Date: Fri 31-Oct-1997

By ANDY GOROSKO

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

P&Z-Newtown-Village

Full Text:

P&Z May Take Action On Newtown Village

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

The Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) is scheduled to discuss and possibly

act on the controversial Newtown Village condominium complex proposal when it

meets Thursday, November 6, at 7:30 pm at Newtown Middle School, 11 Queen

Street.

D&H Homes, LLC, of New Milford and Fairfield 2000 Homes Corporation of

Stamford want approval to build a 96-home condominium development on 32 acres

in Sandy Hook near the Exit 11 on-ramp of I-84. Twenty-four of those houses

would be designated as affordable housing for families whose annual income

falls below certain limits.

The applicants also are seeking P&Z approval for a zoning amendment that would

allow them to construct a small-scale sewer system to serve the houses.

P&Z members met earlier this month with their special counsel to discuss the

Newtown Village application. P&Z members voiced numerous concerns over aspects

of the high-density development plan.

Concerns focus on: increasing traffic on the already heavily traveled

Berkshire Road; the effect Newtown Village might have on the underground

drinking water supply known as the Pootatuck aquifer; problems associated with

having schoolchildren from Newtown Village travel to and from Newtown High

School; a lengthy excavation project at the site, which would create noise and

flying dust; and heavy truck traffic and parking facilities at the proposed

complex, among others.

Many residents living near the development site have called for the P&Z to

reject Newtown Village.

The developers are applying for Newtown Village under the state's regulations

on affordable housing. Those rules encourage developers to build high-density

housing provided that at least 25 percent of the units are designated as

affordable.

At the public hearing section of the P&Z meeting, which starts at 8 pm, P&Z

members are scheduled to continue the public hearing on the proposed The

Estates on Taunton Hill. The application seeks 19 house lots on 60 acres at

Taunton Hill Road and Taunton Ridge Road.

Developer Glen DaMota is expected to inform P&Z members to whom open space

land would be donated.

Also, a public hearing is scheduled on Abbey Ridge Estates, a proposal to

create eight house lots on 20 acres on the east side of South Main Street,

just north of the Monroe town line. Angelo Memoli is the applicant.

Also, a public hearing is scheduled on R2D Corporation's application for an

amendment to a special exception to the zoning regulations to build a

freestanding 6,000-square-foot retail building in the parking lot of Sand Hill

Plaza. The building is proposed for the section of the lot east of the General

Nutrition Center store.

The store proposal was the subject of an August P&Z public hearing at which

P&Z members found many flaws in the plan. R2D withdrew the first application

and has resubmitted more detailed plans.

At the 7:30 pm session, P&Z members also are slated to act on Newtown Group,

LLC's application to resubdivide lot 1/2 into two lots at Pinnacle Ridge, a

new subdivision on Route 302 near Rock Ridge Country Club in Dodgingtown.

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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 31-Oct-1997

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