Do Not Fear

Opposing Opinions

To the Editor:

Meg and Chris Maurer bought their house on Stone Gate as they brought their two families together to make a new one. It was their dream house, and part of the dream was that it bordered a horse farm.

Problems with the owners of the horse farm began after some interactions with the Stone Gate neighbors, including an instructor giving a riding lesson with a bull horn directing young children playing in their own backyard on Stone Gate to be quieter because they were interfering with the lesson.

There was a long, arduous give-and-take amid trials and tribulations for everyone involved, but the horse farm is up and operating today. Meg came away from the experience believing in the democratic process that hears the voices of all the people – everybody gave up something and everyone got something. The article about the horse farm in a previous issue of The Bee seemed to indicate that there was no animosity on the part of the owners of the horse farm. Meg subsequently thought that she could represent the voice of residents without horses, and was unanimously elected by the town Democrats as an alternate on Planning and Zoning.

The character assassination that was presented in the Newtown Bridle Lanes quarter page ad in last week’s Bee was a wake-up call for me – why attack Meg when she didn’t seem to accomplish very much at the last Planning and Zoning meeting? I read the article about Meg’s participation in the last Planning and Zoning meeting and came away with the understanding that Meg’s concerns were voted down, but that she was appointed to a committee, which included one other person, to look into what existing horse farms should be required to do if they wanted to change their operations.

While The Bee’s article noted that other residents in town had also expressed concerns about commercial horse farms, I was concerned by a comment that seemed to suggest that only horse people should be on the committee, since that appeared to be like saying the inmates should run the prison, but I figured that The Bee had to present all sides. It sure seemed to me that Planning and Zoning was trying to be fair and would address Meg’s concerns in the future. However, they had much more than a slim majority to do as they saw fit. Certainly they were calling the shots.

The ad persuaded me otherwise because the stick was much bigger than the problem. So I began asking questions. I didn’t realize that the head of Planning and Zoning is the husband of a member of the Newtown Bridle Lands. I didn’t know that flyers were circulated, without a source, that were worse than the printed ad. The more I have asked about this, the more it seems to be that there is a bully in town who has many people intimidated.

It used to be Nicer in Newtown, but I have my doubts in this arena. I hope that Planning and Zoning recognizes that everyone in town loves the open spaces and the horse country that is part of the town’s character. There is nothing to fear by hearing from the other side – they are not your enemies.

Lee M. Bagaglio

1 Forest View Drive, Sandy Hook     August 21, 2001