Halas Farm amendment approved, with conditions - NewsTimes.

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Halas Farmamendment a politically active Democrat who often speaks

out against development in Danbury.
approved, with conditions
Gucker had circulated petitions in the residential
By Eugene Driscoll I STAFF WRITER neighborhood saying "Protect our neighborhoods!
Stop improper development," and said that City
Article Last Updated: 05/1412008 04:44:28 PM EDT Hall gave Halas too many zoning breaks over the
years.
DANBURY - The city's Zoning Commission
Tuesday passed a zoning amendment that gives Gucker said he had nothing against the farm,
Halas Farm on Route 37 permission to use land but wanted to see zoning laws applied without
across the streetirom the store, provided owner bias in Danbury.
Michael Halas does not allow retail sales to take
place on the property. In an usual move at Tuesday's zoning
commission meeting, zoning commission
member Andrew Wetmore read a statement into
"It was approved with stipulations. I just don't
know what the cons are at this point with the the record saying he had no personal connection
stipulations, so I don't even know how to to Halas Farm or the Halas family.
comment on it at this point," Halas said
Wednesday. Wetmore made the statement after City Hall and
the corporation counsel's office received
Halas had already cleared the land and started complaints that Wetmore was spotted leaving
storing equipment there over the summer - City Hall after an April zoning commission
which touched off a controversy between the meeting with members of the Halas family.
city's zoning enforcement officer and Halas.
"I walked out of City Hall. They were leaving at
the same time. I had never even met them before
City officials said Halas did not have permission
to clear the land. Halas said he didn't think he that meeting," said Wetmore, a Republican. "That
, needed permission - and said any work done on was just a political move to slander me. I just
the land improved site lines for motorists wanted to get on the record that nothing
traveling Route 37. happened. Irs a little ludicrous to assume
something was going on, especially when there
The city then worked with Halas to modify the were tons of people around."
zoning regulations to allow Halas to do wanted
he wanted to do. While Halas' original intent was to simply store
mulch and farm equipment on the land across
That drew the criticism of resident Ken Gucker, the street, Halas did acknowledge in April that

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 Halas Farm amendment approved, with conditions - NewsTimes.com Page 2 of2

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some customers would be able to purchase

mulch and the newly-acquired property.

That triggered safety concerns from members of

the zoning commission, which is why they
inserted language saying it could be used for
storage and storage only.

However, Halas pointed out that he has not

presented any formal plans for the property -
and the approval of any such plans would be
subject to approval by the planning commission.

"The zoning commission here was overstepping

their bounds," he said.

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