City moving forward with parking lot purchase

TORRINGTON — Parking on crowded Franklin Street is so difficult, the owner of a nearby business said he sometimes gets blocked in and can’t exit onto the road.

But the parking situation may improve with the city’s proposed purchase of the lot that is located near the corner of Franklin and Center streets . The Board of Finance is expected this week to approve the purchase of the nearly half-acre lot for $80,000.

“A public lot where (they plan) it, is great for the town,” said Jon Pignatello, co-owner of Mila Rose Salon, at 23 Franklin St.

Pignatello did have reservations about whether some of his clientele would choose to park in the lot, which is about a half block away, when it’s dark by 5 p.m. in the winter. Pignatello said his clients usually look for a spot on the street that’s close to the salon. He said they will circle the block two times to find a space.

The new lot would more likely help customers of Sawyers Bar and Grill at 79 Center St., Pignatello said. The business is located at the corner of Franklin and Center streets . The owners couldn’t be reached for comment.

The purchase of the lot from owner Nick Gazetos of General Real Estate Holdings LLC, in Danbury, also hinges on a final recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Commission. Its next meeting is Jan. 9.

Property records show the parcel was purchased in 1993 and sold in 2008 for $400,000. The Danbury real estate firm took ownership of the lot in 2017 through a foreclosure proceeding, records show.

The city’s proposed purchase of the parcel fits in well with the Franklin Street Public Space project, officals said.

City Zoning and Wetlands Enforcement Officer Rista Malanca said if the acquisition of the land is approved, the property would be “part of the whole plan,” of the public space project.

To spread the word about the project, Malanca and a number of city officials, held an outdoor event in June on Franklin Street. Neighbors, residents and business owners attended to share ideas and learn about the plan.

The project includes construction of a pedestrianfriendly public space on Franklin Street. The June event provided an example with outdoor tables, pop-up exhibits and flower planters placed near the parking lot that the city is expected to buy.

Two key goals of the planning grant are to “create a sense of place and enhance livability,” and to “spur tax base expansion and job creation.”

Valarie Ferro, a consulting planner for the city, said at the event that community engagement is a part of a multi-pronged approach for the project. “We call it tactical urbanism,” she said. “We want to transform spaces.”

The Franklin Street public space plan is part of a larger project called the Brownfield Area-Wide Revitalization Planning Grant. The city received a $200,000 state grant in 2015, and began mapping the targeted areas, taking inventory of buildings and reviewing the flow of downtown traffic.

Two key goals of the planning grant are to “create a sense of place and enhance livability,” and to “spur tax base expansion and job creation.”