Representative Poulos Launches Re-election Campaign

Chris Poulos with Art Secondo and John Barry PHILIP THIBODEAU PHOTO

At Domenic and Vinnie’s Pizza on Thursday night, a crowd of about 60 friends, family and other supporters gathered to witness the launch of State Representative Christopher Poulos’ re-election campaign.

For the past three years, Poulos has been the representative for Connecticut’s 81^st District, which covers the lower half of Southington, including all parts of town south of a line that runs through Prospect Street, West Street, Hart Street, Route 10, Hobart Street, Flanders Street, and Berlin Street.

This will be Poulos’ third run for the office. His first race, against current Town Council member Tony Morrison, drew national attention after it was decided by a single vote.

Poulos describes himself as a ‘blue dog’ or moderate Democrat whose strength lines in his ability to establish good relationships, not just with other members of his party, but with politicians from across the aisle. In a gesture of bi-partisanship, he received speeches of endorsement at Thursday’s event from local journalist and town promoter Art Secondo, a registered Republican, and John Barry, a former Democratic chair of the Town Council.

Secondo in his speech praised Poulos, not just for securing state funding for projects like the construction of the new library, but for showing up so many local community events. “I can’t believe how many places he goes to!,” he told the crowd.

Barry offered his own take on the candidate: “What I like to say about Chris is that his number one priority is the people of Southington. And every vote he takes in Hartford is with that in mind. Chris represents his constituents in a thoughtful way, he is courageous in his actions as a public servant, and he is intellectually curious. He is always learning, and wants to learn what people have to say. What’s he’s been able to deliver for Southington is amazing.”

Poulos’ recent ascent has been a boost for the local Democratic Party, which must compete in a town where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats. Dave Zoni, who represented the 81^st District from 2013 to 2017, remarked, “We were in a political desert for a few years because we didn’t have anyone from the Democrats in Hartford. It’s a fantastic thing if you’re able to do it, because the greatest thing about being a representative is that you can help people.”

For Poulos, the decision to run again was not a difficult one. “I think we’ve done some great stuff,” he said. “We have more work to do. I’ve had the support and encouragement of my family. I think I add value at the Capitol as a member of the moderate caucus. And I like what I’m doing.”

Poulos talking to a supporter DAWN ANASTASIO PHOTO

The campaign launch doubled as a birthday party for the candidate, who just turned 51. In addition to serving as State Representative, for which he is compensated $43,600 a year, Poulos has for many years been a Spanish-teacher at Joel Barlow High School in Redding, Connecticut. He was chosen Connecticut Teacher of the Year in 2007, and inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in 2022.

The next step for his campaign is to secure enough donors and donations to qualify for public financing. The total donation amount required by law is $5,800, although candidates typically aim for a sum closer to $7,000 in case any contributions are disqualified by the State Election Enforcement Commission, which oversees the program. Candidates for State Representative are also required to obtain donations from at least 150 residents in their district. A candidate who meets both criteria and qualifies for public financing turns that money over the Commission, and receives in return a sum of $36,500 which can be used for campaign expenses.

After that comes the work of door-knocking, which involves going to people’s homes to hear their concerns and make the case for his candidacy.

How many doors does Poulos expect to knock on this time? “My first campaign, I did 5,300, my second campaign, I did 9,000. I don’t think I’ll do any less this time around.”

Poulos with birthday and campaign paraphernalia DAWN ANASTASIO PHOTO

Town Tweaks Rules to Promote Senior Housing

Newly sworn-in P&Z members Mike Goodrich, Susan Locks, Justin McGuire, Steve Walowski PETER PROHASKA PHOTOS

Southington’s Planning and Zoning Commission kicked off its November 18 meeting with the swearing-in of newly-elected members Mike Goodrich, Susan Locks, Justin McGuire and Steve Walowski. Walowski was then elected Chair, Todd Chaplinsky Vice-Chair, and Robert Britton Secretary, all by unanimous votes.

