The Newtown Bee received a flurry of statements from local officials as well as a letter to the editor from a former official concerning House Bill 5002, possibly one of the most contentious pieces of legislation to come forward this year.

The bill, which narrowly passed in both the House and Senate, was still waiting for the governor's signature as of press time but Governor Ned Lamont was expected to sign. The bill aims to address the state's housing crisis and homelessness problem.

CT HB 5002, known as "Work, Live, Ride," aims to increase housing stock and encourage public transportation by streamlining zoning regulations and prioritizing funding for towns that adopt transit-oriented districts. It also creates an Early Childhood Care and Education Fund and establishes a Tri-Share Child Care Matching Program in New London County. For more details, as well as the opposition from local officials, see page 8.

The Newtown Bee concurs with First Selectman Jeff Capeci as well as State Representatives Mitch Bolinsky and Martin Foncello in their opposition to this bill.

While the goals of the bill are commendable, this bill could do much to damage the small town and rural character of Newtown that is so prized by its residents. Residents have fought off large housing plans, distribution centers, and other development projects to defend the vision of Newtown exemplified in its Plan of Conservation and Development (PoCD), most recently adopted in January of this year.

The plan's first goal is, "Maintain Newtown’s pastoral and rural characteristics and preserve its commercial corridors and design districts’ mixed-use functions and visual appeal. Additionally, the Plan emphasizes the preservation of Newtown’s historic sites and archaeological resources."

Increasing Newtown's affordable housing supply is another one of the goals, but how to accomplish that should be entirely left to Newtown. Newtown residents are the ones who are going to directly live with any developments built, it should be up to Newtown residents, and solely Newtown residents, to decide. A top down approach from the state is not warranted in decreeing how Newtown residents will be living their daily lives.

While it is good that the state is not forcing the hands of the towns to implement any zoning changes recommended in the bill, the fact that state funding for various projects could be cut or go elsewhere should Newtown decide not to comply is disturbing. Left with a tradeoff between undesirable zoning and badly needed funding for necessary projects, it is not outside the sphere of possibility that Newtown will find a need to capitulate.