I've Always Had a Problem with Connecticut
Maybe it's just because that tiny state has the highest per capita in the country. I guess that makes sense--it's tiny, it's near New York, it's in New England. The excuses might be valid but that doesn't mean I have any respect for it.
Yet to be fair, I've had a number of very good trips to Connecticut in the last few years but that's a result of visiting good friends and a good friend's kick-ass house, which is placed squarely away from contact with the outside world (a.k.a. stay at home moms in new volvos, driving to the country club for lunch and happy hour while the kids stay at home with the nanny). See, stereotypes: apparently I am all about sharing mine today. But this response (rant?) is only prompted by news.
Yes, I've got another news article for you. Before you stop reading, though, I promise to highlight boldly and in color the most important parts: the parts that support my theory that Connecticut inhabitants (for the most part--please, I am not searching for a fight) think themselves above the rest of the country: they are richer and smarter and don't appreciate people honing in on their rich, smart land. I will highlight as such that you will be able to read the article in a coherant manner even if you skip over all of the non-bold. However, out of fairness to those truly interested, i will leave the nonbold...
Seriously, there are some CRYBABIES in Connecticut!
Neighbors speak against Taco Bell plan
By Jackie Majerus, The Bristol Press
08/25/2006
BRISTOL - Though they approved a zone change for the property, city zoning commissioners delayed a decision to allow a new Taco Bell restaurant on the east end of Farmington Avenue.
After hearing from Sheila Court neighbors who oppose a Taco Bell near their condominium building, commissioners continued a public hearing on the special permit and site plan approval for the restaurant until Sept. 13. But the commissioners agreed to change the zone of the property at 1250 Farmington Ave. from residential to a general business use. It's the only vacant lot left on Route 6 east of the Shop Rite plaza that hasn't been re-zoned, said attorney James Ziogas, who represented Taco Bell. The zone change is effective Sept. 5. Neighbors who opposed the plan to put in a Taco Bell raised concerns about traffic and fumes from cars and from the restaurant, but primarily objected to the prospect of noisy customers and the extended hours of the establishment.
Taco Bell stays open later than most restaurants, with hours until 2 a.m. every night except Friday and Saturday, when it is open until 4 a.m.
"It's not fair," said neighbor Jennifer Livingston, who said residents get up early for work. "How will we live?"
Livingston said she can live with the Dunkin' Donuts next door to the proposed Taco Bell because it doesn't conduct business before 7 a.m. and there isn't a drive-through. With Taco Bell, Livingston said, she and her condo neighbors will have to put up with "a little squawk box and people screaming into it" late into the night."I'm really worried about noise, the odors, late nights," said condo resident Brenda Coviello. "It really is a quiet neighborhood and we'd like to keep it that way."
Ric Livingston, who is the condo association board president, said 13 of 31 owners showed up at the zoning meeting to oppose Taco Bell. Others, he said, worked the night shift and couldn't make it. The condo association president said that Taco Bell's hours make it the place for crowds to gather after the bars close. He said at that time of night, it draws bar patrons and truck drivers.
But Ziogas said Taco Bell is "not a destination." Taco Bell customers, said Ziogas, go to the restaurant, get their food and leave. Neighbor Susan Kuchman said she wasn't out to criticize Taco Bell but said she feared she'd hear "the noise and the crowd and the CHEERING" of Taco Bell customers as well as the drive-through orders until the wee hours.
Kuchman said she's familiar with the current Taco Bell. "It's not a quiet location," Kuchman said.Greg McGlynn, another Sheila Court resident, said he didn't understand why Taco Bell couldn't remain where it is. He said he wants to be able to relax and cook a meal and sit outside when he comes home at the end of the day, not put up with the sounds and smells of Taco Bell. "I can't stand Taco Bell. I don't want it in my backyard," said McGlynn. "I don't want the smell in my backyard."
Neighbor Jim Reinwald said the area is "loud enough as it is now with just Dunkin' Donuts."City Planner Alan Weiner said the condo property does not abut the proposed Taco Bell property - there is a 50-foot buffer in between. The large trees on that buffer will remain, Ziogas said.
