Permit Process for Irene Damage Streamlined

Mayor April Capone announced Thursday that town officials would expedite permits and approvals for residents and businesses attempting to repair damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene.

Capone said residents could call the mayor’s office in town hall at 203-468-3204 to set up an appointment to meet the fire marshal, town engineer, building inspector, planning & zoning administrator and the Planning & Zoning Commission’s attorney at the same time.

The special meeting would allow residents to avoid having to schedule multiple meetings at different times, on different days in different buildings.

Capone said the residents could also bring their architects, lawyers and builders with them to the meeting.

The special service, which is only available for town residents repairing damage from the Aug. 28 storm, is intended to streamline the permitting process and get repairs started quicker, she said.

She noted that town officials are not authorized to waive building code, fire code, zoning or other statutory requirements.

Capone said all town residents would also receive a letter next week informing them of this special storm damage recovery program. However, they do not have to wait for the letter. They may call the mayor’s office during business hours now to schedule a meeting.

One person expected to take advantage of the program is state Sen. Len Fasano (R-35), who is part owner of the Silver Sands Beach and Tennis Club. The club on Silver Sands Road was heavily damaged by the tropical storm.

Fasano said he and other investors bought the club in 1997 from a bank foreclosure, made improvements and reopened it as a family-oriented facility.

The storm badly damaged it, caving in walls of the restaurant, ripping apart the pool deck and cabanas, and causing roof damage throughout. High waves washed large piles of debris onto the property, too. Fasano said he has still not been able to estimate the cost of the damage, but it was enough that he considered closing and demolishing the club for good.

"When I saw the damage on Sunday, I was paralyzed in my thought process. I didn’t know what to do," he said.

Fasano is the State Senate Minority Leader Pro Tempore and Ranking Republican on the Planning and Development Committee, which oversees legislation affecting zoning and land development issues in Connecticut. He is also a private practice lawyer who specializes in zoning and land development.

Yet this time he found himself on the other side of the fence, seeking help from government agencies instead of working on providing help. And the scale of the problem he faced initially seemed overwhelming, he said.

But since Aug. 28 when he first viewed the damage the beach club had sustained, he was very pleased at the response by local, state and federal officials. He singled out Capone and FEMA for special praise for their helpful responses.

"For a business owner, it speaks highly to know that the mayor is behind you," said Fasano, who appeared with Capone Thursday at the opening of a new FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) disaster recovery center on Cosey Beach Road.

Capone said since the storm, the town has been working hard on providing recovery assistance for residents and businesses in East Haven.

She said the recovery phase can be frustrating, because sometimes it seems like nothing is happening fast enough.

However, she reported that the cleanup townwide was proceeding quickly. The town was providing refuse containers for residents to use and town crews are still busy picking up piles of brush and fallen tree limbs.

Capone said she talks almost daily with state Insurance Commissioner Thomas B. Leonardi and state Attorney General George Jepsen about disaster recovery issues.

On Friday afternoon, U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro will tour storm damage in East Haven with other state and federal officials.

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