Council votes to refer radio tower site to zoning

Town Council · Meeting of September 22, 2026

Newington Town Council voted 9-0 to refer a Cedar Street emergency radio tower site to the Planning and Zoning Commission for required state review. Acting Town Manager Lauren Rhines said the site, meant to house public-safety communications equipment, could begin construction in 2027, before the current tower lease expires August 31, 2027. Majority Leader Matthew Plourd and Minority Leader Gail Budrejko, both involved in site selection, requested a visual rendering of the tower from the town center.

Separately, the council discussed but did not vote on forming a three-member Open Space Protection and Ordinance Development Subcommittee, with Budrejko asking that the existing Open Space Committee review the plan first, saying "I would like this to maybe go to the Open Space Committee for their review." The council also voted 9-0 to disband three inactive committees, accepted resignations from Board of Ethics member Rose Sarubbi-Lyons and library board member Pamela Kiniry, and approved $4,126.46 in property tax refunds.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,623 words

Source: the Town Council meeting of September 22, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.

The Full Article

Awards and Proclamations: Honor for Talk to the Mayor host postponed

A proclamation recognizing Steve Parker for 35 years hosting the cable-access program Talk to the Mayor was on the agenda but not read. Mayor Jon Trister said Parker could not attend, and the council tabled the item to its next meeting without objection. The draft proclamation, included in the agenda packet, credits Parker with keeping the program running through the COVID-19 pandemic and adapting it to streaming platforms.

Public Participation: A taxpayer's unresolved complaint

Antonio Pizzoferato of 273 Maple Hill Avenue told the council his property taxes have doubled and that he has been unable to get a meeting with the right town officials to address what he described as long-standing problems with his property. He said he first raised the issue a month earlier and had been told a meeting would be arranged, but nothing happened.

"You know, every month, every month, every month, nothing is done." [00:06:36] — Antonio Pizzoferato, resident

Mayor Trister, Deputy Mayor Kim Radda and Majority Leader Matthew Plourd each responded, with Plourd noting he had met with Pizzoferato about a month earlier and connected him with staff. Plourd said, "We want to make sure that all the resources that you need to help answer the questions that you have are in front of you." No vote or formal action followed; the council committed to arranging a meeting. The council also had Acting Town Manager Lauren Rhines read into the record a letter from Cyndie Chudzik of 78 Welles Drive North opposing a proposed 13-unit affordable senior housing development on a two-acre parcel, citing loss of green space used daily by dog walkers, traffic on Cedar Street and wildlife displacement. Chudzik's letter suggested renovating vacant buildings instead and argued Newington has "so many abandoned buildings" that could serve seniors without consuming open land.

Old Business: Disbanding three committees

The Boards and Commissions Review Subcommittee, which the Town Clerk's memo shows recommended the action August 17 on a motion by Councilor Kelly deHaas, asked the full council to formally disband three panels that had completed their work: the Affordable Age-Restricted Housing Study Committee (Resolution 2006-117), tied to the New Samaritan affordable housing project and inactive since 2017; the Newington Housing Needs Study Committee (Resolution 2014-54), whose required housing study was reviewed by the council in February 2015 but never formally dissolved; and the PMBC Ordinance Review Subcommittee (Resolution 2024-46), whose proposed ordinance changes were adopted as Ordinance 2325-04 in May 2025. Councilor Matthew Plourd asked Rhines to confirm the housing needs committee was not required by state statute; Rhines said the statute referenced at an earlier meeting had since been repealed and that the committee was tied to a specific parcel, not an ongoing state mandate. Councilor A.J. Tiniakos added context on the other two panels, noting the age-restricted housing committee "completed kind of the charge" by 2017. The motion by Plourd, seconded by Councilor Kathy Gonzalez, passed 9-0. The Town Clerk's memo notes the subcommittee is still reviewing 13 additional committees and expects further disbanding recommendations in coming meetings.

Resignations and tax refunds

The council accepted two resignations without debate beyond thanking the departing members. Rose Sarubbi-Lyons, an unaffiliated member of the Board of Ethics, resigned by email September 8, citing personal reasons that she said prevented her from serving impartially; her resignation was accepted 9-0 effective September 22. Pamela Kiniry resigned from the Lucy Robbins Welles Library Board effective October 13, citing personal reasons in a September 9 email to Town Clerk James Krupienski; the council accepted that resignation 9-0 as well, effective September 22. The council then approved, 9-0, $4,126.46 in property tax refunds to 18 payees, ranging from $9.02 for a Little Brook Drive homeowner to $2,020.20 for Ally Financial, per the Revenue Collector's certified list.

New Business: Emergency Radio Tower Site referral

Background and stakes: The town has operated without a settled permanent site for a new emergency radio tower for several years, according to Rhines, while its current tower operates under a lease that runs through August 31, 2027. A town engineering memo dated September 14 from Town Engineer Christopher Zibbideo to Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Stanley Sobieski describes the selected Cedar Street right-of-way site as having adequate sight lines, access to electrical power, and the ability to use existing drainage swales, with an updated easement planned for neighboring property owners.

