I feel privileged to have been given an opportunity to serve the town and residents of Westport in the capacity of a Planning and Zoning Commissioner.
The Planning and Zoning Commission works best when it accurately understands the needs and wishes of the widest cross-section of the community it serves and then reflects those needs and wishes responsibly. Westport has a unique character, which is enjoyed, by long established residents and newcomers alike. Change is inevitable but the Planning and Zoning Commission’s reaction to that change is not inevitable. With a proper understanding of the needs of the community of Westport both now and into the future, the Planning and Zoning Commission has the ability to ensure responsible and proportionate growth to meet the present and future needs of the community without damaging the character of the town.
I qualified to practice law in 1989. I owned my law practice I represented the interests of many clients from all walks of life. I became a certified mediator in 1998. In 2006, I became licensed to practice English Law in the state of New York. I am an attorney admitted to the state bar of California. I became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 2011.
My family and I have lived here in the town for more than 8 years. My wife Diana, a counselor and teacher for many years in New York and a teacher in Fairfield, recently graduated as a member of the Westport CERT team. My daughter is a freshman at Staples High School and is one of only two Freshmen to join the Staples Chamber Orchestra as a violinist.
Westport is home to me and my family. We have gained so much from being a part of the very special and unique environment of Westport, from its obvious natural beauty and charm to the way it provides for its residents. We need to ensure that the essential character of this wonderful town is preserved and maintained as it moves with the times in a responsible way.
The Planning and Zoning Commission should work to gain the widest possible understanding of what Westporters want to be preserved and what they want to be conserved.
A responsible attitude to growth has never been more important.