CT Patch Candidate Profile: Bryan Neil Anderson For Milford Planning & Zoning Board

MILFORD, CT — The 2025 election is heating up in Connecticut and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Connecticut Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Bryan Neil Anderson, a Democrat, is a Milford resident running for the Planning and Zoning Board.

Occupation: Wedding Officiant (8 yrs.), Mobile Notary, CT Realtor (15 yrs.), Educator (20 yrs.)

Have you ever held a public office before?

I serve on the Milford Planning and Zoning Board from the 5th District and was unanimously approved by the Milford Board of Aldermen to fill a vacancy in 2023. Previously, I was elected Alderman by 5th District residents for 8 years. I chose not to run in 2019. I held elective office in Hamden and New Haven, and worked in the housing and economic development fields and was employed by a Member of Congress.

Why are you seeking this office?

Milford is at a crossroads. We have witnessed a number of apartment housing developments constructed throughout our community, but there must be more efforts directed towards insuring a greater supply of single family homes, housing for empty-nest seniors, using dilapidated and underutilized spaces, completing projects such as on the former Hooters, K Mart, next to Big Y, and CT Post Mall. City Hall can provide direction and support in setting priorities.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Taxes and affordability. The local budget that pays for education and general government expenses comes largely from residential taxpayers. In recent years, we’ve witnessed more of the local tax responsibility fall on residential households, while the commercial sector is not as robust. A stark example is the CT Post Mall and the stalled plans to reinvent the mall uses. We need leadership throughout city government to ensure our vacant and underutilized commercial properties become more vital, are employing local residents, providing goods and services, and are contributing to Milford’s Grand List.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Although we’ve never met because my opponent is running for office for the first time and just building his “public credentials,” my impression is that he’s a decent person. I am on the Milford Historical Society board and a preservationist. I certainly admire the work that he and his wife did to rehab their home. What l bring is experience. I look at every application individually and listen intently to public testimony. In calling the “balls and strikes” on every application before PZB, l will comply with what is lawfully required, but vote based upon what each application presents. For example, l recently voted against a 8-30g application l found unacceptable. As an Alder, l worked against the 8-30g Pond Point development and helped to organize the neighborhood opposition.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Communication is necessary to be responsive to one’s constituents. While state law restricts speaking with residents on agenda items outside of the public hearing process, I welcome phone calls and emails on any past or future housing or economic development issues on which they’d like more information. The PZBoard is reviewing regulations for the CDD-2 zone on Bridgeport Avenue and there is plenty of time for residents to make their views known by sending emails and speaking at the public meetings.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As voters in the 5th District know, l was an active alderman. I chaired the Public Works Committee and worked to change the work rules that led to the successful sanitation toter system, repair and install new sidewalks, regulate large commercial trucks parked overnight on residential streets, and increase parking downtown. I voted to cut the growth of local government, thereby holding down local taxes.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

“Be present and complete what you start.” Also, as a teacher when l entered the field, “ Be firm, flexible, and fair.”

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I appreciate having an opportunity to speak with other Milford residents about what they value about our community. I’ve lived in Milford for 27 years - longer than anywhere else. I just took sunset photos from the fishing pier at Gulf Beach. I met a wonderful couple who live in the elsewhere, but visit here regularly because they love our community. Many of the couples whose marriages l officiate are married by the City Hall waterfall and duck pond, or on Walnut Beach. I’m always mindful of what we have and want only what’s best for our community.