But neighbors said the tall trees offer a canopy, but only trunks where the sound barrier is needed.
When one condo owner said the buffer area will be a place for rowdy young crowds to congregate, zoning board Chairman Frank Johnson told the neighbors, "My suggestion is you buy it and fence it."
Ziogas said the restaurant would have a two-way driveway that would use the traffic light serving Bristol Farms plaza across the street.The restaurant would be 3,260 square feet in size, said Ziogas, with a drive-through window.
Jim Santos, representing Taco Bell, told commissioners that the new building would follow the company's new prototype rather than the Mission-style of the current Taco Bell down the road.
Yet to be fair, I've had a number of very good trips to Connecticut in the last few years but that's a result of visiting good friends and a good friend's kick-ass house, which is placed squarely away from contact with the outside world (a.k.a. stay at home moms in new volvos, driving to the country club for lunch and happy hour while the kids stay at home with the nanny). See, stereotypes: apparently I am all about sharing mine today. But this response (rant?) is only prompted by news.
Yes, I've got another news article for you. Before you stop reading, though, I promise to highlight boldly and in color the most important parts: the parts that support my theory that Connecticut inhabitants (for the most part--please, I am not searching for a fight) think themselves above the rest of the country: they are richer and smarter and don't appreciate people honing in on their rich, smart land. I will highlight as such that you will be able to read the article in a coherant manner even if you skip over all of the non-bold. However, out of fairness to those truly interested, i will leave the nonbold...
Seriously, there are some CRYBABIES in Connecticut!
Neighbors speak against Taco Bell plan
By Jackie Majerus, The Bristol Press
08/25/2006
BRISTOL - Though they approved a zone change for the property, city zoning commissioners delayed a decision to allow a new Taco Bell restaurant on the east end of Farmington Avenue.
After hearing from Sheila Court neighbors who oppose a Taco Bell near their condominium building, commissioners continued a public hearing on the special permit and site plan approval for the restaurant until Sept. 13. But the commissioners agreed to change the zone of the property at 1250 Farmington Ave. from residential to a general business use. It's the only vacant lot left on Route 6 east of the Shop Rite plaza that hasn't been re-zoned, said attorney James Ziogas, who represented Taco Bell. The zone change is effective Sept. 5. Neighbors who opposed the plan to put in a Taco Bell raised concerns about traffic and fumes from cars and from the restaurant, but primarily objected to the prospect of noisy customers and the extended hours of the establishment.
Taco Bell stays open later than most restaurants, with hours until 2 a.m. every night except Friday and Saturday, when it is open until 4 a.m.
"It's not fair," said neighbor Jennifer Livingston, who said residents get up early for work. "How will we live?"
Livingston said she can live with the Dunkin' Donuts next door to the proposed Taco Bell because it doesn't conduct business before 7 a.m. and there isn't a drive-through. With Taco Bell, Livingston said, she and her condo neighbors will have to put up with "a little squawk box and people screaming into it" late into the night."I'm really worried about noise, the odors, late nights," said condo resident Brenda Coviello. "It really is a quiet neighborhood and we'd like to keep it that way."
Ric Livingston, who is the condo association board president, said 13 of 31 owners showed up at the zoning meeting to oppose Taco Bell. Others, he said, worked the night shift and couldn't make it. The condo association president said that Taco Bell's hours make it the place for crowds to gather after the bars close. He said at that time of night, it draws bar patrons and truck drivers.
But Ziogas said Taco Bell is "not a destination." Taco Bell customers, said Ziogas, go to the restaurant, get their food and leave. Neighbor Susan Kuchman said she wasn't out to criticize Taco Bell but said she feared she'd hear "the noise and the crowd and the CHEERING" of Taco Bell customers as well as the drive-through orders until the wee hours.
Kuchman said she's familiar with the current Taco Bell. "It's not a quiet location," Kuchman said.Greg McGlynn, another Sheila Court resident, said he didn't understand why Taco Bell couldn't remain where it is. He said he wants to be able to relax and cook a meal and sit outside when he comes home at the end of the day, not put up with the sounds and smells of Taco Bell. "I can't stand Taco Bell. I don't want it in my backyard," said McGlynn. "I don't want the smell in my backyard."
