Eminent Domain, Little Pink House

The Fort Trumbull area could have been a mix of old and new - the fort as a park, a neighborhood of homes that had weathered everything from neglect and the nearby sewage treatment plant to redevelopment efforts. Small stores and a walkable area to enjoy water breezes and saying hello to people on their porches, just think about it.

But today, like Constitution Plaza in Hartford, a real neighborhood area was wiped clean (except for the Fort Trumbull, now a state park) in anticipation for building corporate headquarters, high-end housing, hotel and marina, none of which has been built, or even started. Like a habitat being clear cut, the thought was to erase what was there (some of which, such as the sprawling junkyard, brownfields, old Navy housing etc. was not the most desirable) and instead, create a new environment.

Eminent domain is a powerful force in Connecticut.

"My neighborhood was not blighted. None of us asked for any of this. We were simply living our lives, working, taking care of our families, paying our taxes . . . This battle against eminent domain abuse may have started as a way for me to save my little pink cottage, but it has rightfully grown into something much larger - the fight to restore the American Dream and the sacredness and security of each one of our homes." - Susette Kelo in Little Pink House, published by Grand Central Publishing, written by Jeff Benedict.

Susette Kelo once lived in a pink cottage of a home that overlooked the waters of the Thames River in New London, side by side with homes that had been in the same families for decades.

Today Kelo's name is now synonymous with eminent domain at its worst application.

The physical house that stood alone still exists, but was moved piece by piece after the legal settlement. The land where homes stood is now an empty lot amid acres of emptiness.

The story about why this land grab happened (corporate short-term housing, Pfizer campus, and high-end apartments with a marina were viewed as the better use of private land for the public's good, in this case, the potential of more taxes) is told in Little Pink House: A True Story of Defiance and Courage.

The author builds the facts in the tale of Kelo and her neighorhood. How was it possible that everyday people and their modest homes became embroiled in a court case that led to the Supreme Court in a fight that lasted more than 9 years? Benedict skillfully tells the story by letting the people speak and bring details into the light

The Supreme Court ruling became one of the most unpopular rulings of all time in this case. Since then some states are considering amendments to the eminent domain law which prohibit the state turning over land seized under the guise of public use over to private corporations. Connecticut is not one of those states.

USN Neighbor, Submarine Base NL at Groton

It's easy to overlook what's in your own neighborhood.

The world arrives in Connecticut for the Naval Submarine Base New London at Groton, the U.S. Navy's first submarine base and "Home of the Submarine Force."

The state bond commission approved $7.65 million in grants for the United States Navy to fund infrastructure upgrades at the base, located on the east side of Thames River, and homeport to 17 attack submarines.

The main base occupies more than 687 acres and is home to more than 530 acres of family housing and supports more than 70 tenant commands including Commander Submarine Group 2, Naval Submarine School, Naval Submarine Support Facility, three submarine squadron staffs, and the housing and support facilities for more than 21,000 civilian workers, active-duty service members and their families.

Funds of $4.65 million are earmarked for upgrades to the Sub Base’s diver facility, and $3 million goes toward replacing the base’s power plant boilers.

The funds are part of $40 million set aside for infrastructure improvements on the base.

The Pentagon proposed closing the base during the 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment process. Groton scored low on its “military value” to the Department of Defense, but an independent commission overruled the Pentagon.

”The submarine base has an annual economic impact that can be measured in billions of dollars, and we want to do all we can to keep it off of future closure lists,” according to Governor Rell. “We feel that we have come up with a creative way to accomplish that goal.”

State economists estimate that the 31,500 jobs are connected in some way to the base operations.

Nearby Electric Boat Corporation, a division of General Dynamics, makes and repairs submarines.

The Navy decides on a case-by-case basis whether to accept money from a state, under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, which outlines the role of the armed forces.

In 1868, the State of Connecticut gave the Navy 112 acres of land along the Thames River to build a Naval Station. Due to a lack of federal funding, it was not until 1872 that two brick buildings and a T-shaped pier were constructed and officially declared a Navy Yard. This new yard was primarily used as a coaling station by Atlantic Fleet small craft, according to the official history of the base.