As the Commission turned to a busy agenda, some familiar faces were present to usher in the term. Longtime Planning and Zoning Chair Robert Hammersley, who recently spoke to the Outsider about his public service career, came before the Commission in his new role as a private citizen to advocate in favor of proposed changes to Southington’s zoning regulations. He said the main goal of the changes was to make it easier to build affordable housing for seniors. Following a public hearing, the zone text amendment was unanimously approved by the commission.

Southington zoning regulations allow for age-restricted (55 years old and up) cluster housing in what are known as ARCHZ zones. The change makes it possible to build on lots between three and five acres, where five acres were required formerly. By lowering the minimum lot size and allowing for attached units in certain zones, Hammersley said he hoped more duplex units could be built, saving costs for developers and making way for more affordable housing.

Hammersley described concerns he heard over his time on the Commission regarding Southington’s ageing population and the desire of many residents to “age in place.”

In a memo, Town Planner David Lavallee touted the need for flexibility. Allowing for single-family or duplex housing “further(s) the opportunity for diverse housing types,” called for in the Town’s Plan of Conservation and Development.

Local developers Sev Bovino, Tony Denorfia and Mark Lovley also testified in support of the zone text change, while others in town expressed support in letters.

Lovley explained that he collaborated with former Southington Town Planner Robert Philipps back in 2017 to craft this regulation.

“I had so many seniors calling my office or coming to see me saying ‘can you design something that is a ranch-style home, we want to downsize,’” Lovley said. He added that construction costs had increased in recent years by as much as $90,000 per house, while the cost of building new roads had gone up 100%. These factors took the average cost of a new home from $359K to $519K, while many people are looking for homes in the $300K range.

Allowing for duplexes, Lovley claimed, could increase the density on a three-acre parcel from 10 homes up to 15, with two affordable units versus one. Given the lower costs associated with duplexes, Lovely said he could likely build an 1,100 square feet, two-bedroom, one-bathroom, one-car garage home with a $300K price tag.

“People don’t mind having a neighbor if you can save $75,000 on your cost,” Denorfia noted.

Some suggested that the changes did not go far enough, calling for similar flexibility in all the ARCHZ zones, both smaller and larger lot sizes. “That’s where you’re going to get the most cost savings. You’re going to have less roadway, less impervious area, probably more open space, as long as you keep the density as it is,” said Denorfia.

Practical concerns limit the impact of the changes, however. Lavallee mentioned that there were only about three lots of the three-to-five acre size available in Southington. And as Lovley said, for himself and his fellow developers “there’s only so much we can pay for land” to make a development feasible.

Following another public hearing, the Commission also gave unanimous approval to a proposed re-development for a restaurant at 5 Atwater Street.

Jim Kollcinaku, who runs Pizzeria Napoletana in Prospect, is looking to renovate the 6,300 square feet building at the corners of Marion and Atwater. The lot backs up to the Eight Mile River, and project engineer Stephen Giudice explained to the Commission that parking for employees would be located at a separate lot, reachable via sidewalk.

The current building at 5 Atwater

Commissioners had minor concerns about traffic, landscaping and lighting but granted approval with some stipulations. Only right-hand turns will be allowed from the site while a lighting system to provide safety for employees traveling to their vehicles will also be added.

The next meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled for December 2.

So Moved: An Interview With Retiring P&Z Chair Bob Hammersley (Part II)

Robert Hammersley has been involved in politics one way or another ever since he campaigned for Ronald Reagan at the tender age of ten. He has been a Republican member of Southington's Planning and Zoning Commission for the past ten years and Chair of the Commission for the past six. After he announced that he was stepping down from office due to health reasons, the Outsider arranged to conduct an interview with him, which was held on October 9th. This is the second part of the interview; the first part can be found here. The transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

You’ve been on Planning and Zoning since 2015. Why did you decide to step down at this point?

I have health concerns. I was diagnosed with Stage-4 neck cancer in March of 2023. I’ve gone through several different treatments involving chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy, over the past two and a half years. Those have had various degrees of success. I was given a prognosis recently that it has kind of run its course. I didn’t think it was fair to myself, or to my town, or to the Planning and Zoning commission, or to the Republican Party, to run this year. Even more importantly, I had made a determination that I wanted to spend whatever time I had left with my family and friends, and devote my time to them.

