To The Editor:

The Castle Hill appeals are not the only major legal expenses that Borough taxpayers paid for, as Warden Maher incorrectly stated at the recent Burgesses meeting. The Chair of the Borough Zoning Commission spent more than $21,000 to pay lawyers to defend undefendable violations of the Freedom of Information Act, where he refused to share audio recordings of zoning public hearings upon request (without notifying the Zoning commission of the request or his illegal denial of it).

Taken together with the appeals that resulted from Mr. Nelson’s ‘leadership’ of the BZC, his actions have cost Borough residents $58,000 in legal fees, thru 3/31/26 alone.

Next, under Connecticut General Statutes, Zoning Commissioners are strictly prohibited from discussing pending or active applications outside of official meetings. A pre-application review is the proper, legal avenue to get feedback before an application is officially filed. In Newtown, pre-applicants must contact the Planning & Zoning Department directly to schedule time on the commission's agenda or consult with land use staff to schedule a ‘pre-application’ meeting with staff.

So, why is the Chair of the BZC having private hearings with developers and stating his opinions about their pre- application projects? “Because that’s how he’s always done it” is not acceptable justification (did he do this for Castle Hill too?). The Borough has its own Land Use staff, the Zoning Enforcement Officer. The Chairman should refer potential applicants to the ZEO, not inserting himself and his biases into the process before there has been a public hearing.

The optics are terrible….and telling. And to announce his opinion about a pre-application project at a Burgess meeting, with a reporter present….well, that’s either really poor judgement, or total arrogance of authority…or both. Haven’t his actions cost taxpayers enough money already?

Dave Ackert

Sandy Hook