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Public Opinion

I was proud of our Clinton community last week and the majority of the Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC).

The current Republican administration is heavily influenced by greedy developers who think they can push through zoning changes that’ll benefit them financially. It should’ve been obvious the floating zone concept recently adopted was done to advance those efforts.

I attended a Design Review Committee meeting where the developer seeking to build a new CVS explained the site originally targeted was the former Friendly’s location, but was steered to the corner of High and Main, owned by Republican Selectman John Giannotti. However, current zoning won’t allow the size building required, with the necessary drive-through and parking.

The floating zone concept was promoted as a “tool in the toolbox” of the PZC. That essentially means it helps PZC do practically anything it wants, simply by landing a floating zone, which should never benefit a single property owner. However, landing it on Giannotti’s corner really only benefits Giannotti. The rest of Giannotti’s plan included demolishing three highly visible antique structures.

Several civic groups including the Clinton Taxpayers Association and the Clinton Historical Society began to pay attention and circulated a petition in opposition that ultimately contained more than 700 signatures. Hundreds then showed up at the four-hour public hearing, at which a steady stream of residents expressed opposition. Despite the politicking of a few Republican commissioners, PZC denied the application. It also denied a self-serving application by Kim Neri Simoncini to reduce safeguards pertaining to contractor storage yards, after Neri Construction was criticized for blight.

Again, public opinion clearly influenced the majority of the commission.

Thanks go to all who expressed their opinions at the hearing or via petition. It remains the best way to protect our town from bad development and corruption.

Vincent Cimino

Clinton