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www.HartfordBusiness.com • February 24, 2020 • Hartford Business Journal 3 Continued on page 4 >> Up Front Developer eyes second project attempt on fiercely guarded Avon golf course land By Matt Pilon mpilon@hartfordbusiness.com N IMBYism runs rampant in some Connecticut commu- nities, but a well-organized Avon citizen group with deeper-than- average pockets has taken the "not-in- my-backyard" approach to a new level and notched several recent victories. However, the biggest test yet may be ahead for the activist organiza- tion, called Save Nod Road, whose opposition helped block a major single-family housing development and more recently, a senior-living facility along the bucolic two-lane road for which the group is named. Simsbury developer Anthony Gior- gio, whose plans to build 95 upscale single-family homes on a portion of Blue Fox Run golf course were dashed by stiff local opposition and a zone-change denial last September, says he's plotting a comeback. Giorgio, managing director of The Keystone Companies LLC, told HBJ he is negotiating the purchase of 52 acres from Blue Fox Run, a deal he hopes to close by April. The course, which would likely shrink from 27 to 18 holes if the deal goes through, would use the proceeds to make improvements, according to Giorgio, who said he hasn't yet settled on his next devel- opment proposal for the land. He's keeping his options close to the vest for now. However, he's not planning another large-scale, single- family home development. "Obviously we can't go down that path again," Giorgio said. "I'm not going to go into that quagmire." Another option Giorgio was con- sidering until recently was a retire- ment community. However, another TOWN PROFILE: AVON A well-organized group of local residents stands ready to combat development proposals along Avon's Nod Road. Their next battle could be coming soon. HBJ PHOTO | MATT PILON Member FDIC/Member DIF Michael Oleksak, Executive Vice President Commercial Banking Margaret Lenihan, Senior Vice President Business Banking Director 413.538.9500 Vision Cash Management | Flexible Lending Innovative Financial Management Tools Imagine what you could do with a bank that believes in your business. You have a vision for where your business can go, and your business bank should play an active role on that journey. We can help you turn possibilities into reality.