Another part is this: I feel that, after a certain amount of time, public servants should give way to new thoughts, new people, new perspectives. This decision gave me an opportunity to fulfill all those wishes – chief among them, that I wanted to spend more time with my family and friends.

How did you get into politics in the first place?

I’ve always had an interest in it. When I was ten years old in 1976, the presidential election was between Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. I was a Reagan fan so I ‘worked’ for Reagan. At ten years old I was doing my best, which was not very much, but I did what I could. I got involved at that age.

I majored and got my degree in political science because that’s what I loved doing. I’ve always gotten involved in political stuff. And I think that speaks to a larger commitment to public service. I think public service is something all people should do to the extent that they’re able to do it. And I think it makes us all better by having as many people involved as possible.

Was Planning and Zoning your first fling with elected office?

I served on a couple of different commissions, both state and local. When I was 18 years old I served on the Zoning Board of Appeals for Wallingford.

Wait - 18 years old, you just graduated high school…

I was in college then. I was appointed by the mayor of Wallingford, whose campaign I worked on in ’81, when I was a sophomore in high school.

Heady stuff for a teenager.

Yeah, it was enlightening to understand what the responsibilities were. Which goes to my point about listening - listening to what’s being said and absorbing what’s being said and finding out what your role is. Through that you start being able to provide some valuable input. So I did that.

I did run for elected office in Wallingford when I was out of college, in ’91. They had an elected board of selectmen. The selectmen's responsibility was mostly settling property disputes – really minimal – but I thought it was an opportunity to put my name on a ballot. I didn’t win that election. I tried, but it wasn’t going to happen,

From there I went to work for a variety of federal and state government entities. In 2015, I was approached by the town committee because they had an opening for an alternate on Planning and Zoning and asked if I would be willing to do that. From that I ended up running and winning election in 2017.

Do you have a favorite book, one you’ve read recently?

I just finished up Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson. Devil in the White City is the story of the 1893 World’s Fair held in Chicago. I love the way he writes. I’m a non-fiction guy, so I tend toward those historical, biographical-type books. Devil in the White City is about the awarding of the World’s Fair to the city of Chicago, and the three years that the city had to put all the infrastructure in place. But it also follows a parallel track of another individual in Chicago then who was a serial killer. He used the World’s Fair to get his victims. All of this is going on separately.

There was a World’s Fair in Paris three or four years earlier, and at the fair, the Eiffel Town was given to the city of Paris. There was a guy named Eiffel and he gave the tower, which was the center of the fair. So when the 1893 World’s Fair was coming, the big focus was, we’ve got to outdo Eiffel! The architect who was put in charge was always focused on that, so you get things like the Ferris Wheel. The Ferris Wheel was first revealed at the World’s Fair of 1893. It’s everywhere now but back then it was a novel idea. You’re able to go 100 feet in the air and look around. They didn’t have drones or anything so they were like, this is a great thing. It was a fabulous book, easy to read.

Favorite place in Southington?

My home. Honestly it is. That’s where the most important part of my life is.

I love the way that our town is receptive to people like me who didn’t grow up here, to have such a big input in our community. But I think that it speaks to the question: what is the best thing about the town of Southington? It’s the people, the community. The diversity of opinions. I live with people who don’t ideologically agree with me, and that’s fine. We have discussions about that, respectfully. The diversity of the community, the enthusiasm of the community, of the people that live here and serve in office on all sides, their willingness to give back to the community, to devote time and talent and resources back to the town, it’s a great thing to have.

Where I live geographically affords me great access to things. When I first moved here I lived in a different part of town. It wasn’t difficult to get to the store but it was more secluded, it had more of a rural feel out there. I love that we have that. If you go out to Karabin Farms, it’s very different than being in downtown Southington, but it’s still part of the same town. If you go out to Crescent Lake and you hike that area, you have all that natural beauty, but it’s different than downtown. That’s the best thing about Southingtion, that it has a diversity of environments and opportunities. It's fabulous. The educational system is fabulous. I’ve put three kids through the school system, and it’s all good stuff.