Afford­able hous­ing doesn’t have to ruin Brook­field’s charm

My name is Liam Enea, and I am running for the Zoning Board of Appeals to keep Brookfield in charge of its development. Brookfield is a town, not a city. Not every acre of earth is destined for dense urbanization. However, today’s practices invite rental hawks while squandering chances to build smaller, more affordable homes.

Since 2023, I’ve voted on dozens of ZBA cases alongside Chairman Alan Donnelly and Vice Chairman Karl Hinger, the respective Republican nominees for selectman and first selectman. Karl and Alan’s legal acumen, expertise on construction matters, high standards for granting variances, and due diligence prevented many costly lawsuits against the town. Their negotiations on projects ranging from apartments to stores upheld the general welfare and property values. These gentlemen embody civility, fairness, and honesty in government, which are traits that will serve the Board of Selectmen well.

Like Karl and Alan, I believe in granting zoning exceptions as a last resort because they remain with the land forever. When valid, land-based hardships wholly prevent a landowner from enjoying their property, I negotiate within the law. I have and will continue to oppose bold attempts to undermine fair land use. But 8-30g, the state’s affordable housing law, complicates those efforts.

Next June, Brookfield’s control over 8-30g proposals will weaken again. Think there’s enough construction going on? Don’t worry, we’re barely halfway to the state’s arbitrary 10% affordable-unit benchmark. Forget about home rule; the state statutes preempt us. But as lifelong young and elderly residents are priced out, we cannot sit on an academic high horse and pretend it’s just the free market at work. Demanding local control over land use also means inviting strict government intervention in real estate.

Yes, developers have a right to build. Yes, short-term rentals provide an important buffer for citizens. Yes, replacing blighted strip malls and contaminated land benefits the economy. But two powerful tools to control Brookfield’s destiny come at a cost that taxpayers must consider.

First, Brookfield already uses tax abatements to enable certain projects. That’s how Four Corners evolved under 8-30g, and why Branson Ultrasonics relocated its headquarters here. The statute lets developers cram more units onto a lot, but not just rentals. Drive down Meadow Brook Road and you’ll find a dozen beautiful homes that are undersized for their zone. Those residences were built under the same statute fueling most of today’s apartment boom.

If developers are going to build anyways, why not use the carrot and stick to promote smaller, owner-occupied units? For all the talk about creating more housing options, developers eat up land, build fast and cheap, and leave residents without equity. Why not incentivize smaller cottages, townhomes, and co-ops so young people can build a nest egg, too?

Second, Brookfield must make more strides to conserve open space, our scarcest asset. Aside from The Ledges, which a regional conservancy purchased with state assistance, Brookfield hasn’t bought in decades. Look at 45 Old Pumpkin Hill across the New Milford border: 63 acres of serene deed-restricted land, offering a notch under $1 million, unsold after two years. Preserving land like that in Brookfield capitalizes into higher nearby assessments, offsetting the price and tax loss over time. Why not bring one to voters?

Expect more growth, as several long-approved projects have yet to break ground. But ask any of the old farm families, whose names mark our many roads, and they’ll echo a familiar tale: opportunistic developers, obliging governments, urban sprawl, and NIMBYism. Today’s status quo differs. Where governments once unlocked opportunities for families to build equity, this rental flood enforces class divisions.

I urge you to vote for Karl, Alan, myself, and the rest of Row B. We all share a lifelong love for Brookfield, its beauty, and its opportunities.

Liam Enea serves on Brookfield’s Zoning Board of Appeals, Youth Commission, and Energy Advisory Board. He works at ISO New England and influenced state electricity policy reforms in 2023.