Connecticut’s Fine Line Between Preservation and Progress

Residents of small town Connecticut, the big city dwellers understand that want the conveniences that our larger cities have, but you have way more open space, where does the fine line of progress and preservation lie in Connecticut?

Nothing unites residents of small town Connecticut like a corporate, commercial, or municipal change to their land. In the past 12 months, residents of Middlebury, Bloomfield, Windsor Locks, and most recently Goshen have fought to preserve the integrity of their small corner of the globe from extreme wetland makeovers.

My wife sent the photo you see above as she was driving to work along Rt. 4 in Goshen this morning. Simple yellow signs with the bold message of "PROTECT OPEN SPACE IN GOSHEN - SAVE OUR WETLANDS" have appeared all across town. There is no website underneath the statement, or any kind of identifier, but the message is clear. A recent article on goshennews.org by Cynthia Rabinowitz, Director of Northwest Conservation District, is titled "Inland Wetlands, Why Are They Important?" expertly spells out the positives of preservation of our open space and inland wetlands in undisturbed Connecticut.

The problem is an abundance of wealth, and a thirst for winning. Why not build an Amazon distribution facility on Christian Road in Middlebury? Drone delivery for your HDMI cable might be months away? But what about the poor tadpoles in the pond? Where will they evaporate to? Southbury would look great with a drive-thru business, but try to find one in town.

When municipalities stand in the way of conservation, they lose. How, with the lack of any open space in Fairfield, New Haven, and Hartford Counties, can they push some of their wanted services to a surrounding small town? There is no happy medium in Connecticut. Either side will be labeled the bad guy if they win.