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Ignored the Will of Residents

Politics reared its ugly head at the Aug. 3 meeting of the Planning & Zoning Commission when three of five commissioners, against my recommendation and the recommendation of my staff, voted in favor of granting a one-year special exception allowing a rooming house in a quiet residential neighborhood in Foxon.

Rooming houses, especially those utilized for rehabilitative and group support purposes, certainly have a place in our community. However, rooming houses operated for profit in conjunction with commercial websites raise significant safety and quality of life concerns. No resident would want a commercial rooming house approved next to his or her home and I find it disconcerting that some members of the commission ignored the will of the residents who attended the hearing on this issue and spoke critically against it.

At the meeting, the rooming house proposal had the backing of a District 3 town councilman who wrote a letter as a 25-year friend and supporter of the applicant and which was read into the record that night. However, supporting and voting for something just as a favor to a constituent is poor judgment. Our elected and appointed officials represent every resident to the exclusion of none and their decisions should be based on what is best for the majority, not special minority interests.

Our Planning & Zoning Commission should be striving to preserve the character and quality of our residential neighborhoods. I applaud Commissioners William Demayo and Beverly Gravino for speaking their minds and voting their consciences in opposition to the rooming house proposal. I hope that in the future, the other commission members think more carefully about the quality of life concerns for all residents when they consider proposals before their board.

Mayor Joseph Maturo, Jr.

East Haven