What Is The ‘Property Owners Association’?

To the Editor:

Perhaps you can help clear up some confusion about the opposition to the Planning and Zoning board’s recent upzoning regulations. While on the surface these new regulations seem quite appropriate as a means of controlling the never-ending expansion of housing developments in Newtown, the source and rationale for this opposition have not been made clear.

First, what is the “Property Owners’ Association”? How does one become a member and who do they represent? According to your September 15 article, 2,315 properties are affected by the zoning board’s new rules and about 2,000 of them already have dwellings on them. Does this mean that the Property Owners’ Association objecting to the new zoning rules are concerned about the 315 parcels that someone wants to develop with more houses and people that will further expand our schools, put pressure on our aquifer, roads, and services? If there are hardships on existing residents, is there any provision for the relief from any of the new regulations that can make the new regulations more acceptable?

If the zoning board has erred, it would seem that a better approach (than a lawsuit) would be to make it clear to the general public who is representing this opposition, what is the basis for those objections, what harm would be done to existing property owners residing on those affected parcels, and who benefits by rejecting the new regulations. As a property owner and resident of Newtown, I am not at all sure that this organization filing a suit against Newtown is representing my best interests. I hope you can help make this all much clearer to me and other residents.

Yours Truly,

Stanley D. Benjamin

1 Old Gate Lane, Newtown                                        September 16, 2000