LOL! You are neither silent or the majority! 80-120 taxpaying residents attended every public hearing on this over the course of a year, in person, as well as hundreds of emails and letters to the boards, commissions and to the media.....with 95%+ of them in opposition. Facts matter.
To the members of the Borough of Newtown Zoning Commission, please realize your job is to review the application and vote on its merits and not be overwhelmed by a facebook mob. Just like on our national stage, the silent majority are with you. Don't be swayed by a vocal minority mob. Stay the course.
I think you're missing the broader point. Yes, statutes should be followed, but in this case it wouldn't have altered the decision that would have been made. And, yes, 8-30G is getting rammed down our throats. But with regard to this particular application, it is not yet an 8-30G. However, I'm willing to bet that if this nimby nonsense continues it most surely will become one. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.
As a former (25 year) Newtown Resident I to agree we need a return to civility. Politics has always been a lively topic and years ago there were many issues that incurred strong feelings. (Fairfield Hills, to buy or not to buy; what to do with it.) I have several good friends who disagreed with me on the most recent election and we just tacitly agreed not to discuss it. And life went on.
I am not sure what you expect the Community Center to do. As long as no one threatens you with direct violence there is not much they can do. They cannot stop your neighbor's wife from spouting off. Unpopular and even abhorrent positions are part and parcel of our free speech. As the Appeals Court said, Nazi's can march in Illinois. (And they and the Klan have demonstrated here in Connecticut.