Neighbor Jim Reinwald said the area is "loud enough as it is now with just Dunkin' Donuts."City Planner Alan Weiner said the condo property does not abut the proposed Taco Bell property - there is a 50-foot buffer in between. The large trees on that buffer will remain, Ziogas said.
But neighbors said the tall trees offer a canopy, but only trunks where the sound barrier is needed.
When one condo owner said the buffer area will be a place for rowdy young crowds to congregate, zoning board Chairman Frank Johnson told the neighbors, "My suggestion is you buy it and fence it."
Ziogas said the restaurant would have a two-way driveway that would use the traffic light serving Bristol Farms plaza across the street.The restaurant would be 3,260 square feet in size, said Ziogas, with a drive-through window.
Jim Santos, representing Taco Bell, told commissioners that the new building would follow the company's new prototype rather than the Mission-style of the current Taco Bell down the road.
posted by Elizabeth at 3:09 PM
10 Comments:
I don't like Connecticut. But for the same reason I don't like Connecticut I understand why the fuss about the TAco Bell. It's a boring state. Boring to me means suburbs with rules and heavy duty zoning laws and hummers and baby strollers and no night life after nine pm. It reminds me of the towm I grew up in called Swampscott.
Now if I chose to live in Connecticut it would be because I was boring with a lot of money. I don't see how people can live there....personally I would comit suicide....unless the home was a second home more in the country.
Now that I live in a cityish environment I would welcome a taco bell anyday....especially a taco bell with a walk up window. I would love the smells and I would go down and cheer for taco bell everyday.
wow. well that is an even stronger declaration of dislike for the snooty state of CT.
so whip, when we go to CT this winter (which we'll do despite all this smack we're talking), i guess we'll have to stop in at the taco bell in bristol and "cheer" so that the neighbors can say "see, i told you those taco bell eaters would go around cheering."
is there even a taco bell in connecticut?
apparently there is in Bristol.
I'm trying to get votes for my daughters performance...SHE LOVES TACO BELL!!! Whitney recently participated in a talent show in Las Vegas. Today is the day the voting starts. You can see her performance here, also click on VOTE and cast your vote for #59, Whitney Rodriguez!
WWW.usaworldshowcase.com
After you vote PLEASE FORWARD this email to all who are in your address book, and tell your mail recipients to do the same thing!
Thank you VERY MUCH.
WHITNEY, Glenda and Rudy too!
YIKES, glenda. i can't get on board because of this (her description of herself on her blog):
A soul kept alive in God, and for Him, amid sin's, Satan's, and the world's heart-killing influence --is a miracle of omnipotent grace!
we don't do the satan talk here at "i dream of taco bell" unless we are talking about satan burritos.
no offense, but if there was such thing as the devil, it would be a poor young girl's mother who prostitutes her daughter out on stage. give it up, glenda.
snap!
and agreed.
It strikes me as important to note that the neighbors to this proposed Taco Bell are generally elderly, struggling economically and not a bit typical of Connecticut, or at least not typical of Connecticut's image in the rest of the world. Bristol's a working class town with people who are not snooty.
A message to taco bell lover LIZ
This is Greg Mcglynn,one of the bristol ct neighbors you call a cry baby in your I love taco bell blog.
Taco bell is sick. It is one of the most unhealthy food you can eat. The fact that you are a taco bell activist makes me laugh.
come to taco bell in bristol on a warm night in spring/summer around
1-4 am and you will see why I don't want to have this bullshit in my backyard. You got the little punk high school kids revving their engines(like they are about to race the 1/4 mile at a drag strip) while waiting in the drive-thru. Then you got the ones who think its cool to bump there suped up stereo systems while they are placing there order,not to mention the 5 out of ten people who do loud annoying burnouts when they leave.
I think i am gonna start emptying my garbage in the parking lot because thats where it belongs at the dump right?
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