The News-Times has an article on the new diner on North Street which is pissing everyone off.

I've been working on a video post detailing the history of this bizarre diner (legal put sneaky) as well as how projects like this can be avoided in the future. I've interviewed people who were on the Planning and Zoning board and they'll give you a better understanding why an area, which was designed for another purpose, turned into a diner which many believe makes no sense. I've also talked to several residents in that area and they'll tell you why they feel this place doesn't stand a chance in being successful.

It's times like this where I wished I'd finished updating the site. I could have posted this video a couple of weeks ago but blogger has been unstable for some time. In any event, here's what the News-Times had to say about this insane development.

A new diner under construction on Padanaram Road is causing concern for some drivers who question why the city would allow another restaurant in an area notorious for traffic congestion.

Nearly 25,000 motorists drive on Padanaram Road between Hayestown Avenue and Golden Hill Road each weekday, according to city traffic statistics.

That traffic volume makes it difficult for people like Marge Nebinger to get through the area without strife during her drive from New Fairfield to work in Danbury nearly every weekday.

The diner, across from the North Street shopping center, is only going to add to the problem, Nebinger said.

"I'm not trying to make waves. I just don't understand why they give approval to these things when it is just creating more problems," she said.

The city's Planning Commission in March approved Elmer Palma's plans to build a diner called Elmer's. Palma's site plan was later revised and approved in November.

Crews are building the nearly 3,500-square-foot diner, which will be open 24 hours a day, on about a half-acre of land. It will have 22 parking spots, and is expected to open at the end of February.

Dennis Elpern, the city's planning director, said the site is properly zoned for a diner, and therefore, a diner can be built.

"A pattern has been established. It's hard to go back," Elpern said.

The diner is closer to the road than most establishments along Padanaram Road. It was able to be constructed with only a 3-foot setback from the property line because of special variances attached to the land that date back to 1999.

The property was then owned by Ann's Place, an organization dedicated to helping people with cancer that is now located on Old Ridgebury Road.

There ia a bit more to this story that the owner isn't telling the public that will better explain why something as stupid as this diner was able to exist in the first place. This story isn't as easy as a project that's properly zoned as the owner has you to believe and city hall could have placed safetyguards to stop something like this from happening in the first place.

...well get into that later.

For now, as a quick flashback, here's a short videoclip of the traffic on North Street during a typical weekday. The diner will be located in this area, down the street by McDonald's (just outside the range of this clip by about an 1/8 of a mile).


UPDATE: Oh look at how the apologists try to spin the story...too funny.

I've been alerted by a number of readers to excuses people are making regarding this story. It's taking everything I have to hold back simply because I've been working on this story for some time and as I stated before, I didn't post it yet due to the updating blogger is going through right now (the service is still somewhat unstable for old blogs that are still working under the old system).

I'll explain the real story behind the land use from people who would know...individuals who were on the board at the time. Trust me, there is more to this story than the 1999 decision that the elephants in the room are now calling a bad ruling by Democrats.

There is a world of difference between approving a variance for a place that is to help people with cancer and a diner. When I present my presentation in full, you'll see EXACTLY how this diner can into existence, how it could have been prevented AFTER 1999, and how sneaky developers who get away with idiotic projects like this can be stopped in the future.