Farms Contribute To

The Quality Of Life

To the Editor:

I have been following the letters between the pro-horse and not-so-horsey people in this town. The fact remains that Newtown is a beautiful rural community, and horses have always played an important part.

No doubt the residents who purchased property here did so because this is a peaceful town. We have a beautiful place to live, and our properties continue to be valuable because of the farms and open spaces around us. We should all feel fortunate that there are a few horse and other farms left to remind us that this is not a crowded suburb.

It is a beautiful and diverse community with room for all of us... horses, dogs, sheep, goats... and of course – people. Let’s not allow ourselves to get bogged down under the pretense of an environmental, health, or “commercial business” scare, when we’re really just seeing a simple disagreement between neighbors. If we allow the horses to be run out of town because of unnecessarily strict zoning requirements, what will be next... the cattle, the dogs, the cats, the motorcyclists, the tag sales? I can think of many reasons why any of these could pose a threat to an immaculate community – noise, mess, and traffic congestion on quiet streets are only a few.

Farms, whether they are horse farms or otherwise, contribute to the higher quality of life that we enjoy in this town. Leave them be, and let’s get on to more important matters. If you prefer a suburb with row upon row of houses with no diversity, there are many other towns that can accommodate you.

Delicia Yaremchuk

16 Narragansett Trail, Sandy Hook    August 29, 2001