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All 7 Comments

1. 

   Robin Messerli

   February 4, 2012 at 6:24 pm

   1

   Lisa, I don’t know if anyone has addressed your concerns outside of this page, but in the little time I have, I’ll try to say something.
   We need housing in this project to support the small businesses we are bringing downtown. Instead of putting buildings on 50% of the vacant square downtown and parking on the other 50%, we’re asking people (online and elsewhere) to share ideas on how to create a downtown where you can live and work (new jobs in construction and the many retail amenities that have been planned in detail) and shop and walk your kids to school and the park. A downtown where you can do everything you need to do locally, which raises tax revenues, which helps our schools that keep closing and other public departments. If you have ideas on how to make this survey more accessible on a tight budget, Bristol Rising would love to hear. Also, to access the difference between “likes” and true interest, there is a sign up list on http://www.bristolrising.com
    
   I hope that helps some. 
2. 

   Kathleen Connolly

   January 27, 2012 at 9:03 pm

   0

   Nice idea…rent is still a little bit high.If you could keep it at 750-850 people will stay. As for low income tenants….well we’ve all seen what that it has done to other cities. It decimated Meriden. Let them work there way up, like everybody else. 
3. 

   Bristol home owner

   January 21, 2012 at 11:45 am

   0

   This is not a poductive survey.
   This survey does not distinguish between two important aspects :the voters who are actually looking for housing and those voters that are owners and occupy housing  in Bristol already. What one group wants, what is good for the city as a whole, and what maybe economically susainable could be different things. Builders just want  their money and then they get out .Apartment owners are abusiness and arein it  to make money .
   Bristol should be getting ideas of what is in the best interest of Bristol  and its’existing citizens of the city. Ctizens have to live with what is built and the taxes and issues it raises. Citizens  who have to pay taxes and live next to this for years to come have different wants.Take a survey of all citizens in town, not just internet users, and something productive will happen. How will all this added housing effect our schools , fire department , police departmenentand, senior and youth services?Will it make us have to expand  with new buildings and additional personal. Will these additional costs will effect the taxes of the existing citizens? Apartments with 2 or more bedrooms  cost more in taxes over the years then an owner occupied  property. That is why towns like Farmington with lower taxes and better schools don’t build them. Instead they meet  fair housing oppertunities with cluster homes.They found this  better  that attract other good citizens that do not cost us  more in taxes with services then the average owner occupied household uses.  
   What about these apartments are going to attract middle upper end people? Is it the size , location or  other amenitiesin the units are being offered?How is more housing going to bring the revitalazation of our city? Are we short housing now?What  I can see is  that we are short of is higher income paying jobs and this does not address any of this for the revitilazation of Bristol. 
   Better planning must be done before new housing comes in.Just remember as soon as it is in ,everyone has lost all control.It can be converted into low income housing without any say .Huntington Woods is a good example : stable income young to elderly people living there,many citizens of the city for years, are being kicked out. The apartment owners are getting millions of dollars in exchange to convert it to low income housing residents.Does Bristol not have its fair share of affordable housing already? Bristol already has a very  high ratio of renters verses owner occuped housing compaired to surrounding towns.Bristol has a larger amount of housing already on the market  then surrounding towns, that is not selling.We have a very high number of forclosures that are bringing down property values. The available housing is in the  price range that these apartments  occupents be purchasing.
   The biggest cost to taxes in our city is  the cost of our school systems. I hope the new housing does not cost us more in taxes then it brings in by attracting more students. Apartments  have more cost per year  for students compaired to owner occupied housing, becasuse of the turn over .The problem with our low scoring school systems and the reason we had to get k-8 school systems.It keeps kids in the same school as they move from apartment to apartment. 
   The survey should ask why are we building more housing? Is there a group of housing need people that cannot find housing in Bristol ? Is it to address  the needs of a specific group ,such as artists or the elderly that would benifit from  lofts above and shops below? The survey should  reach  those who are not internet users, which is a large population of Bristol.
4. 

   Gail P. Rogers

   December 25, 2011 at 10:54 pm

   0

   I’m very interested in moving back to Bristol, my hometown. My Dad is ailing and I’m retired now and an empty nester. However, all these choices are kind of high for someone like myself who lives on a fixed limited income(Social Security and retirement. I’m not talking about HUD Housing but 1000+ , I might as well purchase a condo or small house. A one or two bedroom apartment at that price? I don’t know. I don’t want to live in a slum but I’m a retired RN so I consider myself a professional and you guys are out of my range!
5. 

   Susan G

   November 28, 2011 at 10:25 am

   3

   I would like to see something that would attract middle-upper class working professionals to live here.
6. 

   Frank DeFrancesco

   November 17, 2011 at 7:44 pm

   4

   I think that Mixed Income Housing (see HUD)

   (http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/affordablehousing/library/modelguides/2004/200315.cfm)

   would best reflect the spirit, ideals and values of Bristol Rising. Mixed income housing would promote greater understanding and cooperation among the classes, help reduce the discrimination toward low income families and lessen the distrust toward the upper and middle classes. It would include persons with mental and physical limitations as well as professionals and working class families and individuals. The units could also be mixed sizes.
7. 

   Den317

   November 17, 2011 at 4:46 pm

   4

   I would like to see 2 bedroom apartments in the size of 800 – 1000+ s.f. at a monthly rental range of $900 – $1100 on the low end up to $1200 – $1400 on the upper end. Anything higher than that, you’re better off purchasing a condo / townhouse. Bristol lacks sufficient rental housing for “Middle Class, Upper Class” individuals. I would like to see more of that and see less Section 8 and Affordable Housing units. Bristol has plenty of those scattered throughout the city.