LTE: Is The Madison P&Z Listening To Residents' Concerns?

To the Editor:

We would like to echo our neighbors’ concerns regarding the upcoming vote by the Madison Planning and Zoning Commission this week on September 19th at Madison Town Hall. We hope that you can attend and be witness to the unethical practices of the chair of this commission. The deliberation began on September 5 and a recording can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNg48T4yysk

The Planning and Zoning Commission highlighted multiple serious concerns raised by the hundreds of opposing Madison residents (most of which were in the audience), including environmental (lighting and noise pollution and waste into the wetlands and the Neck River, which runs through the property) and safety concerns.

Unfortunately, Ms. Carol Snow, the Chair of the Madison Planning and Zoning Commission, confirmed her clear bias in favor of the Tremaine Foundation, using every opportunity she could to push their agenda forward without any reservations or concerns for the safety of the neighborhood and the Madison community.

Residents wondered about Ms. Snow’s ability to responsibly be unbiased after the May meeting, as it was very clear that she aligned with the Tremaine Foundation. (Please refer to the Town of Madison YouTube site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypKxV2QGXU0 Deed restrictions: 4:06:20 and Economic Study from Philadelphia and Indianapolis: 4:07:32 as well as her response at the very end of the meeting.)

Upon further investigation after this meeting, it became apparent that Ms. Snow has deep ties to conservation and art, which is the mission of the Tremaine Foundation. She served as the Deputy Chief Conservator and Senior Conservator of Objects at the Yale University Art Gallery for many years. It seems impossible for her not to cross paths during this time and have mutual interests with the Tremaine Foundation, who is a large donor of the arts and has given Yale University over $600,000 in donations from 2009-2018 and continues to today. The Tremaine Foundation also has donated over $500,000 to the CT Fund for the Environment and the Madison Land Conservation Trust as well as the Shoreline Arts Alliance.

The Foundation has received a few letters of support from related arts/conversation organizations around the state that have virtually no relationship to Madison and would not be impacted by the tremendous safety hazards the passing of this Special Exemption Request will cause for local residents. Yet these few letters are carrying more weight than the concerns raised by the residents of Madison.

Written evidence of Ms. Snow’s conflict of interest can be view in the following letter sent to the Connecticut General Assembly in support of HB 6119, which concerns arts, culture, and tourism funding (available for view at https://www.cga.ct.gov/2021/cedata/tmy/2021HB-06119-R000211-Snow,%20Carol-Support-TMY.PDF) and reads “Testimony in support of HB 6119; As a conservator of cultural heritage objects, I know from firsthand experience how challenging it is for museums and other non-profits in the arts and culture sectors to secure the funding they need to fulfill their missions to share their invaluable resources with all residents of and visitors to Connecticut. I urge you to support passage of HB 6119! Many thanks, Carol Snow, 534 Boston Post Road Madison, CT 06443 carolsnow@comcast.net or carol.snow@yale.edu cell: 617-966-2425.”

Concerned residents sent letters to the Town urging Ms. Snow to recuse herself from her role in this matter; however, she went on record that she is able to perform her duty as an unbiased citizen. If you listen to the September 5th meeting, she has clearly not been truthful about this. Ms. Snow quickly ignored pleas from her constituents and more than 65 healthcare professionals who signed a letter about safety concerns related to traffic on the narrow road in front of 6 Opening Hill. She quickly brushed this off as “hearsay and vague.” (Note: HIPPA prohibits healthcare professionals from disclosing personal medical information to the public or the letter would have contained more details).

Madison residents have made it abundantly clear that we oppose the Special Exception request through the hundreds of letters sent to the Commission, 100+ individuals attending numerous Town Hall meetings throughout the summer in opposition of the Special Exception, and a local petition with more than 300 signatures that adamantly oppose The Special Exemption Request. (Please refer to: https://www.madisonct.org/DocumentCenter/Index/1146 for all of these letters, including the one from healthcare professionals (submitted 6/17/24).

Included in these letters to the Commission are concerns of the Tremaine Foundation’s push for the property to become a Madison historical and architectural site, which highlight the achievements of its known Nazi architect. Clearly, an abomination not only for the Town of Madison but the State of Connecticut as well.

If this Special Exception passes, there will be obvious neglect for the environment, disregard of the concerns of Madison residents, and no consideration of safety for individuals traveling Opening Hill Road. When an inevitable accident and tragedy happens, it will be no fault other than that of the Planning and Zoning Commission along with the Town of Madison.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Ed and Joanne Arrandale
Madison, CT