I’m writing this as a private citizen of the town of New Canaan, with a hope that more people in my area and district will share my concerns over keeping our town zoning laws local. Nick Simmons’ candidacy for the Connecticut State Senate raises significant concerns for residents of the 36th District, particularly regarding local zoning and development control. Simmons, who lives in Stamford, has close ties to the city’s leadership—his sister, Caroline Simmons, is the mayor of Stamford. These family connections create a conflict of interest, especially when considering Nick’s past support for legislation that weakened local control over zoning laws. His actions, while working in Hartford, aligned with efforts to centralize zoning decisions, undermining the authority of local communities. The Stamford Mayor’s push for relaxed zoning laws and increased development was part of this agenda.
In contrast, Ryan Fazio has worked tirelessly to protect local control over zoning, including efforts to block harmful legislation like the “Fair Share” housing law, which would have stripped towns of their ability to regulate development. Fazio successfully fought to repeal provisions that would have allowed developers to bypass local regulations, safeguarding community interests in Greenwich and New Canaan from out-of-scale developments.
The concern for voters is clear: if Nick Simmons is elected, his focus will likely remain on Stamford’s interests in furthering higher density development. His family’s involvement in Stamford’s political sphere and his previous record suggest that he will continue to push policies that weaken local control, to the detriment of other communities in the district. Simmons’ candidacy represents a threat to the balance of power that Fazio has worked to maintain, particularly in protecting local decision-making on housing and development matters. Voters should be wary of Simmons’ true priorities and recognize that his interests may lie more with Stamford than with the district as a whole. I would encourage everyone to vote for Ryan Fazio.
Daniel Radman
