I am compelled to add a few of my thoughts to the conversation regarding the debacle at State and Thames. 
Overall, the expansion of The Belvedere is a very bad idea, like trying to fit the wrong size foot into the glass slipper. 

• “No” is a complete sentence.

• 17 variances are too many.

• Bristol does not need wealthy New York investors to exploit and transform an otherwise sunny street into a shadowy canyon. 

• The only Economic Development or Economic Progress will be for the small group of New York investors.

• This sets a terrible precedent for the development of the other empty lots on Thames Street. Allowing these variances will make it difficult to deny other developers, thus negating the building laws in the historic district.  

• We do not need another pizza place competing with our existing establishments, no matter how fancy.  

• We do not need 20 more units in Bristol. There is existing inventory of houses, apartments, and condos. 

• Neither The Belvedere nor Stone Harbor are fully occupied.  

• There does not seem to be a line knocking down the doors of The American Tourister in Warren for the hundreds of units they have developed.

• 20 units allow approximately 20 to 60 new people in town. They are not going to be spending that much money in the retail stores to make an economic boon. 

• Retail shopping is dead, ask anyone under 40, unless it is a totally unique shop. With shopping always a click away, the UPS and Fed Ex trucks will be blocking Thames Street every day. 

• Who is crazy enough to live under a swimming pool?

• Affordable housing is great. Will the developers be accepting Section 8 Housing vouchers? Will this development provide for hobnobbing poolside dialogue of the poor and the rich?

• This development is not going to help the ordinary person in Bristol. 

• There are people who live a few blocks away from this development who live paycheck to paycheck and this form of Economic Development is not going to help any of them.  

• This development will add to the downtown parking problem. 

• The alleged tax gain proposed from this monstrosity is NOT worth it. 

• This is not economic development. This is economic exploitation.

I was a member of former Economic Development Commission of Bristol.

Charles C. Cavalconte, M. Div.
Church Street, Bristol