Cromwell Council Unanimously Approves Red Lion Hotel Site Tax Abatement Transfer
Town Council · Meeting of May 13, 2026
Cromwell Town Council clears the way for demolition of the former Red Lion Hotel. The council voted unanimously at its May 13 special meeting to transfer a tax abatement agreement for 100 Berlin Road from Lexington Partner Group to Alpine Residential LLC, the state's largest apartment owner, which is proposing 267 units, 10,000 square feet of commercial space, and an amenity building on the long-vacant gateway site. Attorney Megan Hope told the council Alpine plans to close on the property in July, pull a demolition permit by September 1, and target certificates of occupancy in September 2028; the assessed value of land and improvements during the abatement period is set at $26,170,000, stepping from 10 percent taxation in year three to full taxation after year ten, yielding the town $603,427.86 annually by year nine.
The council also unanimously approved Town Manager Tony's appointment of Ginger Frasca, roughly 35 years of public-sector HR experience, as the town's new Human Resources Director, and approved converting two seasonal parks positions into a single full-time grounds maintainer role, with Director of Public Works Lou Spina citing Affordable Care Act hour restrictions as forcing a reduction in seasonal staff precisely when fall maintenance peaks. The Board of Finance set the mill rate at 29.28 mills, a 1.95-mill increase of nearly 7 percent, driven by $800,000 in new middle school debt, a $750,000 grand list loss from the Covenant Living settlement, and rising health insurance costs.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 1,098 words
Source: the Town Council meeting of May 13, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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