The following letter to the editor was submitted as sponsored (paid for) content, paid by the Wilton Democratic Town Committee, Jane Rinard, treasurer.
To the editor:
In response to Lisa Pujano’s letter, “A Different Warrior Pride,” she misunderstands Senate Bill 1107 and the effect it would have had on Connecticut and Wilton. The bill was tabled in 2019, but given the number of factual inaccuracies in Ms. Pujano’s letter and her support for Kim Healy, some clarity may be helpful.
The bill addressed development of (i) abandoned properties, in (ii) opportunity zones, that are in (iii) distressed municipalities. There is not a single such parcel in Wilton or in any of the other towns in our 26th Senate District.
The bill would have removed a roadblock created by the state and would have put power back into the hands of local planning and zoning committees. Note that there was some Republican support for the bill at the committee level. Yes, some people opposed the bill, but that was largely because they wanted to retain state control. Of course Commissioner David Lehman objected–because the bill would have lessened state control by his own agency. And of course several historic preservation advocates objected–because on this issue they preferred to keep tight control over development at the state level. Those who supported the bill were on the side of enhancing local control.
In other words, this bi-partisan bill would not have applied to Wilton or our area, and it would have strengthened local control. Senator Will Haskell made the exact right vote when supporting this one. If Kim Healy would have voted otherwise she should say so.
Melissa Spohn
Thank you for this. The bill in question, as well as similar bills (e.g., 2019 HB 7079) were specifically introduced by and supported by Willimantic legislators. These legislators sought to reduce the role of non-community members in local decisions. The author of the earlier advertisement either comically misunderstood the bills or deliberately misconstrued them.