Windsor special election results remain unknown

WINDSOR — Windsor town officials aren’t providing a preliminary tally of the votes from Tuesday’s special election that will determine the fate of so-called “backlots” north of Main Street.

Instead, the town posted on its website that town hall hours will be expanded through Feb. 1 to permit people more time to “cure” their ballots.

Ballot curing is the process of fixing technical errors “related to the ballot security measure that verifies a voter’s identity,” the website said.

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The ballot initiative came about as a result of discussions in the community about development of a three-block area north of the businesses on Main Street, adjacent to the railroad tracks and south of Windsor Lake. The backlots run between Fourth and Seventh streets.

The proposed redevelopment of that strip of land, called the Downtown Revitalization Project, would become home to 200 residential units, 435 parking spaces and 12,000 square feet of commercial space.

The new developments, under design by Tribe Development Co. LLC, would build on space that has for many years been used for parking by people doing business with Main Street retailers or visiting the park along the shore of Windsor Lake.

The town and the Downtown Development Authority have called the project a “catalyst for revitalization” of the downtown. It was touted as an area that would result in new jobs, increased property values, and permit expansion by existing businesses that now do not have space.

The land is owned by the Downtown Development Authority and the city of Windsor.

The plan drew opposition from a group that wants to preserve the land for parking. Marissa and Cameron Banninga are the listed leaders of the effort to force the city into creating a permanent parking district within the central business district.

They asked the town board to create the parking district. When it declined, the pair rounded up 2,255 valid signatures in order to force a public vote.

Opponents have called the effort a “taking” of private property rights and a down zoning. The town board voted unanimously to oppose the measure.

The official election was Tuesday but the town clerk’s office has several days to cure ballots and to count military ballots.

The deadline for overseas ballots and for curing is Feb. 1. The town must certify election results by Feb. 3. 

Whether unofficial results become available before those dates as is common in most elections was not clear Wednesday night.

Extended hours for town hall will be:

Jan. 25 through Jan. 27 — 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Jan. 28 — 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Jan. 30 through Feb. 1 — 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.