The Freeman Road pile on

One political friend put it this way, "This is what happens when politicians smell a vote."

Tonight in Common Council chambers at Middletown City Hall, the Council will debate, and vote on a resolution condemning the Army Corps of Engineer's choice of Freeman Road as the site for their new Connecticut Training Center.

Initially we had the mayor, the town planner and the head of the Chamber of Commerce, not only endorsing the plan, but cheering it on. The mayor has changed his tune, thankfully. The town planner has offered alternative sites, thankfully. And the head of the Chamber of Commerce has become silent on the issue.

Now, when t seems all but certain that the Army will be forced to choose another site (and force it is - they strongly claimed that this was their preferred site), you are going to see a political pile on. Be prepared for speeches that go something like this: "We fully support the Army, and our troops. However, we feel it's unconscionable to use pristine land on which to build this Army base. The Army needs to consider a brownfield site." But the speeches will be much longer and more self-congratulatory.

Let's remember who originally opposed the siting: the residents of the Freeman Road area, open-space advocates, environmental advocates, concerned citizens, the Democratic town caucus (in a speech by Coucilor Ron Klattenberg). And let's not forget that it was a freshman councilor, Republican Phil Pessina, and a longtime Councilor, Republican Earle Roberts, who first insisted that the Army consider brownfields. In addition, our state Representative Gail Hamm made sure the Army knew that they would be opposed by many factions on the Freeman Road site.

So now we have the Secretary of State weighing in. Is it absurd to think that the Attorney General, and the leaders of the state House and Senate will also have their say? Maybe Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will give a nod to open space as they swing through the state today.

Strangely, in a letter to one of the base opponents, State DEP commissioner Gina McCarthy states that she met with the Army in December 2007, and that: "At our meeting, Army officials made commitments to me to work with me, my staff and other state officials to find suitable, alternative sites. I take Army officers at their word, and I have directed my staff to work with Army officials, and local officials in Middletown, to identify suitable alternative sites for the proposed Training Center."

Strange, then, that the Army Corps conducted their public session in Middletown in a way that indicated the Freeman Road site was the only suitable site. I guess that's what comes from taking "Army officers at their word."