The Newtown Chamber of Commerce continues to host free monthly networking events open to all local business professionals. The next event will be held at Sal e Pepe Contemporary Italian Bistro, 97 Sou...
Patients who have grown weary of feeling like they are doing business at the DMV, instead of at their physician's office, are in for a whole new experience with the opening of Western Connecticut Heal...
For as long as anyone can remember, there has always been an "antiques" sign across from the I-84 Exit 10 westbound ramps in Sandy Hook.
The sign sat in front of a Colonial home that dates to the earl...
For as long as anyone can remember, there has always been an "antiques" sign across from the I-84 Exit 10 westbound ramps in Sandy Hook.
The sign sat in front of a Colonial home that dates to the earl...
Consumers looking for bee-related products can find homemade jelly, jars of honey, and dozens of other offerings at Bee-Commerce, a beekeeping business recently relocated to a small storefront at 160A...
Patients who have grown weary of feeling like they are doing business at the DMV, instead of at their physician's office, are in for a whole new experience with the opening of Western Connecticut Heal...
Business name and address: fisio Physical Therapy & Wellness, 141 Mt Pleasant Road.
Owner: Owner/physical therapist Karin LaBanca and physical therapist Ashley Witson offer one-on-one sessions...
You can't walk into Newtown Deli at 79 South Main Street without being enveloped in the sights and smell of great food selections, from the succulent provisions and cheeses of the deli case, to the st...
The Newtown Chamber of Commerce is putting out a call reminding residents and others who enjoy patronizing Newtown businesses that Chamber Newtown Bucks are available in $25 or $50 increments - they m...
For 90 years, cooking aromas, clattering pots and pans, and cheerful voices have filled Lorenzo's restaurant at the end of Riverside Road. Seated in the day's fading light flowing through a front bay ...
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.
I’m honestly surprised Bruce had to look up what an “agreement in principle” means. After years of business experience and managing 200 people, I would have expected that term to be familiar by now. Hard to believe it’s a new concept at this stage in his career. Although rest assured Newtown, vote row A and when times get tough, we have Google to help the selectman.
I asked AI what does agreement in principle mean
An "agreement in principle" is a preliminary, non-binding understanding reached between two or more parties that outlines the fundamental terms of a future contract. It is considered a stepping stone toward a formal, legally enforceable agreement.
This type of agreement is used to establish mutual intent and a basic framework for negotiations before the parties commit to a detailed, final contract.
