A Message from the Chairman
Welcome to the Easton Democratic Town Committee website. We hope that you'll visit often, as we update you on important issues affecting our community.
Easton’s Democratic leaders have consistently represented your interests
in town government, working hard to achieve the goals that matter to our whole
community: good schools, manageable taxes, better town planning and services.
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Five
Facts About South Park
The Easton Democratic Town Committee
has not taken a position on this issue, but we are providing the following
information so that the public may cast an informed vote on June 17th.
Note: on Monday, June 9th, at 8 pm, a town meeting will be held to
discuss the town’s purchase of the South Park property (29 acres)
for $6.15 million, with intent to sell the property to the New England
Prayer Center (NEPC) for the same amount within 2 years. The meeting will
adjourn to a vote on June 17th.
1) The $6.15 million purchase price is dependent upon the town’s
willingness to enter into a non-transferable lease/purchase agreement
with the New England Prayer Center (NEPC). NEPC is a newly-formed,
local, non-denominational Christian group that plans to hold regular prayer
meetings on the property. Without this arrangement with NEPC, the town’s
purchase price would have been over $7.5 million.
2) Under the agreement, NEPC will pay $300,000 for the
lease/purchase option and will have two years to purchase the land from
the town for the balance of the $6.15 million. If the NEPC does
not raise enough funds to exercise this option within two years, the town
plans to subdivide the parcel into residential lots and sell them,
hopefully re-couping the cost of the land purchase, while preserving approximately
15 acres surrounding the Mill River.
3) This negotiated arrangement will allow the town to protect
the Mill River through conservation easements, and to impose deed restrictions
on the entire property prohibiting any future development that does not
conform to Easton's single-family zoning regulations.
4) Town officials on the Boards of Selectmen and Finance have
stated that they anticipate no increase in taxes related to the South
Park purchase. Debt service on the $6.15 million bond for the
next two years will be covered by the $300,000 that NEPC will pay for
the lease/purchase option. At the end of two years, either NEPC will buy
the property or the town will own it, with the intention to sell part
of it as single-family residential building lots.
5) Approval of this purchase would eliminate the affordable
housing lawsuit against the town. If this vote does not pass,
the alternative proposal of a 72-unit affordable housing complex will
be decided by a judge within a few months. Statistically, in
70% of affordable housing cases in Connecticut, the developers prevail.
We encourage all residents to attend the town meeting on this
matter on Monday, June 9th, at 8:00 pm (SSES Cafetorium), and
to cast an informed vote at the referendum on June 17th. At the meeting,
town officials and representatives of the NEPC will be available to answer
questions, and a tax impact analysis of the different options for the
property will be presented.
Thank you for your continued interest in Easton's future!
Letter from the Easton Land Preservation and Acquisition Authority
Supporting South Park Purchase
We, the residents of Easton, have an unprecedented opportunity before
us. On Tuesday, June 17, 2008 we will have the opportunity to vote in
support of the Town taking title to the South Park Property and simultaneously
selling a Lease/Purchase option to the New England Prayer Center. This
agreement is structured in such a way that it will not increase our property
taxes, yet will protect our zoning regulations as well as an important
water course known as the Mill River. The Board of Selectman has negotiated
this agreement in the best interest of the Town. If Running Brook Farm,
LLC wins the pending case against the Town, it will build a 72 unit affordable
housing development on the 29.81 acres on the property known as 18-22
South Park Avenue.
The Land Preservation and Acquisition Authority has been charged by the
Board of Selectmen to commission a study to evaluate this agreement. This
evaluation will compare the economic impact of the potential high density
housing development versus the impact of the prayer center. The evaluation
will be complete and made available to the public at the Town Meeting
on Monday, June 9 at 8:00 PM at Staples Elementary School.