The question before the body: Whether to waive council rules to act the same night, and whether to formally direct Acting Town Manager Lauren Rhines to submit the site to the Planning and Zoning Commission for review under Connecticut General Statutes Section 8-24, which governs municipal use of land for public purposes.

Substantive content: Rhines told the council a consultant and town staff have determined the site is ready to move into the design phase, with construction targeted to begin in 2027. The preliminary engineering plan attached to the agenda shows a gravel and paved access drive, a fuel tank and generator, and a 60-foot section of 18-inch storm pipe to manage runoff, with cedar trees to be removed and a protective monument box installed over an existing highway marker.

The deliberation: Plourd and Budrejko, who said they had been directly involved in site selection, asked about a visual rendering of the tower as seen from the town center; Rhines said that would be produced during the design phase depending on the final design approach. Budrejko pressed on the completion timeline.

"You said that estimated completion would be 2027, spring, summer?" [00:20:12] — Minority Leader Gail Budrejko

Rhines responded that construction timing depends on design costs and permitting but that the goal is to have a new tower operating before the current lease expires at the end of August 2027. Resident Rose Lyons of 46 Elton Drive asked the council to clarify, mid-item, how the rule-waiver and public-comment sequence was supposed to work, saying she believed the process had changed from a prior meeting; Rhines explained on the record that the correct order is a motion and vote to waive the rules, followed by a motion on the substantive item, then public comment, then council discussion and a final vote.

Procedural steps and outcome: The council first voted 9-0, on a motion by Plourd seconded by Deputy Mayor Radda, to waive its rules under Section 14 of its Rules of Procedure, adopted September 8, to allow same-night action. It then voted 9-0, on a motion by Plourd seconded by Gonzalez, to direct Rhines to submit the site to Planning and Zoning under Section 8-24, after Deputy Mayor Radda asked that the word "and" be struck from the resolution's opening line.

Implications and what is next: The Planning and Zoning Commission's 8-24 report starts a review process that precedes any building permits; Rhines said design work and construction are expected to follow over the next several months into 2027.

New Business: Open Space Protection and Ordinance Development Subcommittee

Background and stakes: The proposal follows what Plourd described as years of inconsistent council attention to open space preservation, alongside recent community debate over a proposed senior housing project on a two-acre open parcel and renewed organizing efforts referenced in both the Chudzik letter and public comment from Rose Lyons about a prior "Save Cedar Mountain" and "Save Mill Pond Park" advocacy history.

The question before the body: Whether to formally establish a three-member council subcommittee, as drafted in the resolution packet, to develop ordinance and funding changes protecting open space parcels, with appointments to follow.

Substantive content: The draft resolution lists five subcommittee charges: tightening disposition rules for existing open space parcels; developing funding mechanisms, including state and federal grants, for the Land Acquisition Fund; identifying town-owned parcels suitable for conservation easements; identifying private or state parcels for right-of-first-refusal agreements; and identifying parcels suitable for purchased development rights, modeled on the town's existing development-rights arrangement at Eddy Farm. The resolution names three subcommittee seats, Democratic, Democratic and Republican, plus Mayor Trister as an ex-officio member, though no appointees were named in the packet provided.

The deliberation: Plourd framed the subcommittee as a complement to, not a replacement for, the existing Open Space Committee. Budrejko, who said she has watched the Open Space Committee since its creation, argued its influence had waned over the years in part because staff told the committee it operated at the council's direction rather than on its own initiative, and that duplicated efforts should be avoided.

"It's not as effective as it could have been. And actually, John, I mean, this letter is like super. I was reading it through. But this is the type of thing that I think staff was expecting this type of detail to come from the Town Council to the Open Space Committee." [00:32:35] — Minority Leader Gail Budrejko

Councilor Kelly deHaas, citing her work on the separate committee-duplication review, said three of the five proposed charges appeared to overlap with the Open Space Committee's existing mandate and one overlapped with the Planning and Zoning Commission's jurisdiction, and asked for clarification on what the funding-mechanism charge would actually require of council members. Plourd responded that the charge reflects the limits of the town's current budgeted contributions to the Land Acquisition Fund and the need to pursue outside grants to afford larger parcel acquisitions. Budrejko asked that the proposal be shared with the Open Space Committee, and separately with the Planning and Zoning Commission, for feedback before any council vote, saying that would avoid "duplication of effort" since a staff liaison would be involved either way.

Procedural steps and outcome: No motion was made. Trister agreed members would review the proposal and take it up at a future meeting, with Plourd noting "we have a couple of weeks" before the next session.

Implications and what is next: The subcommittee cannot be formally created, and no appointments made, until the council revisits the resolution, expected to incorporate feedback from the Open Space Committee and other land-use boards.

Town Manager's Report and Informational Items

Acting Town Manager Lauren Rhines previewed the Waterfall Festival (September 26, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), the start of a food-scraps pilot program at the transfer station the same day, youth basketball registration opening September 30 with a firm November 20 deadline, and a Connecticut Department of Transportation virtual public information session October 1 on new rectangular rapid flashing beacons planned for Robbins and Flagler streets. She also announced completion of a broadband upgrade extending public Wi-Fi to 23 town locations, credited to IT staffer Scott Sharlow, and a Government Finance Officers Association Certificate of Achievement for financial reporting, crediting the finance department and former Finance Director Janet Murphy. Separately, Rhines told the council the Library Editions and Renovations Committee (LARC) is pausing its update to the council to run a public survey and community-input phase before returning with a refined building plan; a September 4 email from LARC Vice President Kristopher Riley to the council confirmed that decision.

