they approve

them. Aherne noted that it appears that the DOT is getting rid of some of their own

signs. So this has been tabled until DOT changes their position on signage.

CT Main Street town discussion

Vincent asked if we needed a Main Street steering committee for Rt. 12. Mayor Allyn

suggested that the EDC could take care of that.

XI.

NEW BUSINESS

Sustainable CT Ad Hoc Committee: Discussion

Sent out from Town Council asking if any EDC commissioners want to be on that

committee. Ledyard became a Sustainable CT town in 2020. This allows the town to

apply for grants through Sustainable CT. The Town wants to obtain Bronze

certification. Will be discussed at next month’s meeting. Vincent suggested this was an

opportunity for town residents who don’t already volunteer on other town committees to

get involved. Mayor Allyn stated that he was involved with this back in 2020. Burdick

noted that Sustainable CT does have fellows who work through the Southeastern

Connecticut Council of Governments in the summer, and she has some consulting

funds in her budget that could be used to hire someone that might want to work with

this member of the public that we could contract with to put together the list. She noted

that Parks & Rec is putting together a small park at Lantern Hill that will have a kayak

launching mat, a gazebo, some landscaping, and a parking lot and that this project

would qualify to be on the list. Meetings might be quarterly and preferably not at night.

Burdick suggested that everyone read the Town Council’s resolution and that it be

discussed at the next EDC meeting.

Blight Issues

The blight report from Hannah Gienau was discussed. Cherry noted that there were

two properties listed of interest to the EDC were Kartway and Datacon. He stated that

the vegetation around Datacon had been cut down and the windows boarded up, but

Mayor Allyn stated that boarded up windows still constitute blight. Vincent displayed

some photos of Kartway showing the trash accumulating around the collection box in

the parking lot, tires and other garbage in the stream behind the box, and holes in the

roof of the main building. He asked if the collection box could be removed. Burdick said

she thought she could call the state to have it removed. Burdick stated that in reviewing

notes in the file from when Alex Samalot was here that the owners of Kartway were

supposed to have demolished the building. Vincent noted that the main lot is owned by

two sisters and is listed for $995,000 and each of the sisters owns one of the other two

lots which are for sale separately. Burdick said that Hannah Gienau had contacted

Karent Majalian to get these issues address. If a resolution isn’t found then a notice of

intent to issue a blight citation will be sent. Dreimiller asked what they were paying in

taxes on the main property and Mayor Allyn said they are paying about $6,200/yr.

ADJOURNMENT

Our next meeting is scheduled for September 2, 2025, at 6:00pm in the Town Hall Annex.

A motion was made by Commissioner Hary, seconded by Commissioner Cherry, to adjourn at

6:40pm. The motion carried by the following vote:

RESULT:

APPROVED AND SO DECLARED

MOVER: Hary

SECONDER: Cherry

AYES: 7 Aherne, Cherry, Dreimiller, Hary, Schneider, Tashea, and Vincent

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.