This agreement is the best option for the Town. Although the center would
not generate property taxes, an affordable housing project would consume
far more in town services than it would generate in tax revenue. For example,
such a high density project would substantially and immediately increase
our school population. The study will provide detailed information regarding
the magnitude of such a high density project and the number of students
that could potentially be enrolled in our school system. This knowledge
will enable the residents of Easton to make a fully informed decision.
We are asking you to please vote in support of this acquisition on June
17, 2008.
Together we can take charge of Easton’s future.
Easton Land Preservation & Acquisition Authority
Members:
AnJenette Afridi, Chair
Carolyn Colangelo, Secretary
Victor Alfandre
Gail Bromer
Rob Ehlers
John Neary, 1927–2007
On
December 9, the Easton Democratic Party and the entire Easton community lost
a dear friend and cherished public servant. John Neary dedicated himself to
the town in many capacities: as Selectman from 1985 to 1987, Co-Chair of the
Easton 1990 Census Committee, Planning and Zoning Commission member for 20
years, and Chairman of the Easton Democratic Town Committee for 20 years.
His wisdom, insight, and sharp sense of humor will be terribly missed. Since
2003, the Easton Democratic Town Committee has awarded the John and Phyllis
Neary Award to Easton residents who exhibit the Nearys’ exemplary devotion
to public service.
Recent News
The Climate Change Project
DTC Chairman Ron Kowalski with Nobel laureate and former Vice President Al Gore at a Climate Change training seminar in Nashville, Tennessee in January ’07, where Kowalski was selected as a national presenter for The Climate Change Project. He currently speaks throughout the state on the consequences of global warming and the many steps Americans can take, individually and in the international community, to safeguard the health of the planet. For more information or to schedule a presentation for your business or organization, call Ron Kowalski at (203) 615-3979.
DTC Gift to the Library
DTC
Century Club Gift to the Library: In honor of its Century Club sponsors,
the Easton Democratic Town Committee donated the book Peoples, Nations,
and Cultures to the Easton Public Library to augment its
reference collection. The book was presented at the Century Club Breakfast
on September 30th, 2006. Pictured here: DTC Secretary Robin Pantalena,
Library Director Bernadette Baldino, Selectman Bob Lessler, and DTC Chairman
Ron Kowalski.
2006
Mid-term Elections: Democrats Soar to Victory
America
Votes for Change
Four
years of one-party rule came to a dramatic end on November 8, 2006 as Americans
all over the country cast their ballots for historic change in the nation's
leadership. Democrats took control of both the House of Representatives and
the Senate for the first time in 12 years. The Republican Revolution that
began in 1994 officially ended.
Whether the routing was a referendum on the war in Iraq, the burgeoning national
deficit, or the slew of scandals plaguing Republican officials is a matter
of debate. What can be said for certain is that by the time the dust settled
on November 9th, the American political landscape had undergone a breathtaking
transformation.
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Easton Needs You
Please consider volunteering your time and talents to serve the town. Local boards and commissions depend on the expertise of Easton's citizens for tasks as varied as town planning, decisions about educational spending, and oversight of building projects like the new animal shelter. For a full list of boards and commissions, click on Dem Officials in the sidebar, or contact Ron Kowalski at (203) 615-3979 to discuss openings.
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© 2002 - 2005 Easton Democrats. Paid for by the Easton Democratic Town Committee, Marvin Gelfand, Treasurer
The Easton Democratic Town Committee meets on the first Wednesday
of the month. Please see the Calendar section for details.
Through fair, ethical government that is decisive, responsive, and inclusive,
the Easton Democrats will strive to serve the needs of all town residents,
from school children to seniors, by:
•
Planning responsibly for the town’s
future and addressing problems before they cause a crisis
• Maintaining
an excellent public education system
• Protecting open space and preserving the rural beauty of Easton
• Controlling taxes to keep our town affordable
• Advocating for improvements to town services and facilities
• Supporting no development that endangers the distinctive qualities
of our small town
We encourage the active participation of all Easton citizens in town decision-making. It is only by working together, in a spirit of mutual respect, that we will achieve the brightest possible future for the town we call home.
