Hotel Utopia: April 2006
Road concerns remain concerns, many appear confused by traffic study
By Stephen Kurczy
When Hospital Advisory Committee member Jerry Grabarek compared Utopia’s $1.6 billion proposal to the song “Hotel California,” he drew chuckles from nearly everyone, including the engineering firm hired to assess the project’s feasibility.
“So you’re telling me that at five o’clock Utopia’s going to be like the Hotel California where you can check in but never check out?” Grabarek said, barely finishing the sentence before he burst out laughing.
Two dozen officials sat around a large square of tables as Earth Tech presented the second part of their traffic study inside the gymnasium of Veteran’s Memorial School. As is custom for Joseph Gentile, chief financial officer of Utopia Studios, Ltd., he traced the perimeter shaking hands with each Hospital Advisory Committee member, attorney, representative from the Regional Council of Governments and Earth Tech engineer before the meeting began.
The purpose of the 2 ½ -hour meeting was for Earth Tech to project attendance and resulting traffic from Utopia Studios’ theme park resort, though committee members appeared dissatisfied with the information.
Attendance broke down to 74,000 patrons 207 days a year and 40,575 patrons 154 days a year. This is problematic during rush hour.
The two-lane Mohegan-Pequot Bridge will not be able to handle this influx at 5 p.m. on weekdays, Earth Tech said, because it already operates at near-capacity. As a result, patrons to Utopia Studios’ theme park resort would be barred from leaving the facility at this time.
“The point is that you can check out but you can’t leave,” Grabarek chuckled.
“There are worse case scenarios,” Gentile said.
Upward of 150 people sat watching; members of the Labor Union stood in the back looking stoic with their arms crossed.
To make traffic worse, Earth Tech said that four times a year – on the theme park’s peak attendance days – there would probably be 100,000 patrons.
Advisory committee members pointed out that traffic is already bad on holidays and without substantial road renovations the result would be gridlock.
“We all know that on Columbus Day and Memorial Day, traffic is bumper-to-bumper between casinos,” said Kent Borner, Hospital Advisory Committee member.
Earth Tech said Utopia Studios has promised to bus in 35 percent of the patrons.
“The key is to minimize any impact to the local roads,” Gentile said.
Even yet, 75,000 patrons would be coming by car on those four peak days.
“We don’t see it as an insurmountable management situation,” said James Ford, an Earth Tech engineer who led the presentation. “If I didn’t think it could happen, I’d say it wouldn’t.”
“We’re in the happy business,” Gentile added. “People come here, they want to be happy.”
What was supposed to be an informational meeting appeared increasingly confusing for the committee members.
Trying to understand how Earth Tech broke down the attendance projections, Borner, a resident of 21 years, said, “I still don’t get it. I guess I’m stupid.”
Earth Tech based much of their traffic study on attendance figures provided by Utopia Studios, and on a traffic study completed by Arpen Group last June.
“What research did you do?” asked First Selectman Robert Congdon.
“What was the basis of your projections?” asked Joseph Biber, committee co-chairman.
“We did not verify that,” Ford repeatedly responded.
Earth Tech said that a more detailed traffic study would be done if the town approves Utopia Studios’ proposal.
“Just be patient with concerns to the questions of feasibility,” said Christopher Thompson, an attorney with Utopia. “You will have the answers very soon.”
Two of the microphones had malfunctioned earlier in the evening, sounding something like machine guns firing, and as the night ended they again began to act up, now screeching like dueling light sabers.
At an icy close to the meeting, Congdon asked Utopia to provide within two days the final schedules and paperwork that town attorneys have been waiting 60 days to receive. Nine months earlier, negotiations ended with the Long-Island based firm because they did not provide requested information.
By Stephen Kurczy
When Hospital Advisory Committee member Jerry Grabarek compared Utopia’s $1.6 billion proposal to the song “Hotel California,” he drew chuckles from nearly everyone, including the engineering firm hired to assess the project’s feasibility.
“So you’re telling me that at five o’clock Utopia’s going to be like the Hotel California where you can check in but never check out?” Grabarek said, barely finishing the sentence before he burst out laughing.
Two dozen officials sat around a large square of tables as Earth Tech presented the second part of their traffic study inside the gymnasium of Veteran’s Memorial School. As is custom for Joseph Gentile, chief financial officer of Utopia Studios, Ltd., he traced the perimeter shaking hands with each Hospital Advisory Committee member, attorney, representative from the Regional Council of Governments and Earth Tech engineer before the meeting began.
The purpose of the 2 ½ -hour meeting was for Earth Tech to project attendance and resulting traffic from Utopia Studios’ theme park resort, though committee members appeared dissatisfied with the information.
Attendance broke down to 74,000 patrons 207 days a year and 40,575 patrons 154 days a year. This is problematic during rush hour.
The two-lane Mohegan-Pequot Bridge will not be able to handle this influx at 5 p.m. on weekdays, Earth Tech said, because it already operates at near-capacity. As a result, patrons to Utopia Studios’ theme park resort would be barred from leaving the facility at this time.
“The point is that you can check out but you can’t leave,” Grabarek chuckled.
“There are worse case scenarios,” Gentile said.
Upward of 150 people sat watching; members of the Labor Union stood in the back looking stoic with their arms crossed.
To make traffic worse, Earth Tech said that four times a year – on the theme park’s peak attendance days – there would probably be 100,000 patrons.
Advisory committee members pointed out that traffic is already bad on holidays and without substantial road renovations the result would be gridlock.
“We all know that on Columbus Day and Memorial Day, traffic is bumper-to-bumper between casinos,” said Kent Borner, Hospital Advisory Committee member.
Earth Tech said Utopia Studios has promised to bus in 35 percent of the patrons.
“The key is to minimize any impact to the local roads,” Gentile said.
Even yet, 75,000 patrons would be coming by car on those four peak days.
“We don’t see it as an insurmountable management situation,” said James Ford, an Earth Tech engineer who led the presentation. “If I didn’t think it could happen, I’d say it wouldn’t.”
“We’re in the happy business,” Gentile added. “People come here, they want to be happy.”
What was supposed to be an informational meeting appeared increasingly confusing for the committee members.
Trying to understand how Earth Tech broke down the attendance projections, Borner, a resident of 21 years, said, “I still don’t get it. I guess I’m stupid.”
Earth Tech based much of their traffic study on attendance figures provided by Utopia Studios, and on a traffic study completed by Arpen Group last June.
“What research did you do?” asked First Selectman Robert Congdon.
“What was the basis of your projections?” asked Joseph Biber, committee co-chairman.
“We did not verify that,” Ford repeatedly responded.
Earth Tech said that a more detailed traffic study would be done if the town approves Utopia Studios’ proposal.
“Just be patient with concerns to the questions of feasibility,” said Christopher Thompson, an attorney with Utopia. “You will have the answers very soon.”
Two of the microphones had malfunctioned earlier in the evening, sounding something like machine guns firing, and as the night ended they again began to act up, now screeching like dueling light sabers.
At an icy close to the meeting, Congdon asked Utopia to provide within two days the final schedules and paperwork that town attorneys have been waiting 60 days to receive. Nine months earlier, negotiations ended with the Long-Island based firm because they did not provide requested information.
posted by Stephen C. Kurczy at 11:55 PM
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