To the Editor:

I just saw a story on The Bee online that said the developer of the apartments on Covered Bridge Road is seeking a modification to its special zoning permit to now increase the number of buildings from six to seven. Meaning there will now be 210 apartments instead of the original 180.

The article also said the owner of 13 Hawleyville Road gained approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals to construct a gas station with large convenience store at that location. Apparently it still requires additional town and state approval. Do I dare hope that somebody will have the brains to stop this? Probably not.

I feel that I can’t scream loud enough, what is happening in this town??!

Living off of Covered Bridge Road, we fought to keep these developments from happening starting back in 2015. Obviously our concerns fell on deaf ears — as usual. The online article also quoted Michael Galante, Traffic Engineer, saying “additional traffic added to area roadways will have a minimal, if any, impact.” What gas station with a large convenience store does he go to that does not have significant impact on roadways? Add to that the residents from seven, not six, apartment buildings and the Grace Church. Not to mention the gas station a half mile from 13 Hawleyville road that gained approval to be built where the Hawleyville Deli used to be. Just this morning there was a bad accident at the intersection of Route 25 and Saw Mill Rd. That is ¼ a mile from Covered Bridge. Where the giant baby warehouse was built. I don’t think you need to be a traffic engineer to realize there is a problem in this heavily traveled section of town.

I’m disgusted and saddened by what is happening in Newtown. I’ve lived here for 50 years. The changes at exit 10 are awful. Church Hill Road is going to look like and have the traffic of Route 1. The P&Z consistently make changes in zoning using the sneaky method of “text changes.” They do not need to notify the public of these changes. But they can have big impacts. Sneaky and underhanded. And if the reason for all this development is to increase the tax base, I don’t think it’s working. My taxes increased $1000 from last year. I’m not sure who this overdevelopment is helping, but it’s nobody I know.

I urge anyone else who is fed up with having unnecessary overdevelopment shoved down their throat to contact P&Z and let them know.

Thank you,

Janet McKeown

Hillcrest Drive, Newtown         June 20, 2019