The views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors of this newspaper. We welcome supporting or opposing views on any published item. Received November 3, 2023.
This summer and fall, as I’ve been campaigning to serve as a Selectman for Haddam, I’ve been knocking on doors, meeting people, talking on the streets, and attending some key meetings. Very often, I’m asked “What will Haddam become in the future?”
It’s a great question, and one I have pondered myself. Some people who ask this have views to share, but frequently they are seeking my perspective as a candidate.
Haddam is clearly at an inflection point. We’ve experienced many events that have negatively impacted our town, including the closing of Connecticut Yankee, the financial crisis of 2007-2008, the closing of Haddam Elementary School (HES), and the pandemic. All of these had a material impact on our taxes, vitality and business community.
And now we’re seeing real opportunities too: More than one hundred new apartments in Tylerville, along with new sidewalks and the bridge repair project that will better connect us to East Haddam and the Goodspeed Opera House. And there is so much potential in Higganum Center! The revitalization of Scovil Hoe, turning HES into a civic and recreational center for our town, the development of the old Rossi industrial site, and a new town preserve in Higganum Cove all present an opportunity to revitalize Higganum, if we do it right.
In the past, our town has not taken full advantage of the opportunities we had. This is why I decided to run for Selectman. After two terms on Planning and Zoning, a term on Board of Finance, and volunteering for several committees in town, I felt I have something more to contribute to Haddam’s future.
In talking with residents, I’ve learned many things. We all have shared concerns about our taxes and quality of schools, and those will always be a priority for many of us. But other key, related issues also come up:
- Why isn’t Haddam more family friendly? Where can I take my kids in town?
- Haddam is a wealthy community. Why don’t we have nicer and livelier town centers?
- Why don’t we have a real community center where we can congregate and connect with our neighbors?
- I am concerned about finding an affordable house for my retirement. How will my adult children afford to live here if they chose to?
These are great questions! Anyone with children knows what a great facility Killingworth Recreation Park (KRP) is. Chester has a lovely little town park, with playgrounds for children and a disc golf course, right on Main Street and within walking distance to their shops and restaurants. I, too, wish we had walkable, lively centers with more diverse restaurants, more choices and better connections to the historical homes and lovely recreational opportunities that surround them.
As a town, we need to get the Board of Selectmen working actively with an engaged, hard-working Planning and Zoning Commission, the Economic Development Commission, Parks and Recreation and other stakeholders in developing a Master Plan that reflects our vision for Higganum, Tylerville and the rest of our town.
We do need better Planning and Economic Development—to address our deficiencies around water and septic, create real incentives that attract more diverse businesses and create a place that is attractive to shoppers and visitors.
We need to leverage our extraordinary natural beauty, along with our great hiking, bicycling and kayaking, to bring visitors to town and provide recreation for ourselves.
We need to create community spaces, where diverse groups can mingle, including playgrounds, better outdoor recreation destinations and parks for people of all ages.
Consistent with all modern research on town planning, we need walkable, vibrant town centers, with housing for people of all economic situations. Creating a diverse community means creating spaces that attract and welcome people from different races, socio-economic groups, ages, genders, ideas and values so they can come together to create a more vibrant, tolerant and interesting place for us all.
I’m convinced that the Haddam Democrats have fielded a fantastic slate of candidates who will help enable all these key aspects to making Haddam the place it can be, and deserves to be.
Don’t forget to vote on November 7th, for our future.
Peter Baird, Haddam
