News

Finance Board Takes Up Senior Tax Benefit Analysis

By John Voket

Published: Nov 20, 2016 12:00 AM

At its regular meeting November 14, the Board of Finance took up a requested review and initiated discussion about the Newtown Senior Tax Relief program. Earlier this year, the Legislative Council sou...

Police Cracking Down On Seat Belt Violations

Published: Nov 20, 2016 12:00 AM

In an eight-day project running from Monday, November 21 through Monday, November 28, police will heighten their enforcement of state seat belt laws as part of the nationwide "Click-It or Ticket" prog...

Early Deadlines For Thanksgiving Week Print Edition

Published: Nov 19, 2016 12:00 AM

Due to Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 24, The Newtown Bee will go to press early next week. All deadlines will be one business day earlier than usual.Contact UsÃÂ page on this website, and t...

Newtown Registrars File Official Election Day Tallies

By John Voket

Published: Nov 19, 2016 12:00 AM

On November 12, the Newtown Registrars of Voters Office completed and filed official tallies from ballots cast by 15,656 registered voters at local polling places on Election Day. The turnout November...

Fire Reports | November 9-17, 2016

Published: Nov 18, 2016 12:00 AM

The dispatchers at the Newtown Emergency Communications Center at Town Hall South, 3 Main Street, report the following fire calls and the responders: Wednesday, November 9: 9:47 am, motor vehicle ...

Police Reports | November 4-15, 2016

Published: Nov 18, 2016 12:00 AM

Three Vehicles Police report a three-vehicle chain-reaction accident that occurred on westbound Berkshire Road, near Great Ring Road, about 9 am on November 4. In slowing traffic on the roadway, ...

Harrison Named Interim Director Of Booth Library

By Shannon Hicks

Published: Nov 18, 2016 12:00 AM

The Executive Committee of Cyrenius H. Booth Library Board of Trustees has announced that Beryl Harrison, assistant library director, will assume the responsibilities of interim director, effective De...

Council's Annual Budget Summit Offered No Surprises

By John Voket

Published: Nov 18, 2016 12:00 AM

After years of contentious budget seasons where education and municipal officials tended to retreat into opposite corners to defend their spending requests, the Legislative Council began holding annua...

School Board Hears NMS Closing Scenarios

Published: Nov 18, 2016 12:00 AM

By Eliza Hallabeck The Board of Education continued to look at whether to close Newtown Middle School and reconfigure grade levels in the district at its meeting on Tuesday, November 15. Since the boa...

Time To Help The Newtown Fund Holiday Basket Program

Published: Nov 16, 2016 12:00 AM

The Newtown Fund is asking for the community's help to bring joy to families in need during the upcoming holiday season. The Holiday Basket Program, sponsored by The Newtown Fund, annually benefits mo...

The Way We Were

Top Of The Mountain

My Brother’s Band Planning ‘Mixed Bag’ Set List For Summer Concert Series Gig

Theater Review: A Very Happy Homecoming For ‘All Shook Up’

Theater Review: ‘Camelot’ Given The Royal Treatment In Neighboring Brookfield

It’s important to clarify the tone and context of Derek Pisani’s remarks, particularly the satirical line about suing Newtown for "Gross Stupidity." This was clearly a tongue-in-cheek jab at the exhausting culture of legal threats that’s become a staple on the local Facebook Group forums. It was a reflection of frustration over endless regulatory hurdles and obstructionism, and the desire to avoid common sense solutions not an insult aimed at residents. Satire, is meant to provoke thought and highlight the absurdities. If we are unable to distinguish between satire and literal threats, perhaps the comment hit closer to the truth than we’d like to admit. Rather than focusing on Pisanis style, we should be discussing the substance of what he’s pointing out: that Newtown’s progress is being routinely blocked by a small but vocal contingent who seem intent on saying “no” at every turn. They are saying no to any development, no to common sense solutions to crowd control, etc. Newtown deserves leaders who are willing to call things as they see them, even if their language ruffles feathers. That doesn’t mean they lack respect for constituents—it means they care enough to challenge the Mob and push for solutions. Isn't that what we elect people to do? I applaud Pisani's dedication, he certainly has earned my vote. Regardless, let’s not reduce conversation to tone-policing and outrage. Let’s focus on the issues that matter.

