Liam Enea shares with Patch why he should be elected to the Brookfield Zoning Board of Appeals.
BROOKFIELD, CT — Election Day on Nov. 4 is fast approaching, and there are a number of key races on the ballot.
Patch reached out to candidates for office to get more information on their campaigns and the issues that are facing their towns.
Candidate's Name: Liam Enea
What office are you seeking? Zoning Board of Appeals
What town do you live in? Brookfield
Party Affiliation: Republican
Occupation: Economic analyst, 3 years, at New England’s power grid operator
Family: No
Previous public office, appointive or elective:
Why are you seeking this office? Since joining the ZBA, I’ve voted to relieve property owners of hardships that bar them from improving and enjoying their land. However, I believe in granting variances as a matter of last resort, at least impact to their neighbors.
If Brookfield elects a ZBA with weaker standards, it invites opportunistic developers to skirt land use regulations at our loss.
Protecting beautiful open space, supporting projects that improve our community, and fostering a civic spirit in young people are the reasons why I got involved. I started at 14, and at 23, I hope to keep Brookfield’s confidence.
The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it: Overdevelopment. While state laws largely prevail on affordable housing, ZBA decisions can make or break the financial viability of many kinds of projects. I have not and cannot support varying a property purely for financial reasons. Variances remain with the land for eternity, and the legal fees Brookfield could incur by the ZBA exercising poor judgement are not worth it.
What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post? At 23, I am the youngest candidate running for this office and have served on dozens of ZBA cases over the past two years.
I’ve lived here for sixteen years and served Brookfield in a public capacity since I was at BHS. One day, I aspire to build a home, a business, and a family here.
What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign? Energy project development. Tempers recently flared over a solar project that’s expected to utilize rooftops and carports at our public schools.
My background is in the power grid and electricity policy in the region, and I’d like to talk with fellow residents about how to maximize the town’s benefit from such projects.
What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? Earlier this year, a case came before the ZBA involving a conflict between a landowner and the town. The case mired in dozens of legal, regulatory, financial, and practical factors.
The resident brought forward an alternative proposal that I think relieved — at least impact to all parties — the conflict. I advocated for its approval on multiple grounds, yet fell one colleague short.
This case tested my ability to handle a case with steep implications for a good-faith appellant but where the town was technically in the right. I believe the ZBA is responsible for finding this balance in complex cases.
What is the best advice anyone ever gave you? You’re never too young to have a voice.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions? If you love 1960s folk and rock, check out my YouTube channel! https://youtube.com/@liamenea