Date: Fri 30-Jan-1998

By STEVE BIGHAM

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

selectmen-scenic-New-Lebbon

Full Text:

Residents Seek Scenic Road Status For New Lebbon

BY STEVE BIGHAM

Residents of New Lebbon Road showed up at Monday night's meeting of the Board

of Selectmen to explain why they think their road deserves scenic road status.

In response, the selectmen passed the ordinance on to the Legislative Council,

which will have the final say on whether the road receives official scenic

designation.

"We want to keep that backwoods, country setting," said Christine Dzujna of 23

New Lebbon Road. "We feel it's a walk in the woods."

Others are concerned that, if widened or straightened, the road would become a

thoroughfare for speeders seeking a shortcut from Route 25 to Route 34. New

Lebbon Road is located in the Botsford area, connecting High Rock Road to High

Bridge Road.

New Lebbon Road becomes the fourth road in Newtown to seek scenic road status

since the Legislative Council enacted the scenic road ordinance this past

summer, joining Tamarack Road, Washbrook Road and Ox Hill Road. Tamarack Road

is the only road to have actually received the scenic designation. The others

are still pending.

Scenic road status prevents any major changes from being made to a road.

Protection afforded to these roads includes placing limits on major road

alterations or improvements, such as widening a right-of-way, paving, grade

changes and straightening. Also, stone walls and mature trees are protected

under the ordinance.

In the case of New Lebbon Road, paving may be impossible to avoid, according

to First Selectman Herb Rosenthal. Several proposed developments for that area

have been approved by the town in recent months, increasing the need to pave

the 8,870-foot road.

Over the years, New Lebbon Road has become a haven for illegal dumping,

prompting several residents to request last year that the town create an

anti-litter ordinance.

Residents filed their petition in September. Thirty of the road's 46 residents

signed the petition.

Earlier this month, a resident of New Lebbon Road complained to the town clerk

that those circulating the petition were claiming that signing the petition

would stop development. That was not the intent of the ordinance, according to

members of the Legislative Council.

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Well that is some spin. The Democrats have a super majority on the LC and passed the Education Budget without serious consideration of if the voters could afford the multi million dollar increase. "Was the request justified?" rather than "is this needed?" and "can the voters shoulder yet another large increase?" The voters rightly sent it back. Then for some reason all the discussion around reductions to the increase seemed to be coming from the classroom, rather than administration and overhead costs. Is this a coercive tactic to manipulate parents into supporting the budget like tacit threat of cutting freshman sports was two years ago? Who believes the Democrats did not caucus privately before the meeting and came in with a number already worked out? This is the Dems budget, they own it.

Education Cuts: Who Voted For What

I think it is important that we do not villainize every black box seen around a home, business, farm, or municipal property. A black exterior station does not always mean rat poison is being used. These stations can hold a number of different products, including monitoring blocks, snap traps, non-toxic bait, anti-tick bait stations, organic salt- or cornmeal-based control products, and newer fertility-control approaches intended to reduce rodent populations without traditional poisons. The better conversation, in my opinion, is not simply “black boxes are bad,” but rather: what is inside them, who is maintaining them, and whether the rodent issue is being managed responsibly. Exclusion, sanitation, trapping, habitat reduction, and careful monitoring should all be part of a responsible IPM strategy. To be fair, on my own property I do use rodenticides, including Bromethalin and Bromadiolone, in secured bait stations. But that is a choice I make for my property, based on my circumstances and the risk I am trying to manage. I also believe property owners should understand the tradeoffs and be encouraged to use the least harmful effective method whenever possible. I support protecting Newtown’s wildlife. I also support giving residents accurate information and not assuming that every black box represents reckless or unsafe pest control. The goal should be responsible rodent management, not fear of the box itself.

Discusses Policy Against Rodenticides

Debora, thank you! I accidentally doubled the project prices by adding the bond to the appropriation. Thank you so much for catching that and pointing it out. With the corrected numbers, the voters approved a combined $1.32 million for a salt shed ($600k) and library pavement ($720k), while rejecting the $1.12 million replacement turf. Regarding the 80s, I truly respect the hurdle of 14% mortgage rates. My point is simply that the math has shifted: in 1980, while the rates were higher, the price of a home relative to earnings was significantly lower. We are facing a different, but equally crushing, financial wall. Ultimately, it is disheartening that voters who recognized safe sidewalks and parking lots as essential, dismissed a playing field in the exact same condition. The turf has passed its life cycle and is just as much of a liability as the library’s pavement, the only difference is that this safety concern affects thousands of children who, coincidentally, cannot vote. These are apples-to-apples needs. I was hopeful our community would agree that all Newtown residents deserve safe conditions, regardless of which facility they utilize. Again, I would be remiss not to mention that when 82% of residents don’t show up, we have to deal with the interests of those who did. Hopefully, the next referendum will have a bigger turnout.

The ‘Me’ Generation

Thanks for the reply. I meant the numbers you presented in your letter. I found one place where other numbers were listed: https://www.newtownbee.com/04232026/get-out-and-vote-on-the-2026-27-proposed-municipal-and-school-budgets/?q=\\\%22advisory%20questions\\\%22. In that article, the numbers were cited as: Treadwell field: $1,125,000 Library: $720,000 Salt Storage: $600,000 As one who started out in the early 80's when inflation was double digits, my 1985 mortgage rate was 14%, and child care costs were comparable (in present value), I shared your grief but never considered the voters ironic or shameful. PS. I agree college tuition is ridiculous. Thankfully, universities are offering (or considering) waiving all or most tuition for middle class families (upwards of $200,000 incomes). Hopefully, they'll also reconsider their need for those funds in the first place.

Sure! Child care costs: https://www.ffyf.org/2022/10/13/data-child-care-prices-continue-to-rise-ahead-of-midterm-elections-outpacing-inflation/ (also from 2021-2025 we had 2 children in a local daycare in Newtown and it cost us $3200 a month, so that's a number I am very familiar with) Home price / median price vs income source: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/home-price-income-ratios Tuition increase vs inflation: https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/noting-a-decline-in-middle-class-students-colleges-provide-more-aid/ Hope this helps :)

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Date: Fri 30-Jan-1998

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