To the Editor:

It’s difficult for me to express the level of outrage and disgust I felt at the January 16 P&Z meeting regarding an application for a second gas station on Route 25 in Hawleyville.

This was the third meeting for this application. This time the developer, Anthony Lucera, had a lawyer there to represent him. While this is allowed, I have never encountered this before at any of the many P&Z meetings I’ve attended. This was a blatant attempt to bully and intimidate us, the tax paying citizens. He shuffled around spouting terms like “reserving the right to recall and cross examine the witnesses.” Witnesses? I’m a concerned tax paying citizen. This is not a criminal trial. If it were not so infuriating it would be comical. Watching [him] shuffle around, clicking his pen, while tax paying community members spoke, I had flashbacks of Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men. “I’m out of order, you’re out of order!” “You can’t handle the truth!” Sadly, this is not a movie and not comical.

It was upsetting when Chairman Mitchell asked the public to limit our comments since this was not the first this had been discussed. I understand this can be a tedious, thankless job, and I’m sure frustrating to board members to hear the public make similar comments. And I do thank the board for the work they do. However, it is also frustrating that the attorney not be asked to limit his comments when he droned on and on in an obvious attempt to run out the clock and limit time for public comment.

I see this as a warning, dangerous precedent for future applications. The public needs to be aware and prepared for future intimidating tactics like this. While this is legally allowed, this attorney was combative and playing a game from the start. Everyone sitting near me thought the same thing. Shame on the people who hired this attorney and trying to bully the citizens into keeping quiet.

Thank you.

Janet McKeown

10 Hillcrest Drive, Newtown January 29, 2020