Save the woods

On Nov. 29, as a crowd gathered on McLevy Green to light up a tall evergreen tree, the Bridgeport Zoning Commission was voting on accepting new zoning regulations for the city. This included zoning Remington Woods for commercial use which could result in the destruction of thousands of trees, the home of over 70 species of birds and a multitude of wildlife. I protest this vote not only because I want to preserve Remington Woods as a wildlife nature preserve in its entirety, but also the process resulting in such a vote.

By state law, the Zoning Commission must hold a public hearing before they vote on new zoning regulations. At the Nov. 16 Zoom zoning public hearing, the access phone number was not working, so many Bridgeporters who wanted to attend via phone could not. The moderator led the meeting with a very undemocratic and disrespectful tone, dissuading people from speaking and making disparaging remarks about citizens exercising their civic duty of speaking at a public hearing about public policies that will affect our community. He made a snide remark calling a citizen “tree hugger.”

I also do not buy the argument that to zone Remington Woods as a wildlife nature preserve would trigger the woods owner to take the city to court, and that the city should not have to defend Bridgeport citizens’ right to clean air and access to nature in court. Why not? Why can’t the city pay to defend the citizens of Bridgeport and our right to quality of life in court? After all, it is our taxpayer money and it should be used to defend us, the residents of Bridgeport.

Beth Lazar Bridgeport