Mayor Trister summarized his letter to the Planning and Zoning Commission, Open Space Committee and Conservation Commission urging zoning changes to close a municipal-property exemption gap, require mapping of all qualifying town-owned open space parcels, define "undeveloped" with an objective standard, and require written Conservation Commission and Open Space Committee review before any open-space zoning text or map change. Councilor Kathy Gonzalez and Councilor Plourd both thanked Trister for the initiative; Budrejko called the recommendations "concrete steps to protect what we have."

Council Liaison Reports

Deputy Mayor Radda reported from the Board of Fire Commissioners that Tony Pelosi completed Fire Officer 3 and Fire Instructor 3 training, that the fire department lost its September 12 kickball game against police, and that a combined fire-police picnic with a cornhole tournament is planned for October 10, alongside a cadet pancake breakfast October 25. Councilor A.J. Tiniakos reported the library board secured a sizable new grant, scheduled a book sale for October 16-18, and that the senior center's bingo night is October 2. Plourd reported on a Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing on signage at the Culver Street apartments, continued to a future meeting, and an Economic Development Commission effort to contact owners of vacant parcels about redevelopment. He also described new businesses AMR and Bora Bora Smoothie opening downtown and two September 11 remembrance ceremonies marking the 25th anniversary of the attacks. Budrejko noted the number of Newington residents and first responders who traveled to New York to help that day.

Public Participation and Executive Session

Resident Rose Lyons, 46 Elton Drive, asked whether the mayor's open-space letter would be attached to the meeting minutes, said she remains unhappy with the council's decision on a Mill Street senior housing project, and recalled earlier advocacy by Carol Wojtowicz to establish a land trust. She also asked the council to consider renaming the "Marcap" open space property, purchased years ago from a property owner she referred to as Mr. Cohen. The council then entered executive session, 9-0, to discuss potential real estate acquisition with Acting Town Planner Erik Hinckley, Planning Technician Charlie Nevers and Open Space Committee Chair Gia Pascarelli, followed by a separate session on the Town Manager search with Jaime Trevethan, Director of the Senior and Disabled Center. Afterward, Mayor Trister said the town manager position has drawn several applications and that a public input session is planned. The council adjourned 9-0 at 8:52 p.m.

WHO WAS THERE

Jon Trister, Mayor, presiding Kim Radda, Deputy Mayor, present Matthew Plourd, Majority Leader, present Gail Budrejko, Minority Leader, present Nancy Cappello, Member, present Kelly deHaas, Member, present Kathy Gonzalez, Member, present Hilda Nieves, Member, present A.J. Tiniakos, Member, present No council members recorded absent

Lauren Rhines, Acting Town Manager Erik Hinckley, Acting Town Planner Jaime Trevethan, Director, Senior and Disabled Center Scott Hoagland, IT Network/Application Specialist, Meeting Moderator Susan Gibbon, Council Clerk

Antonio Pizzoferato, 273 Maple Hill Avenue, public comment on property taxes Rose Lyons, 46 Elton Drive, public comment on procedure and open space Cyndie Chudzik, 78 Welles Drive North, written comment opposing senior housing on open space, read into record

Kristopher Riley, Vice President, Board of Trustees, Lucy Robbins Welles Library Inc., emailed update on LARC community-engagement plans Charlie Nevers, Planning Technician, invited to executive session on real estate Gia Pascarelli, Open Space Committee Chair, invited to executive session on real estate

ORGANIZATIONS AND DOCUMENTS REFERENCED

Planning and Zoning Commission — recipient of the Section 8-24 referral on the radio tower site and of Mayor Trister's open-space letter Open Space Committee — existing town commission whose work the proposed council subcommittee is intended to complement, per Councilor Plourd Connecticut Department of Transportation — holding an October 1 virtual session on flashing-beacon installations at Robbins and Flagler streets Government Finance Officers Association — awarded the town its financial-reporting certificate for fiscal year 2024-2025 Newington Volunteer Fire Department — sponsored two September 11 remembrance ceremonies cited by Councilor Plourd and Councilor Budrejko Library Editions and Renovations Committee (LARC) — building committee pausing its council update to run a community survey Connecticut General Statutes Section 8-24 — authority cited for the required municipal land-use referral on the radio tower site Connecticut General Statutes Section 1-200(6)(D) — authority cited for entering executive session on real estate acquisition Town Council Rules of Procedure, Section 14, adopted September 8, 2026 — cited as the rule the council waived to act same-night on the tower referral September 14, 2026 memo from Town Engineer Christopher Zibbideo — describes the engineering basis for the selected Cedar Street tower site September 3, 2026 Town Clerk memo on Boards & Commissions Review Subcommittee — basis for disbanding the three inactive committees