Open Letter to SB re: Land Use Governance

To The Norwich Selectboard:

Land use governance in the Town of Norwich is seriously broken. Why this is and how it has come to pass are matters for debate. Owing to the individuals involved, this debate is often acrimonious, yielding little constructive direction in recent years. For the sake of the Town, its land owners, board and commission volunteers, and professional staff, it is time to take firm and thoughtful measures to address these problems.

We need a qualified, neutral observer to evaluate our current land use governance structure, identify our difficulties, and offer alternatives to help us all move forward. The natural candidate to conduct this review would be our regional planning commission staff. I urge the Selectboard to initiate this review with all deliberate speed.