Bonnie Van Slyke

“Given all of what has been able to be ascertained about the Property, the Town’s ability to exercise any rights with respect to the Property are limited by the rights of others. In practical terms, this means that the Town cannot use the Property for public access to the beach, cannot put signage or fencing on the Property, nor occupy it in such a manner as to impede the rights of the other co-owners in the Property.”

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The Town Charter allows the Town Council to make appointments to the Planning Commission when there is a vacancy, but the Town Council ignored over 30 years of precedent in how to fill a vacancy in making the January 13 appointment. They also ignored other sections of the Charter that make clear the intent for these appointments.

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Shortly after the New Year representatives from the US Army Corps held a meeting at the Kettle Pond Visitor Center to provide an overview of its investigation and cleanup efforts and to gather feedback on how it can better inform the community about the current cleanup projects in Ninigret Park and Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge.

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This development is being proposed under new state legislation that requires that the “density bonus for a project which provides at least twenty-five percent (25%) low- and moderate-income housing shall be at least three (3) units per acre”. Three dwelling units per acre is considered a high risk for potable water, but the legislation is not based in science.

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This level of growth in such a short time is unprecedented for our town. These new 499 units do not include the additional units in other new subdivisions that have been approved and do not include any ADUs that will be approved. This growth is the result of state legislation, but the current Town Council didn’t join with other rural towns to oppose the legislation or seek any solutions. Adopting a “more housing at any cost” strategy really does eventually have a cost.

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Before sending the ordinance to a public hearing, the Town Council stripped the regulations of the Special Use Permit requirement. This makes it a “by right” use on any commercial lot along the Scenic Highway. They also removed several other recommendations from the Planning Commission’s version of the ordinance that protect the rights of abuters, neighborhoods, and natural resources.

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On July 8, the current Charlestown Town Council majority got rid of a highly qualified and experienced member of the Budget Commission, Dick Sartor. Mr. Sartor had applied to be reappointed, and he was not. This sacking of Mr. Sartor was carried out by a Town Council majority that says institutional knowledge, and qualifications, are of utmost importance in government. One can only wonder why the Town Council majority would remove Mr. Sartor’s practiced eye from oversight of the town’s budget.

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There is now additional evidence that the current Town Council majority favors development and an increase in the density of that development. What will remain at risk is the degradation of our groundwater (the sole source of our drinking water), unhealthy freshwater and saltwater ponds, and ultimately an increase in our tax rate when these negative environmental effects need to be mitigated.

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Charlestown once rejected partisan divisions and, in turn, enjoyed a decade of smooth, open, good, and responsive government that provided low taxes and good schools while maintaining a high quality of life. Now, the current Town Council characterizes information as lies and is ignoring the preferences of residents expressed in the 2021 Community Survey.

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Charlestown was managed very well for a decade, but the current Town Council majority still continues to falsely accuse town staff of misdeeds. Implying, without any evidence, that town staff has violated an ordinance is unconscionable.

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As a vacation destination, areas near Watchaug and our saltwater ponds could be especially impacted. Also, developers of new subdivisions would be able to add a second dwelling unit to each lot, doubling the number of houses in their subdivisions. In short, Charlestown’s zoning would be thrown to the wind in favor of state control, and the number of dwelling units possible in town could conceivably double.

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Rather than have an authentic conversation over the issue of the balance of experience on the Zoning Board of Review, Mr. Cahir chose to deflect using a groundless personal attack on a town volunteer and his family. He is certainly free to express those opinions. However, misrepresentation and making stuff up are not OK and are not only dishonest but toxic. Mr. Cahir needs to disagree better.

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How will real discussions and debates occur when members of the public are not able to participate fully? Allowing citizens to ask questions, provide input, and offer comments is essential to an open and transparent government. Not gathering the information available and then weighing all the evidence in order to make considered decisions is not transparent, is not in the best interests of the citizens of the town, and also makes no sense.

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The new ordinance eliminates the requirement that open space contain any upland (developable areas), in spite of the fact that developers of major subdivisions have been required to set aside upland areas while clustering their lots since 1988. The number of lots that a developer has available to develop has not been reduced by this requirement, but the negative environmental impact of new residential development has been reduced. There is wide agreement that this method has worked.

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The new Town Council majority has, suddenly, proposed drastically changing this long-standing, well-tested ordinance that protects the environment in order to provide “choice” for developers. In addition, the choice that will be provided to developers by the proposed changes will also greatly reduce developers’ costs by allowing them to design their subdivisions essentially as they please.

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The Charlestown Town Council is conducting important business in special meetings that are scheduled randomly at the call of the Council. As a result, being an informed citizen in Charlestown in 2023 has suddenly become a formidable task, and instead of fostering more transparency and more citizen participation, using special meetings for important business has resulted in less, much less, of both.

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When: Tuesday, March 21 at 7 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Town Hall
What: N.O. Bar, LLC, is requesting a Special Use Permit to construct a bar on an existing deck and appealing Charlestown’s Zoning Official’s ruling that the new use is an Outdoor Café. N.O. Bar is located at 523 Charlestown Beach Road.

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Mr. Stankiewicz, a true professional, would have served the new Council well, as he has served a number of other Town Councils. Claims seemingly used to justify forcing Mr. Stankiewicz to leave are petty and inaccurate. As a result, the new Council is now wasting time searching for a new Town Administrator, instead of focusing on pressing town matters.

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Charlestown taxpayers are served by a dedicated Town staff. For example, during the pandemic, ours was the only town in the state to provide uninterrupted services to our residents, and to those who needed assistance, even during the worst of Covid-19. Most Charlestown residents correctly understand that their Town is well managed and have every reason to be happy about the state of its fiscal health.

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At the Charlestown Town Council meeting on December 12, town employees were again attacked for being paid for work they had performed. These attacks smear the reputations of town employees who have been committed, even during the global pandemic, to providing top-quality services to the people who call Charlestown home.

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The law requires that employees be compensated for all their regular work hours. Before alleging, again, that a serious problem exists and before accusing Town staff, falsely, of a serious misdeed, Mr. Hoff should recognize that Charlestown’s method of calculating its employees’ hourly pay is standard practice and has not created a long-standing “silent liability” that needed to be paid. Charlestown paid its employees for the hours they worked.

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I am humbled to have served the Town of Charlestown for eight years and I thank the citizens of the town for the opportunity. The town is in excellent shape. Much of the credit for this goes to our town administrator, Mark Stankiewicz. He has guided the town commendably well, under the direction of the Town Council, for approximately nine years. Without his excellent leadership, our town would not be where it is today.

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