Bindelglass: Explaining the Law and Conservation Subdivisions to Candidate Lent

First Selectman David Bindelglass announcing South Park Avenue property would be permanently perseverd

Dan Lent touts that he is a lawyer. That begs the question, “How could he not understand the most basic, first-week-of-law-school concept of whether he had the right to bring a case to court?” (in legal terms to 'have standing'). In a case involving a special permit to build a barn which he opposed, and after being told by the Easton land use department that he did not have the right to fight it, (only neighbors did), he brought the case anyway. As expected, the judge quickly threw out his case because he did not have standing. For Dan to learn this lesson, cost the taxpayers of Easton almost $10,000.

Now the self-proclaimed environmentalist seems not to understand preservation either. A conservation subdivision is a concept developed by Conservationists, not developers, to preserve land. Not the other way around. The regulation passed by planning and zoning does the following: Instead of covering an entire property with houses and lawns, it provides for building the same number of houses on smaller lots and preserving a significant amount of the land as open space. There are no more houses so no more septic load to potentially damage the watershed. Conservationists should understand this, but Dan appears not to. To equate this with “breaking zoning” or "destroying the watershed” shows ignorance.

In the case of the privately owned Saddle Ridge, the plan appears to build luxury homes in character with the town while preserving a significant part of the property as open space. Would we all rather see nothing done on the property? Of course. We can all agree on that. However, without this conservation subdivision regulation this property may well have attracted a different developer intent on building far denser housing using the 830g legislation. The outcome could be devastating for our town.

Preserving the essence of our town requires thoughtful action, and not emotional rhetoric, based on a solid understanding of the facts. We are not seeing that from Dan Lent.

David Bindelglass

Oct.12, 2025 Easton