Windsor land use commissioner @alancavagnaro.bsky.social reflects on our Room at the Table report in @nextcity.org , highlighting how the lack of renters, young residents, and women on local boards fuels exclusionary practices and limits community voice.
nextcity.org/urbanist-new...
Facebook post from the Newtown CT Republican Town Committee: First Selectman Jeffrey Capeci sent this letter to Governor Lamont regarding his concerns with HB 5002. Let’s hope he listens to his constituents on this one. Dear Governor Lamont, As First Selectman of the Town of Newtown, I write to respectfully urge you to veto House Bill 5002. This legislation, which would impose centralized control over local land use decisions, directly undermines the principles of local governance and planning that communities like Newtown rely on to ensure thoughtful, context-specific development. Our land use department has reviewed the bill thoroughly and stands firmly opposed to this top-down approach, which we believe will compromise our ability to respond effectively to the unique needs and character of our town. Newtown has a long history of responsible and community-driven land use policy, shaped by local knowledge, public input, and the specific environmental and infrastructural realities of our region. HB 5002 threatens to erase that local expertise in favor of one-size-fits-all mandates that may be ill-suited to many municipalities across the state. We understand and support the goal of addressing housing and development challenges, but HB 5002 takes the wrong path by stripping decision-making authority from the very communities most impacted. We believe solutions must be collaborative, not coercive, and should respect the fundamental role of local government in shaping land use. I urge you to protect local control and preserve the integrity of municipal planning by vetoing HB 5002. Thank you for your leadership and your attention to this critical issue. Respectfully, A. Jeffrey Capeci First Selectman Town of Newtown
The CT GOP is engaging in a coordinated screed against HB5002 by lying through their teeth:
"Newtown has a long history of responsible and community-driven land use policy"
Too bad Urban Dispatch keeps receipts. Newtown has kept housing from 853 families over the just last four years
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11.5 hours but we ended the day smiling.
H.B. 5002 just passed the House after over 11 hours of debate! From Work Live Ride, the biggest parking reform east of the Rockies, to fair share, commercial conversions, public housing, and homelessness reforms, this is a significant step forward. On to the Senate! 🏘️🚉
The DCT team is hard at work supporting HB5002 and still taking advantage of free ice cream in the old approps committee room!
Hear from our new director Nick Kantor’s case for Work Live Ride: 👇
"By building homes and jobs near transit hubs, we can create diverse, dynamic, walkable neighborhoods that expand affordability, support local businesses, and reduce pollution."
ctmirror.org/2025/02/26/w...
Donald Shoup was a visionary whose work on parking reform inspired me long before I was elected to Planning & Zoning. His legacy reshaped communities for the better, including South Windsor, by reducing parking minimums.
Rest in peace.
The potential of Work Live Ride: ‘These communities stimulate local economies, reduce commuting costs, and foster vibrant areas where people want to live, work, and visit.’ – @alancavagnaro.bsky.social, DesegregateCT Deputy Director.
Read more: ctmirror.org/2025/02/03/c...
Testified in support of Work Live Ride for the third time yesterday—proud to keep up the fight and move us closer to passage in 2025! 🏘
@desegregatect.bsky.social
If you wanted to decrease the cost of homes, one thing you wouldn’t do is put a flat tariff on your main source of timber.
Had a fantastic time at Hunter College tonight for an event with @nerd4cities.bsky.social and @thewaroncars.bsky.social! 🚉🚲
Big thanks to the wonderful folks at @norwalkstreets.bsky.social for saving me a seat and providing the company!
🚨 Public Hearing Alert! 🚨
📢 Work Live Ride is HB 6831 this session! The public hearing is this Monday at 10AM. Here's how Pro-Homes advocates can take action: 🏘🚉👇
In my completely biased opinion, an excellent successor to @peteharrison860.bsky.social
Something that makes Vessel technologies so interesting to me is the attempt to innovate and make housing efficiently.
We need more of that! Standardized ADU’s, modular and manufactured homes…we could make more affordable homes available to CT residents.
www.ctinsider.com/westhartford...
