East Lyme Zoning Chair Challenges Opponents to Run Clean Campaign

— Anne Thurlow,

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To the Editor:

While I’d rather not engage in mud slinging, it’s time to set the record straight with regard to the multiple false allegations leveled at me by opposing candidates, Gary Pivo and more recently Nick Menapace. In my 15 years of living in this community, I have never experienced nor witnessed such ludicrous and unfounded political attacks. Maybe that is how they behaved in the towns from which they moved, but it’s beneath the residents of East Lyme.

Let me set the record straight, hopefully once and for all:

  1. The Zoning Commission did not spend more time on Pickleball courts than the new building project downtown. Pickleball was one of several agenda items during one meeting. The new project on Main Street took up several hours at more than one hearing. All legal concerns from a resident about size, etc., were forwarded to the Town Attorney, who ultimately dismissed them.
  2. In the past month I have been blamed for the affordable housing project on North Bride Brook Road. Six commission members voted in favor of the project. I was not part of the vote, however Democratic candidate Denise Markovitz did vote for it.
  3. Nick has repeatedly stated I nominated a Republican to fill a  Democratic seat, which appalled him. This is false, one of Nick’s fellow Democrats on the commission nominated the Republican as he was obviously the most qualified. Partisan politics have never played a role on Zoning and it shouldn’t start now.
  4. The timing of my resignation from the Democratic Town Committee was questioned. It’s simple, I resigned to run with a fabulous group of people who put integrity over winning at any cost.

I’m proud of the progress in East Lyme and the role Zoning has played during my tenure. People love living here and others want to move here. I continue to champion sensible redevelopment to help lower property taxes, saving as much green space as possible, constructing bike paths, ridding the town of invasive plants, helping find solutions to affordable housing and short term rentals.

Finally, I challenge my opponents to start running a clean campaign based on truth rather than intentional misinformation. Our residents deserve better.

Sincerely,

Anne Thurlow
East Lyme

Thurlow is chair of the East Lyme Zoning Commission and a candidate for reelection