Willington's Planning and Zoning Commission met last night, June 16, to discuss their official response to the 327 acre paramilitary complex to be built in the middle of a neighborhood.
Reports from the meeting are shocking and disappointing. Despite the Board of Selectmen, the Conservation Commission, the Historical Society, and hundreds of residents condemning the proposal, the P&Z board seems reluctant to follow suit.
This is puzzling, considering the very real fact that this complex, as a state project, will be constructed and operate entirely outside the zoning laws of Willington. Not a single one of Willington's democratically determined zoning laws will have to be followed by the State Police, so why are is the Planning and Zoning Commission sitting on their hands?
They put off the issue until their next meeting, Tuesday, July 21st. This provides enough time to take the following actions:
1. Write to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Their specific item for delay was the need to look over Willington's Plan for Conservation and Development to see if and how this proposed complex would be at odds with it.
Let's help them out. You can find the PfCD document here. It is not compiled into one document, so start at Chapter 1 and go from there. Pick two or three paragraphs that are at odds with the State Police's plan, and explain why in a letter to the Planning & Zoning Commission.
Letters can be sent to:
Mr. George Marco, Planning & Zoning
40 Old Farms Road
Willington, CT 06279
Email can be sent to: mdupilka@willington.org For ease of sorting, use "Opposition to Police Complex" in the title.
2. Make plans to attend the next P&Z meeting. I know, a person could spend their whole week going to meetings to stop this proposal. But if we could fill the room with people opposed to this gun range- and that is an easy enough thing to do- perhaps the Planning & Zoning Commission would be inclined to take a stand.
Thanks again to Ralph Tulis, who went to last night's meeting and emailed the above suggestions.
