Jim Bell, longtime Preston volunteer, key player in Norwich Hospital cleanup, dies
Jul. 13—PRESTON — When this small town made the giant leap in 2009 to take ownership of the nearly 400-acre former Norwich Hospital property, the town needed dedicated and qualified volunteers in every field of expertise to manage the enormous task of environmental cleanup, demolition, marketing and political lobbying for help from the state.
Longtime town volunteer Jim Bell, a retired Norwich business owner and graphic arts teacher at Norwich Technical High School, answered the call. He joined the Preston Redevelopment Agency in 2010, when the agency faced a long-neglected Norwich Hospital campus, with collapsing buildings and underground tunnel network, extensive environmental contamination and the need to market the land for future development.
Bell became the volunteer agency's finance director. He took on the challenge of applying for complex federal and state grants, lobbying state and federal lawmakers for support. And when pockets of money started to arrive, Bell studied all the fine print to ensure the town used each grant correctly.
Bell helped secure more than $30 million in grants for the former hospital cleanup after having applied for more than $50 million in grants, "a pretty good percentage," PRA Chairman Sean Nugent said. Each grant came with strict conditions and deadlines for using the money. He also joined the agency's site team, guiding state, regional and federal officials, media and potential developers on tours and working with the cleanup contractors along the way.
"He was very organized, very smart," said Robert Congdon, former first selectman of 24 years and now vice chairman of the Board of Finance. "He's a guy that took nothing for face value. He wanted to look at everything in detail, which was very helpful with the amount of stuff we were doing and the amount of grant money we were getting. Some you could only use for demolition. Some for abatement. He had his arms around all of that stuff so that we could keep track."
Bell, still vice chairman of the PRA and co-chairman of the Emergency Services Advisory Committee, passed away July 3 after long battles with illnesses. He was 79 and died July 3, just four days after he and his wife, Patricia, celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary on June 29, Patricia Bell said.
"He was very dedicated to his volunteering," Patricia Bell said. "He always felt he should give back to the community. He was very caring. And as far as he was concerned, Preston was the best."
The couple lived in Preston for 45 years. Bell was co-owner of Franklin Press printing company in Norwich and taught graphic arts at Norwich Tech for 23 years. Patricia Bell taught first and third grades for three years in Norwich, three years in Massachusetts and then 35 years in Groton.
A memorial Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday for Bell at St. Catherine of Sienna Church, 241 Route 164, Preston. Along with his wife, Bell is survived by his nephew, Gianni Rotella, and sister-in-law, Catherine Rotella, and his "beautiful" standard poodle, "who misses him terribly," Lucca, Patricia Bell said.
Nugent said when the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority approached the town and offered to become the master developer for a multi-use entertainment, housing and business complex, Bell was "ecstatic" that the town had reached that big milestone.
"He thought it was a great use of the land, and that it got back to history," Nugent said, noting the tribe's historical ties to the land. But Bell knew the work had just begun: "and now, he said, 'let's get it done.'"
State Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, co-chair of the General Assembly Appropriations Committee, said Bell would call her frequently with funding requests for the former state hospital property. Although Osten's district does not include Preston, she said both she and Bell talked and worked on issues that benefited the entire region.
"His impact on eastern Connecticut broadly has not gone unnoticed," Osten said. "He always focused on projects that would have regional impacts. That is something everyone should remember. He could have just concentrated on small town issues, and he did not."
"Jim was a detail-oriented, straight-shooting public servant who cared deeply about Preston and eastern Connecticut," said Sen. Heather Somers (R-Groton) who represents Preston. "He dedicated countless hours to volunteering for the community he loved. That's quite a lasting legacy, and he will be sorely missed."
Nugent, also chairman of the Preston Board of Education, said he asked the board to acknowledge Bell during its meeting Monday night because Bell's long volunteer work touched every agency and resident in town.
Bell was a founding member of the Emergency Services Advisory Committee 30 years ago, passionately advocating for the town fire, ambulance and police services, said David Paige, current co-chairman with Bell. When a consultant recommended Preston merge the two volunteer fire departments and hire a paid chief, Bell enthusiastically support the plan and helped interview candidates and hire the first paid chief, Tom Casey, a retired Norwich fire captain, Paige said.
"Jim was one of the finest people I've ever known," Casey said Tuesday. "He was always willing to work hard for the town and his community. He was a big supporter of his community, and one of the most quick-witted people I knew."
And fashionable, Paige said, always with color-coordinated clothes and matching ballcap.
"I really enjoyed his friendship and personality," Paige said.
