EAST WILTON – The town’s code enforcement officer found no evidence of rats living in either the former Farmington diner or the adjacent vacant house in an inspection held this morning.
In a petition, neighbors had complained to selectmen that the diner stored on a lot at the intersection of Cemetery Road and Route 2 was a health hazard due to rats living in the structure and urged selectmen to order the immediate de-infestation of the buildings. The petition also complained about the appearance of the property and a flatbed trailer temporarily stored there.
Rachel Jackson Hodsdon of Wilton, the property’s owner where the diner has been stored since March 2008, told selectmen and the several neighbors attending a meeting on the issue Tuesday night, that she had removed all of the diner’s kitchen equipment and that there wasn’t any food left in either building for the alleged rats to eat and, she added, she had never seen evidence of rats there.
After hearing the petitioners’ complaints, selectmen asked that Code Enforcement Officer Paul Montague inspect the property for the alleged rodent infestation.
Montague inspected the diner and house this morning.
“No rats in the diner, no rats in the house,” he said. Hodsdon received a permit from the planning board to store the circa 1950s diner building on the commercially-zoned, 1-acre property indefinitely. An area on one side of the structure that was left open after being detached from another building at its original site across from Hippach Field in Farmington, had, at first, been covered with a tarp. Hodsdon has since closed the diner up with plywood.
“She’s done exactly what she’d said she’d do,” Montague said. Hodsdon said she wants to reopen the diner, possibly at another location, that features locally-grown food.
Read more about the discussion at the selectmen’s meeting here.
Read more about initial diner complaints here.
justice prevails!
Thank you Montague for doing your job. The property is not that bad of an eye-sore, just keep driving.
“a health hazard due to rats living in the structure and urged selectmen to order the immediate de-infestation of the buildings.” Really? People have been trespassing and saw rats (shame shame) or are people just making assumptions and wasting our selectmens and Montague’s time…… hmm.
Instead of getting petitions and fighting for it’s removal or destruction….. why doesn’t anyone help?
Jackson has a great idea for the property, a historical landmark of the area, we should help instead of complain. Donate to the cause instead of wasting gas money collecting petitions and attending meetings.
Wilton’s people usually help their neighbors, so lets lend a hand.
I’m in… what can I do Rachel?
Want to bet that piece of crap will still be there 5 years from now? Everything has a life span. Come on people, do your civic duty and recycle!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJixs2FoZ_Y
Got your point, although country music makes Captain Planet very sick…..But, I do believe in landowner rights. Set up your crappy diner out in woods on some back road and no one will complain. However, this lady chose to own property in a very public area shared with thousands of people. In making that decision she obviously gave up some rights. Maybe we can get a government grant(at taxpayer expense of course) to research all this. Or go to “Thought Bridge” and “think” it over…..
of course there are no rats now! It was infested by rats while they were open and serving food to the public! HELLO!?!? That would have been the time to do this little investigation, don’t ya think?!