In this new age of the green movement, people wonder what it is that they can do to effect change to help in such an enormous problem as environmental degradation. Well, the old adage goes that all change begins at home. Every Madison voter now has the right to cast a vote to say "Yes" to responsible land use policy. We were previously unable to have a town-wide referendum on the Griswold Airport site when the Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) voted in favor of the Griswold Airport project. In addition, we were denied a fair vote on having an elected PZC, but we, all of us, will have a fair opportunity to vote on the fate of the Griswold Airport .

It is simple. We can vote "No" and it will become a soulless condo project indistinguishable from any other. Or we can vote "Yes" to support responsible land use policy in Madison. Our choices are not always a one-or-the-other compromise. We can be for economic development without selling out our environment. We can be for housing choices and leave room for parks that allow us to connect with nature. We can have a boat launch, recreational fields, a quiet place to walk the dog and smell the salt air, or we can validate the reckless real development choices that gave us the economic crisis. And it has been proven in many towns in Connecticut and throughout the United States that towns that purchase land for open space actually increase the value of properties in those towns. So, I'm voting "Yes" to get back to basics and I encourage all the residents of Madison to do so as well.

Peter Sakalowsky

Madison

Peter Sakalowsky is former chairman of the Madison

Planning & Zoning Commission.