On April 3, the Planning and Zoning Commission held public hearings on the electronic LED billboard issue (to which we alerted you earlier) and the Town Center South zoning overlay district. The Commission approved the Town Center South proposal, which the GPA endorsed. However, following the public hearing on the billboards, the commissioners decided not to take a final vote until their next meeting on April 17 because some of the commissioners present hadn’t had time to read all of the materials presented by the applicant and the public.
Chairman Ray Bower announced that the Commission had received no letters in support of the application for LED billboards and 67 letters and emails in opposition. In reading our letter into into the record, GPA board member Shirley Girioni pointed out that the proposed change to the zoning regulations would overturn a two-year planning process for Route 1 that involved the input of hundreds of citizens as well as professional consultants paid for by the Town. The GPA believes that Guilford should not be the first town in Connecticut to approve such signs on non-freeways.
Thank you for your outpouring of support for our position. Public opinion counts. We trust that the commissioners will consider the strong public opposition to this proposal and vote no.
