Cadley property comes up

Mayor James Richetelli Jr. said the city’s financial health and protecting Milford’s New England charm remain two of his top priorities, prompting him recently to say he wishes the Cadley property debacle had gone differently.

The controversial episode in Milford’s recent history began in 2007 when the mayor announced plans to preserve a prime piece of open space overlooking Gulf Pond through a multi-faceted purchase plan. Known as Cadley Farm, the property lies adjacent to Gulf Pond and offers views of a vast salt marsh. The spot also is a popular spot for viewing ospreys.

When he made the announcement, the mayor said the deal would ulimately lead to preservation of an 18th century home and secure about 1.5 acres of land as open space.

But after the deal was approved and work started on the parcels, the 18th century Cadley homestead was dismantled and then reconstructed, using some of the original material, into a larger, more modern home with hints of its historic past.

The move infuriated local historians and preservationists, who insisted the city’s demolition delay ordinance should have stalled the dismantling. The issue led to some tense moments between Richetelli and City Historian Richard Platt.

The issue came up during a debate between the four mayoral hopefuls in September.

“I wish it went differently,” Richetelli said, adding that he wished he had notified the city historian about the planned work on the Cadley house before it was dismantled.

“I wish I had notified the city historian,” Richetelli said. “It didn’t happen and I regret that.”

Richetelli’s Democratic opponent, Genevieve Salvatore, said it doesn’t do any good to spend city money to preserve historic structures “and then have them torn down.”

However, she put the blame onto the building department for failing to inform the city historian about the planned dismantling.

“I am not going to watch that happen again in the city of Milford,” Salvatore said.

Tim Chaucer, a Democrat running for mayor as a petition candidate, was one of the primary opponents to the dismantling of the Cadley house and challenged the mayor’s assertion that the house was not in a condition to be preserved.

“There was nothing wrong with it,” said Chaucer, who is involved with the Milford Preservation Trust and the Milford Historical Society. “It was not a blighted house — it was a grand Colonial and it no longer exists.”

Milford Independent candidate Peter Spalthoff didn’t attack the mayor about the Cadley issue at last Tuesday’s debate but rather pointed out his own dedication to preserving Milford’s history. Spalthoff said he was instrumental in arranging for the Simon Lake submarine to be returned to the city and that he’s working on returning a cannon that once stood in front of a fort at Fort Trumbull back to the city.

“This history of this community is something I want to preseve,” Spalthoff said. “We’re the sixth oldest city in the state, and that’s something to be proud of.”

Platt said he doesn’t hold any grudges against Richetelli.

“I have a polite relationship with the mayor,” Platt said. “I don’t want to be sniping. He said there was a lack of communication, and I agree with that. But he did apologize for that.”

The Board of Aldermen recently adopted a stronger demolition delay ordinance, which Platt said would have prevented the Cadley house from being dismantled.

He expects the aldermen to revisit the new ordinance at their next meeting, however, to remove a line that Platt said should not have been included in the new version. Platt believes a line that defines a partial demolition as one that affects 50% or more of the building would allow a builder to “knock down 49% without saying anything.”

Platt said the line was copied from a Westport ordinance, and he believes it should be omitted.