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Hartford on the hook for new Magnet School

MadVlad

By MadVlad
in Greater Hartford

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HartfordTycoon Town

HartfordTycoon

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This is a view from the State Capitol/Bushnell Park looking toward the magnet school site. The ramps of I-84 are in the foreground. DOT is planning on putting a $100 million bandaid on this area of the highway so it can stand for another 10 - 20 years. More and more neighborhood leaders are coming around to thinking that a permanant solution should be done sooner than later.

If it is done right, this site would be great for a magnet school or 3.

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asylumhill Unincorporated Area

asylumhill

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On another note here is an editorial endorsing the site by Elizabeth Brad Noel, a neighbor of mine, long time board of ed member and teacher, and former collegue of my mother from when she served on the Board of Ed in 90's. I really respect her views and she is about as in the know about Hartford's School system as you can get.

"A Signature Site" By Brad Noel in the Courant

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MadVlad Town

MadVlad

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I'll point out that every other article is against this project in that spot. This lady, while very nice, I'm sure, has an interest in this spot. One well thought out article, while making things sound nice, does not change the realities.

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Bill Mocarsky Hamlet

Bill Mocarsky

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I'm not sure what you mean every other article. If you mean state politicians and what they've said, then yeah. But if you mean the recent Courant articles about this, I don't see where you get that. I get that Rell, Blumenthol, and Hartford area legislators are against it while the City Council, Board of Ed, and Mayor's office are for it. Also there's evidence that OPM did not oppose the lifting of the deed restriction so that a school could be built.
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HartfordTycoon Town

HartfordTycoon

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Most of the neighborhood leaders (and others who look at the bigger picture) I talk to say the site is not right for the school.

I can understand that those involved with the board of Ed or the mayors office are biased.

Could those against the site be biased? What would be the motive?

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MadVlad Town

MadVlad

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I'm not sure what you mean every other article. If you mean state politicians and what they've said, then yeah. But if you mean the recent Courant articles about this, I don't see where you get that. I get that Rell, Blumenthol, and Hartford area legislators are against it while the City Council, Board of Ed, and Mayor's office are for it. Also there's evidence that OPM did not oppose the lifting of the deed restriction so that a school could be built.
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HartfordTycoon Town

HartfordTycoon

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You must be reading a different Courant than me, I read 2 other stories, in the Courant, Saturday and Sunday that basically called it a bad site. And that was only 2 days. There have been more. This is the first column I've seen supporting that site, and she has a special interest in the site, being on the School Board.

Toni A. Gold, who lives in Hartford, is an urban development specialist and senior associate of Project for Public Spaces.

Helen Ubinas, Columnist

I can dig up more if you'd like....

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MadVlad Town

MadVlad

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As a side issue, how are traffic issues in that area able to be fixed? Bill M had a good plan with a rotary, but I've never read about that being in the plan. What did they have planned for traffic? I personally don't know what could be done, no matter what you do, that's going to be a hot corner....

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HartfordTycoon Town

HartfordTycoon

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As a side issue, how are traffic issues in that area able to be fixed? Bill M had a good plan with a rotary, but I've never read about that being in the plan. What did they have planned for traffic? I personally don't know what could be done, no matter what you do, that's going to be a hot corner....
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MadVlad Town

MadVlad

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I think Asylum from Broad to where it intesects with Farmington was to be closed to vehichles and transformed into a pedestrian area was one aspect of the proposal just to limit confusion in that general area. Don't know for sure what else they had planned. I would install landscaped medians to break up Braod as well for starters if it as me.
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Bill Mocarsky Hamlet

Bill Mocarsky

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As a side issue, how are traffic issues in that area able to be fixed? Bill M had a good plan with a rotary, but I've never read about that being in the plan. What did they have planned for traffic? I personally don't know what could be done, no matter what you do, that's going to be a hot corner....
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Whaler0718 Whistle-Stop

Whaler0718

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I think the site would be ok for a school. Traffic there needs to be reworked anyway, so at least the school would've provided an excuse for doing so.

I think you could replace the existing triangle (Farmington, Broad, Asylum) with a roundabout.

Don't poo-poo the roundabouts; engineered correctly, they're fabulous. I drove all over the south of England this past September and couldn't believe how much more efficient roundabouts are. I was on a series of country roads and for at least 30 miles never had to stop for a light or stop sign; instead, we just cruised through roundabouts.

Seriously ... there are lots of places in Harford that would benefit from these designs.

http://www.roundaboutsusa.com/

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Bill Mocarsky Hamlet

Bill Mocarsky

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I think the site would be ok for a school. Traffic there needs to be reworked anyway, so at least the school would've provided an excuse for doing so.

I think you could replace the existing triangle (Farmington, Broad, Asylum) with a roundabout.

Don't poo-poo the roundabouts; engineered correctly, they're fabulous. I drove all over the south of England this past September and couldn't believe how much more efficient roundabouts are. I was on a series of country roads and for at least 30 miles never had to stop for a light or stop sign; instead, we just cruised through roundabouts.

Seriously ... there are lots of places in Harford that would benefit from these designs.

http://www.roundaboutsusa.com/

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Bill Mocarsky Hamlet

Bill Mocarsky

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A few side streets that broke up the super-block would help.

The old Hartford Public High School used to be there. It was on Hopkins Street, a side street that was taken out for the highway.

Does the current placement of I84 make this option completely unworkable? I'd assume it does but would need to take a closer look.

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MadVlad Town

MadVlad

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Does the current placement of I84 make this option completely unworkable? I'd assume it does but would need to take a closer look.

Yes. The current placement of I-84 makes it unworkable for now.

With DOT's planned $100 million band-aid that would last 10 - 20 years, more and more people are saying we need a permanant solution sooner than later. That is another reason to not build anything there yet.

People in Hartford need to think bigger.

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Bill Mocarsky Hamlet

Bill Mocarsky

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On another note here is an editorial endorsing the site by Elizabeth Brad Noel, a neighbor of mine, long time board of ed member and teacher, and former collegue of my mother from when she served on the Board of Ed in 90's. I really respect her views and she is about as in the know about Hartford's School system as you can get.

"A Signature Site" By Brad Noel in the Courant

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Bill Mocarsky Hamlet

Bill Mocarsky

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Elizabeth Brad Noel is a member of Hartford's board of education and the school building committee. I would expect her position to be in support of construction of the school. However, I don't expect her to chime in on all the other urban issues (some of which may be pertinent to the site) such as what we discuss on this forum.

Here is another letter from a member of Hartford's board of education and the school building committee.

(You'll need to scroll down to the 4th letter)

State Didn't Favor Site

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MadVlad Town

MadVlad

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Elizabeth Brad Noel is a member of Hartford's board of education and the school building committee. I would expect her position to be in support of construction of the school. However, I don't expect her to chime in on all the other urban issues (some of which may be pertinent to the site) such as what we discuss on this forum.

Here is another letter from a member of Hartford's board of education and the school building committee.

(You'll need to scroll down to the 4th letter)

State Didn't Favor Site

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