Lyme's Budget And Progress On The Town Campus Both Meet With Approval

Lyme's Annual Town Meeting last night was better attended and longer than usual—but not because there was any controversy about the town's proposed budget. 

Lyme residents voted to approve the proposed $12.97 million budget for fiscal year 2013-2014, which will raise the mill rate by about half a mill. Having taken care of that important bit of business, about 30 or so people then stuck around for what for many was the main event—an update on Lyme's new Town Campus.   

The $4.7 million project, which involves renovations to the historic town hall and a new library to replace the aging Lyme Public Library building, is one of the largest building projects to hit the town in decades. With groundbreaking slated for sometime in July, people were keen to find out how the construction and the final project would impact the town. 

"I think it was pretty well-received overall. I didn’t sense any negativity at all," said First Selectman Ralph Eno. "The Fire Company folks had some questions about access for emergency vehicles when the project is done. There [will be] considerably more parking—that was one of the questions [people had]."

"When it’s done, I think people are going to be pleased with the aesthetic effect and they’ll have some new facilities that will meet town needs for the foreseeable future," said Eno.