ESSEX

In a surprising turn of events, on June 4, the Essex Planning and Commission (PZC) decided to withdraw a heavily scrutinized application intended to carve out an area in the Bokum area of town in order to encourage greater development.

The announcement that the PZC would remove the application from the agenda came before what was meant to be a second public hearing on the proposed text amendment to town zoning regulations. Most of the people in attendance at the meeting were there solely for the second hearing, with the first one having occurred on March 5. Most in attendance left Town Hall after the PZC formally withdrew its application.

According to the application’s language, the “Bokum Corner Development District” had the general intent “to encourage and increase appropriate, well-designed activity in the Bokum Corner area…to encourage new development and redevelopment on underused properties” with a “higher-density, flexible, and vibrant mix of uses.”

Many residents expressed strong opposition to the proposed node both in the form of public testimony at the March 5 hearing and with signage posted around town that read “Save Our Small Town” and “No Sudden Radical Zoning.” The criticisms of “radical zoning” came down to matters of public health and safety, as well as providing profitable opportunities for out-of-town developers at the expense of residents.

The anticipation of greater negative public testimony was seen as a major factor for the eventual withdrawing of the text amendment.

“When we see this many people show up, it's a clear sign to me that that should be pulled,” said Commissioner Robert Day.

Chair Russell Smith explained to the audience of citizens that after speaking with people from the Bokum area and reviewing zoning regulations, he saw that it was best the PZC revisit the topic when drafting the next Plan of Conservation of Development (POCD) for 2025-’35.

Commissioner Peter Fleischer agreed with Smith on revisiting the topic, but stated that for reasons of convenience and transparency to residents, that the PZC “revisit it in a workshop that would be open to the public...where anyone who wants to participate in the workshop can, and it can be a discussion about, ‘Do we want to do this?’ and ‘Why would we do this?’ and ‘Where should we do this?’ and so on.”

Robert Vitari, one of the most vocal critics of the proposed node, viewed the withdrawing of the text amendment as a “welcomed and refreshing change of winds for the residents of this town through the promised inclusion of all in crafting the new POCD and any further legislation so greatly poised to affect their way of life.”

This “refreshing change of winds” answers previous concerns which residents like Vitari had about not being transparent enough on proposed zoning changes such as Bokum. Vitari added that public involvement in drafting the new POCD amounts to a “real victory for all in a healthy democracy going forward.”

Anyone who wants to participate in the public workshops can email Carey Duques, land use official, at cduques@EssexCT.gov.