Goal to improve business climate; officials defend decisions, policies
WILTON – Officials formed an eight-person committee Tuesday to try to improve the business climate in Wilton during a meeting with citizens, business owners and members of the Planning Board. The committee will bring its recommendations back to selectmen for consideration.
The meeting was called after officials received a letter from Dennis Taylor of Taylor Made Homes who charged that the town was anti-business. Taylor wrote the letter after controversy with the town’s Planning Board over the construction of a garage to be built about 50 feet from an intermittent stream. Planners did approve the building permit.
Taylor told officials taxes in the town are up to burdensome levels while residential and commercial real estate is more run down. In addition, he said the town’s zoning ordinance and Comprehensive Plan are more restrictive. “We’ve seen a dangerous trend in Wilton,” Taylor said.
Taylor said he gets a couple of calls each year from business owners who want to build in a nearby town rather than Wilton due to the tax rate and a negative stance toward business in the town. He said he was told by a former town manager who didn’t want more housing development because it increased school costs compared to the increase in tax revenue.
Taylor said Wilton’s zoning ordinance is more restrictive than neighboring towns, yet the water and air is no cleaner. “Planners look for reasons why they can’t do it,” he said.
Code Enforcement Officer Brenda Medcoff said Taylor is correct that the appearance of buildings in town has gone down hill, partly because she does not work enough hours to keep up with violations. Planners are working toward addressing this issue with Selectmen. “We’re going down and going down quick,” Medcoff said.
However, Medcoff said when someone comes in for an application she tries to give them as much information as possible about what planners will require from them. She said many applicants come to the board without the required information and expect their application to be approved the same night. “That’s when we feel the heat,” Medcoff said.
She said planners want to make sure that all criteria are met and everything is in order before granting a permit. “Other things are at the state level that slows things down,” she said. “We’re lucky enough to have a Planning Board that wants to meet two times a month. Most only meet once a month,” she added.
Medcoff admitted that Wilton is more stringent than neighboring towns, however, she said those towns are now suffering the consequences and looking toward increasing their regulations. Medcoff said Wilton is fairly in line with state regulations. She pointed out that out of 86 permits only about a dozen had to come before planners. Medcoff takes care of the rest.
Medcoff said planners have made efforts to improve the length of time it takes to make a decision on an application. They have allowed her to write down submission requirements ahead of time so they don’t have to go through each one at their meetings and have come up with a one-page form that gives planners all the information they need for existing businesses.
Planning Board Chairman Russell Black said he feels planners have “leaned over backwards” to be business-friendly and have denied very few permits. He said planners are bound by the town’s comprehensive plan.
Black said these regulations were put out to public hearing and voted on by the town. “I pay taxes in Wilton and I want to make sure there’s a good tax base. We do the best we can with what we are bound by,” Black said.
Former Planning Board member and Chairman of the Comprehensive Plan Committee Conrad Heeschen said 20 years ago planners were also accused of being too stringent. “They are not setting policy by doing this, they are carrying out policy,” he said. “There’s very few things people can’t do,” he added.
Resident and Appeals Board Member Orlando Jordan said he feels it is the tax rate and not regulations that deter business in Wilton. “We can control the tax rate if we take an interest in our town government and get out there and do something about it,” he said.
Selectmen asked the audience for volunteers to serve on a committee to attempt to address these issues. The committee consists of Medcoff, Black, and six residents, including Taylor.
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