Woodstock CT Café

Dr. Gordon -

Your response is highly confused, and ignores the main issue you were asked to address, which is the fundamental flaw in the town’s commercial zoning scheme.

As repeatedly pointed out, the basic problem is the “Special Permit” process which controls all commercial development in town. The Special Permit standards are vague; rarely and selectively enforced; and no special permit has ever been denied. As a consequence, if the town asserts the authority to deny a commercial application, this is an illegal “Spot Zoning” scheme. Alternatively, if the town does not assert the authority to deny a commercial application, then it is, in fact, “Build Anything Anywhere”. This is not an “attitude” – it is the commercial zoning scheme codified in the town’s zoning regulations. Are you denying this?

The attempt by Goldsmith to address this problem was undermined by Dottie Durst, Dan Very and Ed Higgins in a campaign based on falsehoods that elected you to the PZC. Your repeated efforts to distance yourself from this campaign – after benefitting from it – are simply disingenuous.

The conclusion is obvious – the Woodstock Republican Party put this scheme into place and has kept it there becasue they do no want any commercial zoning in the town. Rather than evading the issue by attacking the motivations of those raising it, as the RTC did in the last election, or repeating your extended, vague laundry list of objectives you are “working on”; I hope that you can address the problem of the town’s flawed commercial zoning code directly and on the merits.

Snuffy

Snuffy,

I don’t expect you to believe what I am writing. You should learn firsthand the facts. That applies as well to those who read your posts – learn the facts.

You cut and paste sections of my prior post to fit your argument. That’s a convenient way to structure an argument, but its foundations are faulty and the argument won’t hold. I said that “As you know, the PZC cannot block growth and development 100%. It is the role of the PZC to abide by our regulations and applicable law, to act upon the responsibilities charged to us, and to use commonsense. The PZC also reviews and updates regulations thinking toward the future. That is what the PZC is involved with now. We’re doing an exhaustive review of our zoning regulations. We’re aware of different zoning needs in different parts of town. We’re aware of potential future commercial development pressures. We’re aware of wireless communications issues that can both benefit and harm our neighborhoods. We’re aware of the balance between conservation of open space and people’s rights to use their land. We’ve acted upon the need to update our fee schedule ordinance.Read again these two sentences: “The PZC also reviews and updates regulations thinking toward the future. That is what the PZC is involved with now.”

Yes, we abide by current regulations. Case law requires us to that. And yes, regulations can be changed or new ones created as the never ending task takes place of reviewing what is going on in town or may happen in the future. The PZC is doing both. And rightly so.

It is not an attitude of “build anything, anywhere” if the PZC is working to bring its zoning regulations into congruity with its subdivision regulations (and vice-versa).

It is not an attitude of “build anything, anywhere” if the PZC is working on commercial zoning regulations.

It is not an attitude of “build anything, anywhere” if the PZC is looking towards Woodstock’s future and thinking about what additional regulations may or may not be needed. Read the rest of this entry »