To the Editor:

Thanks to Janet McKeown for her March 20th letter, “Do Comments Fall on Deaf Ears?” Her question is a good one. I think I know the answer.

It’s “Yes.” That’s because we live in a town that prioritizes industrial development over the wants and needs of residents. If you think it can’t happen in your neighborhood, you’re wrong. Local ordinances designed to protect you and the community seemingly mean little to our elected and appointed officials.

As McKeown suggests, take a look at Hawleyville Road, near Exit 9. There is one new gas station already approved, and a second one proposed. But there are already three at exit 8 and two at exit 10. Do we really need two more?

Absurd nonresidential projects will move ahead in Newtown because we rarely, if ever, deny them. In fact, we often make changes to accommodate developers; legal notices in The Bee are called “Text Changes,” but they’re really “Changes within the Existing Zone.” Also, in some cases, ordinance “exceptions” need to be granted since this kind of development was never intended for these properties. Exceptions are always altered in favor of the developer. Why?

In Hawleyville, zone changes and exceptions brought a 180-apartment complex, a church, and a 226-child daycare center. And soon, a gas station. And then another one.

Hawleyville Village Center. Pedestrian-friendly. Sidewalks. Shopping. Places to stop, sit, and chat. No gas stations. That was the plan. That’s not happening. What changed?

And oh, that proposed gas station? It will have massive in-ground diesel tanks, bringing tractor trailers. At the entrance, won’t they block Route 25 lanes? And the exit will be on the very narrow, two-lane Covered Bridge road. Can large rigs even get onto that road?

All the Newtown development could mean filling wetlands; adding traffic; increasing demand for police, fire, and emergency services (many of which are volunteer); and threatening ground water supply (if your well performance degrades, neither the developer nor the town is responsible to fix it. You are). The primary mission of local town officials is to collaborate across departments to act in the best interests of the community, isn’t it? Are we doing that?

Some developers are in fact working hand-in-hand with the community, even though they are not obligated. But most don’t seem to care.

Where are our town officials? Just what will it take to declare a moratorium on the massive build-up of Newtown — until there is a clear, deliberate vision of just what we want our town to look like? There can’t be many families that move or stay in Newtown for excellent industrial/office development. And the argument that all this reduces our taxes is flawed. Can’t we do better for Newtown?

Thanks to my friends that tirelessly attend town meetings to raise the very real concerns of our community. I hope their words don’t fall on deaf ears.

Mike Giudice

4 Whippoorwill Hill Road, Newtown         March 25, 2019