Letter To The Editor: Brian Farnen Will Fight To Reform 8-30g

To the Editor:

As a Town Plan & Zoning Commissioner and long-time Fairfield resident and, I welcome
State Representative candidate Brian Farnen's pledge to make substantive reforms to
our State’s affordable housing legislation, 8-30g. As a zoning commissioner, who values
local voices and decisions, I have seen firsthand the failure of the law which was
created to good and laudable goals, but it’s clearly not creating the long-term affordable
housing units needed in Fairfield.

The affordable housing law needs amendments to restore the authority and trust to local
zoning commissions to apply their towns' standards as to height and setbacks to a
developer's application for construction. Building and creating affordable housing is
welcome and a necessity -- we all need it for ourselves and our families at some point in
our lives.

However, the right to construct massive and tall buildings, pushing the edges of a
property, along with 40-year deed restrictions (eventually leaving us with the density,
not the affordable units) in the name of affordability, is wrong and needs to be changed.
A developer's profits are not more important than retaining the character of the town.
Further, with 8-30g, the burden shifts from the applicant justifying the development, to
the commission justifying a denial. There needs to be evidence of substantial harm to
health or safety issues. Sometimes neighbors who can afford to hire an attorney to fight
8-30g applications do so but oftentimes, it is cost prohibitive and difficult. The law simply
does not work and needs to be addressed.

I am confident that Brian Farnen will work hard for us to reform 8-30g and work across
the aisle to make it happen. Please join me in supporting Brian on November 8.

Meg Francis
Fairfield, Town Plan & Zoning Commissioner