Date: Fri 04-Apr-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

P&Z-DeFillipe-Cascella

Full Text:

P&Z Chairman Says Cascella's Comments Were `Insulting' To Local Land Use

Officials

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

While he was still chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) at a

March 27 session, John DeFilippe responded to criticisms made at a March 20

public hearing on P&Z proposals to more strictly control residential

development.

Mr DeFilippe particularly objected to comments made by First Selectman Robert

Cascella. At the end of the P&Z meeting, Mr DeFilippe resigned from the land

use agency. ( See related story .)

Concerning Mr Cascella's suggestion that an ad hoc committee be formed to

study modifying local development rules, Mr DeFilippe said, "We do that. ...

It is called a public hearing, a forum where everyone, not a hand-picked few,

have a right to speak."

Concerning Mr Cascella's offer to hire a professional consultant to help the

P&Z fashion land use rule changes, Mr DeFilippe said, "I find this insulting.

The first selectman forgot that we have access to, and in my opinion, the best

land use expert, Liz Stocker." Ms Stocker, who is a town employee, is the

P&Z's land use adviser. She helped P&Z members develop their proposed rule

changes.

Mr DeFilippe continued, "These regulations were not created in a vacuum. Every

meeting we have is open, advertised and discussed in the press. There are no

secrets here. ... I am concerned the first selectman chose the public hearing

to discuss his concerns with this commission. I assumed that he was aware of

these (proposed) regulations. They've been discussed and written about for

months," Mr DeFilippe said.

At the March 20 public hearing, Mr Cascella asked P&Z members not to approve

the regulations in the form presented at the public hearing.

Regulations are used to "regulate" development, not "confiscate" property, Mr

Cascella told P&Z members. At the March 20 session, the first selectman said,

"I think these amendments go too far. I think these [regulations] can be

considered a `taking' of property." The proposed rules would severely limit

the amount of earth moving that could be done on residential lots, he said.

"There's an economy here that needs to be adjusted, depending on the size of

the parcel," he said, calling for the P&Z to be more flexible in its proposal.

"I request that the P&Z convene an ad hoc committee," Mr Cascella said in

asking that the land agency form a temporary panel composed of P&Z members,

developers, and members of the Newtown Neighborhoods Coalition to discuss how

the land use rules should be changed. The first selectman offered to provide

town funding for development consultants.

Also at the March 20 public hearing, Melissa Pilchard, a local real estate

agent, charged the purpose of the proposed rule changes is to limit

residential growth. "Please don't try to limit development just to limit

development," she said.

At the hearing, Kim Danziger, a developer and builder, said "I adamantly

oppose the regulations you're proposing here." He characterized the changes as

"anti-development regulations."

On March 27, Mr DeFilippe reacted to those remarks by saying, "I find the

comments from Ms Pilchard and Mr Danziger to be offensive and insulting. We

work for and represent the entire town. The purpose of these regulations has

never been to curb, stop or deter development. The purpose has always been to

develop regulations that prevent the mining and stripping of our land," Mr

DeFilippe said.

Many developers and builders attending a March 20 public hearing opposed the

development rule changes, saying those changes would severely reduce the

amount of local subdividable land.

At the March 27 session, P&Z member James Boylan said the first selectman had

been aware of the changes under consideration at the March 20 hearing. The

proposed rule changes probably should be modified to some degree, Mr Boylan

said.

"It was pretty much a one-sided meeting," he said of the hearing. Mr Boylan

said he felt the P&Z was being "targeted" at the session.

P&Z member Thomas Paisley said some comments made at the hearing were "not

appropriate."

P&Z member Daniel Fogliano said comments made at the public hearing were both

politically and financially motivated.

"The hearing became ... political grandstanding," said P&Z member Stephen

Koch.

Mr Koch said it would have been useful for P&Z members to have met with Town

Engineer Ronald Bolmer before the hearing to review the effects the proposed

rule changes would have on local development.

After he announced his resignation to P&Z members on March 27, Mr DeFilippe

said he hoped his comments have not "burned his bridges" to the Republican

Town Committee, adding he hoped that town committee members will look

favorably on him five to 10 years from now.