Newtown's Tilt Toward Development

By CURT CLARK

Published: Jul 01, 2005 12:00 am

Newtownâs Tilt Toward Development

To the Editor:

Business as usual or sleazy politics? Iâm not sure which one of these titles best describes our local political culture in Newtown regarding Fairfield Hills and the little concern over increased development changing our local landscape.

Regarding Fairfield Hills, much gratitude and appreciation can be given to the group the Friends of Fairfield Hills who have worked hard for the people of Newtown in trying to preserve the land, some structures, and include the participation of the local community in the process. Unfortunately their efforts and our local community votes have been thwarted by the selectman and other elected officials with a political end-run game ultimately around the townspeople and the organized group Friends of Fairfield Hills.

I am discouraged as a citizen of Newtown with the involvement of Rep Wasserman and Sen McKinny helping our selectman with his end-run agenda by introducing legislation in Hartford. Legislation that only affects Newtown. This new legislation allows Mr Rosenthal free rein in appointing people and making his own Fairfield Hills committee. We can thank our local representative and senator for taking the vote away from the people. However I thought political representatives were representatives of the people, not the selectman. What can one surmise about such legislation? Do our representatives and those involved in town government have a different interest for Fairfield Hills than the people? For that matter, all of Newtown?

I believe that our selectman and some people on the various town committees are heavily biased towards development of Fairfield Hills as well as all of Newtown. A perfect example is the current plan of Fairfield Hills, which was very similar to the plan voted down by the people in 2003, hence the new legislation which discontinued the peopleâs vote and participation. The polls that were conducted and paid for by the people of Newtown have shown citizens do not want to develop Fairfield Hills. Furthermore, there have been many letters to the editor and particularly in some of the more recent issues of The Bee regarding over development and the destruction of Newtownâs rural character.

Whoâs accountable? Why does Newtown continue to rapidly develop? Are the policies and politics of the Fairfield Hills situation representative of Newtownâs pro-development direction, and are they representative of the personal interests of those people on the various town committees? Can one assume that some committee members may desire more houses with a growing population which result in the need for more auto sales, more legal help, more electrical contracts, more financial help, more papers sold, more insurance coverage, etc? Do these new services and demands monetarily help some committee membersâ own business interests? More important, is it too late for the people of Newtown to demand more accountability and an unbiased monitoring of its representatives? Will there be more special legislation introduced in Hartford regarding Newtown? What about a vote and voice concerning the direction of the peopleâs tax dollars or shall we settle with public sector investment for private sector profit?

John Peeling

119 Poverty Hollow Road, NewtownÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â June 27, 2005

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Congratulations on your nomination. In your announcement, you mentioned that Newtown faces real pressures, including “traffic patterns that make everyday life more stressful.” One growing concern for many residents and business owners is the repeated traffic disruption on Main Street caused by large-scale protests and rallies at the flagpole — held without a unified permitting process. Given that Main Street is a state road with a history of serious traffic and pedestrian safety issues, how would you, as First Selectman, approach the impact of these gatherings on traffic flow, public safety, and local businesses? I ask this with sincere interest in understanding how your commitment to “thoughtful planning” and “unity of action” would apply to this very real and recurring issue.

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I appreciate Ryan’s thoughtful and grounded perspective on the need for a consistent, transparent, and lawful permitting process for large public events in Newtown. His approach reflects common sense within the framework of the law, balancing public safety, free expression, and fiscal responsibility—exactly what we should expect from our elected officials. In contrast, I was struck by Bruce Walczak’s comment suggesting that informal and "extensive discussion" are the preferred solutions to complex public issues. While there is certainly value in dialogue, the idea that decision-making should replace the thoughtful legislative process is troubling—especially coming from someone running for First Selectman.

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I am grateful to The Democratic Town committee. I can vouch for the careful consideration they took in selecting our candidates. I appreciate their confidence in my managing skills to address the many issue facing Newtown. Ill be conducting listening tours over the next few months to gain a deeper understanding of my Newtown neighbors concerns and will be ready to address then day one.

There has been a rash of dog attacks, at least three that I know about on the sidewalks in town. Owners of pets need to be more attentive and respectful of their neighbors. Aggressive dogs need to be watched carefully to protect all. This is a serious issue and should be addresses not swept under a rug.

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I attended the meeting, and the results were reached after extensive discussion. Thats why its important to attend these high profile meeting, you see the facts yourself, As Alex, in the following letter, said the solution is not always more rules and legislation. Speaking to each other often solves issue a lot quicker with more flexibility.

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Newtown's Tilt Toward Development

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