While I appreciate Mr. Walczak’s message of gratitude, I would be remiss not to express my concern about the tone and tactics of his campaign. The approach he took during this election is not one I would be proud of, and I hope that moving forward, he chooses to lead with the transparency and integrity he now speaks of.
Newtown deserves a leader who communicates openly and follows through on the issues that truly matter to our residents. I have been disappointed by his silence on several key matters impacting our town, and I sincerely hope that changes as he takes office.
I remain doubtful that he is up to the challenge ahead—but for the sake of our community, I truly hope time proves me wrong.
Jeff I am glad you will remain active in local politics and continues the good work of making our town a better place. Your commitment, leadership, and thoughtful approach have been a real asset to Newtown. Thank you for your service.
Bruce’s letter paints a picture of runaway development, but the real story is the collapse of local cooperation — not the rise of §8-30g. That law has been on the books since 1990. For decades, towns and developers worked together to shape projects that made sense: added sidewalks, deeper setbacks, fewer units — genuine compromise.
What’s changed isn’t the law, it’s the politics. A loud social media mob has made any compromise politically toxic. The “no growth” crowd demands nothing be built anywhere, ever, and bullies anyone who suggests otherwise. Planning and zoning boards no longer negotiate; they hunker down, hoping to appease the Facebook comment section.
But here’s the irony — when compromise dies, developers stop compromising too. Once a project triggers §8-30g, the town can fight it, but state law ensures the developer will eventually win. So instead of working out a reasonable design, everyone heads to court. The developer doubles the unit count to pay for the lawyers, and the town burns taxpayer money trying to lose more slowly.
That’s how we end up with the very projects the NIMBY mob fears — because they made reasonable development impossible.
If people truly care about Newtown’s character, they need to stop the performative outrage and start engaging in real planning again. Screaming “no” to everything isn’t preservation — it’s self-sabotage.
