Waterford — In November, The Day reported on the Cohanzie School's consequential past following the Planning and Zoning Board's decision to reject a multifamily housing development proposal in October.

But what of the property's future? Will the town be able to hold on to any ideas as they grasp for solutions to an almost 12-year problem?

Waterford Planning Director Abby Piersall and new First Selectman Rob Brule are hopeful. First and foremost, they say, the town must better include community members in the decision-making process.

They are not alone in this opinion. After the proposal's defeat, former First Selectman Dan Steward criticized the public outpouring of opposition to the development. "The public did turn down Cohanzie, however, what they did in that process was inappropriate," he said. "They were actually a mob, and that's not how you would normally run it."

Shawn Monahan, who lives on Dayton Road, was an informal leader of a grassroots effort to halt the development proposal. He and his neighbors objected to Steward's characterization, which they were made aware of via an email chain regarding the neighborhood.

"Here's what's great about reading that (Steward's quote), to me: There's a saying that 'you can't fight city hall.' And we joined together as a group in our community to fight for what we believed in," Monahan said. "It's obvious by Dan's remarks that he simply did not win the battle, and it was a sore spot for him on his way out."

It would seem municipal leaders and town residents are frustrated with each other, but Monahan emphasized being proactive with the town and working together to find answers.

"What we need to do is listen and take into account the public feedback that came out of the whole process and make sure that as we go forward, we're having a cooperative and open process and that people feel informed," Piersall said. "If another applicant comes through, we need to make sure there's a more connected conversation with the community."

Piersall added that the Planning and Zoning Commission has tasked staff with looking at the contents of the adaptive reuse regulation, under which the last application came in, in order to avoid ambiguities that may have affected the commission's decision on the most recent application.

No certainties, just possibilities

According to Brule and Piersall, there are currently no new projects planned for the Cohanzie School. They emphasized their intention to take their time with the process.

Brule said he is open to any route, be it planning for a certain type of development with more stakeholders at the table this time around, or simply listening to bids as they come in.

Piersall mentioned several options for the property. She said she thinks whatever it is should be designed in a way so that the entity benefits the neighborhood and fits with the commercial Route 85 corridor. This could be a residential development, as Waterford does need to diversify its housing requirements, Piersall said.

"I think we're just going to look at both public and private options," Brule said. "We've been going at this for a while, and we're looking at every option that comes through, and we're going to be transparent about it."

Monahan, speaking for himself and what he believes is the neighborhood's opinion, said he'd rather have homeowners than renters on the property.

"I think the general consensus of the neighborhood is that they would like to see the property become some residential homes, to keep the character of the neighborhood as it is," he said. "We have already had one meeting with the neighborhood, and we've had ideas as light as preserving it and keeping it as it is, which I know is difficult."

Brule, Piersall and Monahan all said they hope that any solution includes maintaining the historical school building, which Municipal Historian Bob Nye has praised numerous times in his quest to keep the former school from being demolished.

For now and the immediate future, though, the Cohanzie School remains empty.

s.spinella@theday.com