What Is NBLA Afraid Of?

To the Editor:

We would like to reply to a letter recently written to The Newtown Bee entitled “Opposes Appointment” written by Christina Kennedy. In answering this letter we could like to speak to all the residential property owners of Newtown. The right to be heard is one of our most basic American rights and the special exception process was put into place to protect that right.

In Ms Kennedy’s letter, Ms Maurer and ourselves were a part of as she states the “aggressive battle against the Sullivans obtaining a permit for their horse farm at Zoar Ridge.” On this point Ms Kennedy is correct. It was an aggressive battle fought over two years to prevent what we felt was an infringement to our rights. We sought to block the proliferation of a large commercial business in proximity to our backyard. The fact that the business was about horses, which advocates promoted as the right to farm, was never the point. We did not want to see our quality of life spoiled and we would have fought to protect it no matter what type of commercial business had tried to come in.

Many articles appeared in this paper reporting the events of those meetings and in the end we were very pleased that the process worked and we prevailed with an acceptable outcome. What was important about the whole ordeal was we got a lesson in civic government and the realization that the right to speak out and be heard was far more important than we ever realized. It is for that reason that we take great objection to Ms Kennedy’s statement when she writes, “Ms Maurer’s longstanding and bitter opposition to anything having to do with horses is well documented.” As if there had been some predisposition or plot aimed at the horse community. Meg Maurer did not join the P&Z commission as Ms Kennedy states to “stand against the horse community.” She joined the committee because she felt she would make a difference in improving our town government.

It is very sad to see a wonderful person who has lived in Newtown all her life have to endure a smear campaign in which NBLA paid for an 8 x 10 advertisement belittling her name and unsigned leaflets were posted at retail stores accusing her of being an anti-horse person. In fact, we could not think of anyone better suited to co-chair a special exception task force than Ms Maurer since she has personally experienced the cost and problems associated with the special exception process. When Ms Kennedy states, “When the issues of horses, permits and sundry will appear on the P&Z agenda, we know already how Ms Maurer will stand,” she makes an assumption that having experienced an issue, Mr Maurer would be unable to judge the facts and form a fair opinion. We do not agree with this statement. Meg Maurer was to be one of two members who would have headed a task force. The purpose of a task force is to gather information on a subject, define the issues and present their finding to the whole board.

While the selectman’s office and the chairman of P&Z have decided to dissolve the task force (election years hate controversy), there is one nagging question. What is Newtown Bridle Land Association afraid of? Why all the highly organized hysteria and smear tactics? Contrary to the many grand statements of NBLA members Newtown is not a horse town. It is a town with approximately 25,000 residents, 15,000 registered voters, 8,900 property owners, 5,000 students, and 92 registered horse owners. Is there room for horses in Newtown? Sure there is, but not at the exclusion of everyone else. We are a community of old time residents and not so new residents. Our town is a fabulous place where a mixture of good education, recreation, and quality of life are revered by all around us. What was done to Meg Maurer was an organized effort to silence an advocate for the residents of Newtown. By attacking her personally a special interest group has tried to affect the balance of government for all of us.

Robert & Donna Sapienza

6 Stone Gate Drive, Sandy Hook       August 22, 2001