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After news reports of a protest outside Woodfield Common, chairman of the zoning commission, Jackie Lightfield, fired back today on her personal blog. Robert Koch of The Hour reported that East Norwalk residents protested at the condominium at 11 Norden Place. The residents have appealed the commissions approval of a development plan for the property citing a conflict of interest. Lightfield lives in a South Norwalk apartment owned by Norden property developer Clay Fowler and she did not recuse herself from the vote approving the development plan.
Im under no obligation to disclose any financial relationships where I am the person who pays for services or goods, Lightfield writes on her blog, sharing a comment she gave to The Hour and emphasizing the words she said are most critical. But she does not stop there.
Among those quoted in the newspaper articles are Nicholas Kydes, Diane Lauricella and former Common Council President John Lombardi. Newspaper quotes attributed to each of them insinuate Lightfield acted inappropriately.
Lightfields reply links to previous blog postings where she questioned both Kydes and Lauricellas conduct in past incidents in town. "I'll have to dig up a picture of Kydes at the WPCA ground breaking he was at a week before he appeared before zoning to say that the sewage treatment plant could not handle additional housing," she told The Daily Norwalk on Wednesday. "It's an absurd criteria to use to over turn a zoning commission approval on a project that will add 30 + acres of open space in a permanent conservation."
Lightfields term on the citys Zoning Commission is one of four seats that will expire on June 30. The Common Council can reappoint her with a two-thirds majority vote. Koch quotes Mayor Richard Moccia as saying claims of an alleged conflict of interest are a stretch.
Lightfield was employed earlier this year by The Daily Norwalk.
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