Fazio, Greenwich officials working together to help protect property rights and maintain local zoning responsibility

Protecting Private Property Rights vs 8-30g – Maintaining Local Zoning Control

Greenwich Free Press letter to the editor

Submitted by Richard Schulze, Greenwich

Are you concerned that under legislation being considered in Hartford, a developer could build 16 townhouses on a 2-acre lot, without the Greenwich P&Z being able to veto the application?  (Even you as a neighbor could not stop it.)

Concerned that zoning restrictions, designed to maintain the character of our Town, can be overridden by Hartford?

That this will overburden our municipal infrastructure and exacerbate existing traffic and parking challenges, resulting in significant tax increases?

That they want to impose a State property tax, falling on owners of properties with assessed values of $300,000 or more?  (Even more egregious impacts are detailed in the Letter to the Editor from Alexis Harrison, P&Z Commissioner of the Town of Fairfield, in the 28 Jan Sentinel.)

If these concern you, and the impact will be on ALL of us town-wide, please immediately communicate your concerns to our State Reps, State Senator, Governor, or First Selectman.  The Legislature will start to meet this week on 9 Feb.

In the past three weeks you’ll have read articles in various local papers from State Reps Kimberly Fiorello and Harry Arora, as well as from State Senator Ryan Fazio, all of which alert us to the efforts of the State Legislature to impose further laws under the predatory State Statute 8-30g, with the impacts mentioned above.  

Those legislators representing us in Hartford and our First Selectman, Fred Camillo, are working to get us a moratorium on compliance with 8-30g, and to give us the right to opt out of certain zoning requirements from Hartford. 

A year ago when DesegregateCT, affiliated with the Regional Planning Association, a NY-based lobbying group, tried to impose draconian restrictions on our continuing to have local zoning authority, almost 4,000 residents complained to our State Reps vs. the normal 200 – 300.  That caught the attention of all the Hartford legislators!  This time many more need to have their voices heard, as DesegregateCT will be pressing much harder this year.

Our State legislators and Fred Camillo are working together to help us protect our property rights and maintain local zoning responsibility, as we have historically had.

NEGA, the Northeast Greenwich Association, along with the Round Hill Association and the Northwest Greenwich Association are also coordinating with like-minded organizations in towns that would be similarly impacted by this legislation.

Please let them all know that this assault on local zoning by Hartford can NOT continue.

If Hartford is successful, the value of your homes may significantly drop, and the ambiance of the Town of Greenwich, in which we enjoy living, will be lost forever.

LETTER: Protecting Private Property Rights vs 8-30g – Maintaining Local Zoning Control