About Bridgeport's Black Rock

Protect our neighborhood and have a voice for the proposed "Harbor Walk Condominium". Please attend the Historic District Meeting for the 340 Brewster Street (house opposite the flagpole)

Where: Wheeler Room B, CITY HALL, 45 Lyon Terrace

When: Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Time: 6:00 pm

Brewster Street Partners, LLC are applying for a Certificate of Appropriateness to

• Restore the existing building
• Construct 3 new buildings in the rear referred to as "Harbor Walk Condominium

Note:

No information was provided on building except the proposed elevations and the appearance (they will look exactly like the front building)Access will be via a gate which could be made to look like a three car garage- one will be for the current house, two others will provide an entrance and exit way to the new buildings It is not clear if they will look for a zone change or try to get variances

Our perspective - we wish to:

Preserve the current zoning for this area (single family zone)Protect the Historic District and maintain the integrity and character of the neighborhood

The Historic District purview will be to review what is visible from the Street considering:

"the historical and architectural value and significance, architectural style, scale, general design, arrangement, texture and material of architectural feature involved thereof to the exterior architectural style and pertinent features of other buildings and structures in the immediate neighborhood".

Thanks,

The BRHA Board

The Black Rock Garden Club is offering free seeds to plant a row in your garden this summer and donate your produce to the Black Rock Food Pantry. Donations are accepted at the food pantry on the corner of Fairfield Avenue and Princeton Street in Black Rock after 10 AM daily (522-5647) www.blackrockfoodpantry.com

See www.blackrockonline.org for more events

Adopt a disease-resistant American Liberty elm tree (from the Elm Research Institute in New Hampshire). The trees are approximately 6 feet tall, the trunks are approximately 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter. They are discount priced at $70 each. You can pick up your tree at 2:30 PM on Saturday, April 18 at the Burroughs Community Center. To order your tree, call Dave Berkowitz at 552-4904. Black Rock Garden Club volunteers will show you how to plant your tree and even go to your yard to assist with the planting on April 18.

www.blackrockonline.org

Please join Auden Grogins and Black Rock Homeowners Association for a co-sponsored forum on "Smart Growth: A Vision for Property Tax Relief".

When: Thursday, April 16th, 2009, 7:00pm

Where: Burroughs Community Center, 2470 Fairfield Ave.

Hear What Our Leaders Are Doing to Permanently Reduce Our Reliance on Property Taxes:

• Brendan Sharkey, Co-Chair Property Tax & Smart Growth Tax Force
• Heidi Green, President of 1000 Friends of Connecticut
• Auden Grogins, State Representative Bridgeport

Hear What They Have to Say About:

1. TAXES-Duplicating services and tax systems over 169 town's means we're wasting precious resources and overtaxing residents.
2. SOLUTIONS - Give incentives to better coordinate land use decisions, economic development, transportation, housing, services.
3. EDUCATION -Guide developers and citizens on how a development reflects smart growth standards and principles via a Scorecard

For more information please click to read Auden Grogins media release and BRHA's Flier describing this timely and informative event.

Be sure to invite your friends and neighbors to

this educational forum!

www.blackrockonline.org

Fourth Annual Garden Fest on Sunday, March 29 at 3 PM at Harborview Market, 216 Harborview Avenue, Black Rock. Sponsored by the Black Rock Garden Club. Speakers include: Wally Pugh on "Container Gardening with Herbs and Vegetables", Selma Miriam on "Herb Recipes from Bloodroot", Mary Jo Lent on "New Periennials for 2009", and Nora Galvin on "Beekeeping and Honey Harvesting". Moderated by Wendy Lindquist, owner of Lindquist Landscaping.

Vendors include: Mayan Imports - ceramics for the garden; Happy Tails - wild bird supplies, Peter Konserlie - sandcasting - art for the garden, Bill Parker - birdhouses, Pati Feher - botanical prints and cards

http://www.blackrockonline.org/garden-fest-2009