To the Editor:

The hard-working Planning and Zoning Commission volunteers find their collective tail caught in a rapidly diminishing crack: An abundance of sensible letters to The Newtown Bee specify the many dangers of the Wharton behemoth Hawleyville warehouse proposal; appalled citizens turn out at public hearings in numbers that rival the ice cream hordes at Ferris Acres; and generations of experienced taxpayers have stopped believing the developers’ mantra that “Newtown needs economic development.”

Which makes now an ideal time for Newtown officials to consider better ways to treat the 104 acres where the current proposal is planned.

We could start by making half the land open space thereby protecting wildlife, aquifers, and neighboring homes and schools. We could look to entice another office or medical facility that will bring higher-paying jobs than a warehouse. And we could persuade the developer to install solar panels, green roofs, and electric charging stations, and other environmentally sound building practices that will lessen the project’s carbon footprint in Newtown.

Justin Scott

Newtown