Who is Calling Newtowners Stupid?

Thank you for pointing out the trail access provisions included in the BOS motion—it’s an important clarification that deserves more attention in this conversation. If the development is, in fact, required to provide permanent free public access and commit to ongoing maintenance of this section of the Rochambeau Trail, that is a remarkably beneficial outcome for the town. oIt’s not every day that a private project shoulders the long-term burden of preserving and caring for a public historical corridor at no taxpayer cost—especially one that previously had no formal access, upkeep, or visibility. Let’s be honest: the idea that the only way to protect history is by preventing any development nearby is a rigid and unworkable standard. What’s being proposed here appears to strike a rare balance—historic preservation, public access, and smart development all rolled into one. That’s not a loss its a win. So rather than allowing a handful of voices to derail progress under the banner of “historic purity,” maybe it’s time to acknowledge the reality: this trail is better off with structured stewardship and visibility than remaining an overgrown ghost on old maps. Let’s move forward. Bring in the easement, bring in the public access—and yes, bring in the bulldozers!!! Progress and preservation can coexist. Let’s not let the NIMBY use fear or nostalgia keep us stuck in the past.

Discusses Rochambeau Trail And 6 Commerce Road

I've heard that several people are under the impression that the public might be banned from the Rochambeau Trail. Points 2 and 3 from the BOS motion (included in full below) make it clear that public access to the trail is part of the requirements for the developer. From what I understand, it requires free public access to the trail in perpetuity. Technically, this could be argued to be a "payment-in-kind," that attempts to balance public good with overall town growth. We can argue about weather that balance is acceptable and how the trail may be affected, but with the understanding that the trail is expected to be maintained as a publicly accessible trail regardless. July 15, 2024 Board of Selectmen approved motion: Discontinuance of Reservoir Road: Selectman Cruson moved the resolution: Resolved, that the Newtown Board of Selectmen, in accordance with Section 2-115(d)(8) of the Town Charter and Conn. Gen. Stat. §13a-49, and subject to the conditions set forth below, hereby discontinues an unimproved portion of Reservoir Road described as “Portion of Reservoir Road to be Discontinued “on that certain survey map which will be recorded on the Newtown Land Records titled “Map Showing Portion of Reservoir Road to be Discontinued” dated August, 2023 and revised September 15, 2023, and certified substantially correct by Gregory Szyszowski of SLR (the “Survey Map”), said discontinuance contingent and effective only upon the completion of the following: 1. The approval of an application for the development of land in the manner described in a letter from Attorney Thomas W. Beecher to First Selectman A. Jeffrey Capeci and Members of the Board of Selectmen dated May 30, 2024, pursuant to the “Residential Open Space Development” regulations of the Borough of Newtown by the Borough of Newtown Zoning Commission, and construction of that approval project within the timeframes required for special exception approval; 2. The inclusion of the discontinued portion of the road as part of the final Declaration of Conservation Restriction; 3. The conveyance of a mutually agreeable public easement to the Town of Newtown for pedestrian, bicycling, equestrian, and all other passive recreational uses (to exclude the use of motorized vehicles except as may be necessary by the Town or its designee to effectuate the purpose of the easement), and for municipal utility purposes; Be it further resolved, that Castle Hill Real Estate Holdings, LLC., its successors and assigns, shall not use any portion of the discontinued road as a vehicular road or access way to and from any developed portions of the property. Be it further finally resolved, that should any of the foregoing contingencies not occur, then the discontinuance contemplated herein shall not become effective and this resolution will become null and void. From: https://www.newtown-ct.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif12216/f/minutes/bos_7-15-24_min-_att_final.pdf

Discusses Rochambeau Trail And 6 Commerce Road

Is this paper road (roads that only exist on paper map but not in reality) even owned by the Town? Many roads that predate the Town's road standards are privately owned and were never accepted by the Town, such as many of the nonconforming roads around the lake communities where the property owners own right to the center line. That is something we had to deal with when working on the Roads Ordinance a few years back. We also had to deal with a private road to run the utilities to the new SHS.

Discusses Rochambeau Trail And 6 Commerce Road

For anyone who wants to know, I cant post a link here, but Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority has an entire website. Look up "HRRA whats in whats out"

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