Date: Fri 24-Oct-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Neighborhood-Coalition

Full Text:

Neighborhoods Coalition Endorses Candidates

The Newtown Neighborhoods Coalition has announced the endorsement of three

candidates for the Planning & Zoning Commission.

Those candidates include Democrats Lilla Dean and Michael Osborne and

Republican Stephen Koch. The candidates are running for the two-year term,

which is the only contested category this year. Both the four-year and

alternate positions are uncontested.

The Planning & Zoning Commission is the land-use agency charged with writing

and interpreting the regulations that govern development in Newtown. There

have been very few regulation changes from the commission in recent years.

The Newtown Neighborhood Coalition is a grassroots organization aimed at

controlling Newtown's residential development. It believes that these

candidates share their ideals.

The group has long contended that unchecked, rapid development in Newtown is

the prime long-term issue facing the town. As the fastest growing town in the

state, the group believes the building boom has and will continue to have

severe adverse affects on the education system, traffic, town services, water,

housing values, environment, overall quality of life and property taxes. It is

the coalition's hope that the endorsed candidates will be receptive to a

citizens' task force on regulations, and active in instituting regulations

that will further their cause.