Date: Fri 24-Oct-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

land-use-election

Full Text:

Most Land-Use Seats Will Be Uncontested In Election

BY STEVE BIGHAM

Newtown's candidates for first selectman have been doing a lot of talking

about the town's rapid growth in residential development and how they would

help manage it.

There are candidates in this year's local election who will have even more

direct influence over land use issues; members of the town's land use boards

will make the final decisions on development applications.

There are several land-use seats that are up for election come November 4;

most of them are uncontested.

Due to the tremendous turnover on the Planning & Zoning Commission over the

past year, all eight positions will be up for election. Only two of the seats,

however, will be contested.

Two four-year positions were already up for election, but three others are

also up for a vote because those currently in the seats filled previous

vacancies. The election laws state that those members who replaced appointees

must run in the next election if they want to retain their seat.

Stephen Adams, Todd Richardson, John Deegan and John DeFilippe all resigned in

the middle of their terms on the P&Z.

Town Clerk Cindy Curtis Simon said having all eight seats (five regular

members, three alternates) up for election in the same year is extremely rare

and has probably never happened before.

Who is running?

P&Z Candidates

Democrat Heidi Winslow and Republican Daniel Fogliano are both guaranteed of

being elected to four-year terms on the Planning & Zoning Commission.

Mrs Winslow, an attorney in Danbury, is currently the senior member of the

Planning & Zoning Commission. She is said to have a keen understanding of the

town's zoning regulations. Mrs Winslow was a classmate of Hillary Rodham

Clinton at Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

Mr Fogliano, a Newtown resident for nearly five years, is an account sales

representative for Leader Beverage, the supplier of all Pepsi Cola products in

Fairfield County. Mr Fogliano has been a member of the P&Z for about a year.

There is a race for the three, two-year P&Z seats currently up for election.

Five candidates are running for three open seats. They include Republicans

James Boylan , Thomas Paisley and Stephen Koch and Democrats Lilla Dean and

Michael Osborne .

Mr Boylan joined the P&Z just over a year ago. He is the chief financial

officer/controller for UNIMAR, Inc, a medical supply company in Wilton.

Mr Paisley joined the board as an alternate more than two years ago.

Mr Koch, a senior vice president for the Walsh Construction Company of

Trumbull, joined the P&Z a year ago. He has been a Newtown resident since

1990.

Mrs Dean, a registered nurse and professor at Western Connecticut State

University, is making her first run at a land-use board. She is president of

the North Newtown Homeowners Association and an active member of the Newtown

Neighborhood Coalition.

Mr Osborne is a principal owner of a large shopping center in Stratford. He is

a former member and chairman of the Board of Education.

Republican Robert Taylor and Democrat Herbert Hoover, Jr, are running

unopposed for two alternate seats on the P&Z.

Mr Taylor, an account executive for AT&T, said he wants to be a part of the

decision-making that will affect the future of the town.

Mr Hoover, Jr, a new member of Democratic Town Committee, is the head auto

mechanic for an area automobile dealership. A new resident, Mr Hoover has

quickly become aware of the town's most pressing issues.

ZBA

Republican Sally O'Neil and Democrat Alan Clavette are running unopposed for

two seats on the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Mrs O'Neil, a longtime member of the ZBA, is president of the Lillinonah

Audubon Society. Mrs O'Neil is a retired nurse.

Mr Clavette, a local accountant and treasurer of the Democratic Town

Committee, is known for his diligent study of each application. He seeks his

second term on the board.

Republicans Timothy Cronin and Pat Rosato and Democrat Michael Daubert are

seeking election to alternate seats on the Zoning Board of Appeals. All three

are running unopposed.

Mr Cronin is seeking his second term as an alternate member of the ZBA.

Mr Rosato, a general contractor, has been a ZBA alternate member for more than

10 years.

Mr Daubert, a new member of Democratic Town Committee, is a police officer in

Seymour. He is making his first run at public office in Newtown.