To The Editor:

I am voting for Peter Schwarz to have a regular seat on the Planning and Zoning Commission. He has served as an Alternate, and Newtown needs him as a full voting member.

Peter is a long-term Newtown resident who has consistently given back through volunteer work with the Borough, Fairfield Hills Authority, Friends of Newtown Seniors, and the Planning & Zoning Commission. He’s well educated, and his professional experience as an attorney for an environmental engineering firm also sets him apart.

After attending most meetings during the Planning & Zoning Commission’s recent ten-year POCD review, I saw firsthand how Peter, even as an Alternate, steered discussions toward more productive results. Newtown needs this kind of constructive approach from a full-time member

Peter and I share frustration with Newtown’s outdated technology. Our town still relies on paper forms that must be printed, filled out, and distributed to boards and committees — making it hard both for members and the public to review materials in advance. Peter is one of the few who constantly pushes for technology upgrades to improve transparency and efficiency.

Currently, the Commission spends too much energy on individual requests — exemptions, text changes, overlays — without enough focus on big-picture planning. This reactive approach leaves little time to fulfill their real purpose: “to promote the orderly and coordinated development of the Town.” I’ve seen Peter advocate for more forward-thinking solutions and practical ways to meet these challenges.

For more planning, better transparency, and a stronger future for Newtown, vote for Peter Schwarz.

Ned Simpson

Sandy Hook