We reached out to both the Haddam Republican Town Committee and the Haddam Democratic Town Committee and asked candidates to respond to a set of questions. Updates from all candidates are welcome, and are being published as Letters to the Editor. Dan Luisi is a candidate for Haddam Planning & Zoning. The answers from the other candidates can be found HERE.
The views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors of this newspaper.
I started Dan’s Custom Counters over 30 years ago in the back of a 1979 station wagon in 1984 and then got my first 1000 square foot shop.  After a few moves I’m now in 10,000 sq. ft. shop . I started servicing home centers such as Grossman and Hechingers. Now it is Home Depot and Lowes, as well as many lumber yards and kitchen dealers. Haddam became my home in 1993 because of the convenience of the commute to Newington where my shop is located and because I love living in the country. For fun, one of my hobbies is to restore old cars; you have probably seen me around town in one of them.
I decide to run for P&Z after seeing the simplest things in our town turn into major issues. I think we all want what is best for our town while still keeping its character and charm. We all need to be realistic.
Haddam needs development of businesses and manufacturing to support the needs of our population. With that in mind, we have to find ways to encourage growth, not just wish for it. It’s nice to dream, but we have to be realistic and be willing to be creative with incentives. People seem to miss that when you give a tax abatement, it is for a few years to encourage a new business to settle in Haddam. The town is not giving away anything out of pocket. The tax incentive says to new businesses that we want you to get established here and thrive. This will generate taxes and jobs.
Haddam has so much to offer in terms of its country wooded charm and recreational opportunities such as the Connecticut River and Cockaponsett forest. Our location on Route 9 makes access to the major cities of our state very easy. There is a lot to promote about our town.
I ask you to elect me to the Planning and Zoning Commission in November.
Sincerely,
Dan Luisi
