Old Lyme Selectmen to Decide Between Six-Year Zoning Alternate and Former First Selectwoman for Commission Seat

OLD LYME, CT – The appointment of a new member to the Zoning Commission comes at a pivotal time as the town digs into a two-year overhaul of its regulations that officials say could shape Old Lyme’s future. 

With the departure of unaffiliated member Michael Fogliano, who was elected in November under the Democratic banner to a five-year term, two people have emerged for the seat: Michael Barnes, an unaffiliated alternate member with six years of experience on the commission, and Democrat Bonnie Reemsnyder, who served as the town’s first selectwoman from 2011 to 2019. 

Local ordinances leave it up to the Board of Selectmen to fill the term, which ends in 2030. The selectmen are set to discuss the issue at their July 13 meeting. 

The commission currently consists of a Democratic-endorsed unaffiliated chairman, two Democrats and one Republican. 

The commission is working through the first comprehensive rewrite of its regulations in nearly two decades. Among the most high-profile issues under consideration are how best to develop the Halls Road commercial strip and how to address a statewide housing shortage. 

Earlier this year, selectmen unanimously reappointed Barnes as a Zoning Commission alternate despite a recommendation from Chairman Paul Orzel to go with other candidates. Barnes told selectmen at the time that Orzel had criticized his approach to the zoning rewrite, including his detailed review of proposed definitions. 

As he seeks appointment to a full seat, Barnes continues to emphasize his goal is not to slow the process, but to identify potential unintended consequences he said can arise when changing regulations. 

“Zoning is probably, in my personal opinion, one of the most important committees in the entire town because it dictates what comes and goes, and what the community is going to look like when you’re done,” he said in a Friday phone interview. 

He credited his experience as a business owner, including efforts to develop a marina in Madison, with teaching him the intricacies of zoning. He said zoning commissions can sometimes be “slanted against the applicants” in ways that run counter to the authority state law grants municipalities. 

“If you don’t like the rules, you’ve got to change the rules. If you don’t like the laws, you change the laws,” he said. “You don’t just say no because you don’t like something.” 

Zoning commissions are charged with applying local regulations as written, although the special permit process gives them some discretion to weigh impacts and set conditions tied to existing standards. 

The Old Lyme commission has faced multiple lawsuits from denied applicants in recent years, including cases involving pickleball courts, self-storage units, a gas station and a waterfront home. All were settled with approval for construction to proceed. 

Barnes called for taking politics and emotion out of a process he said should be guided by strict adherence to the rules and regulations. 

“I’m not a Republican. I’m not a Democrat. I don’t affiliate with politics. I don’t think politics should play a role in municipal zoning,” he said.  

More Service

Reemsnyder on Friday described herself as someone who can “express the needs of the community” on the commission. 

She pointed to eight years as first selectwoman and eight years as selectwoman. 

“I have a familiarity with zoning,” she said. “That’s not to say I don’t have a lot to learn, but I do my research and I take my time.” 

She said the appointment decision ultimately rests with the Board of Selectmen and should be based on who can best serve the town.

“I’m willing to put the work in, I’m willing to serve with dignity and an open mind,” she said.

Reemsnyder lost her bid for a fourth term as first selectwoman after former First Selectman Tim Griswold petitioned to be added to the ballot. Griswold entered the race following Reemsnyder’s resignation as chairwoman of the Connecticut Port Authority after five weeks in the position. 

She said she disagreed with media reports about her tenure with the authority and had received a letter from the state indicating she had done nothing wrong. 

“I am not going to rehash that situation,” she said. “I knew that I did not do anything wrong.” 

She said she has already begun reviewing commission materials in case she is appointed. 

“I have a history of serving the community and that’s all I’m trying to do, is a little more service,” she said. 

Kimberly Thompson, chair of the Democratic Town Committee, and Mary Jo Nosal, chair of the nominating committee, said this week that the seat should go to a Democratic candidate because Fogliano was elected with the party’s endorsement.

Nosal said her conversation with Shoemaker was about the appointment process rather than whether the seat should be filled by a Democrat. 

“I said, Martha, how do you expect this position to be appointed? Do you want information from people?” Nosal said. “She said, ‘I fully expect the DTC to recommend somebody.’”

Thompson said the committee was looking for someone who could “take a very broad view on things, be open to different ideas and also help move that process along” when it comes to the regulation rewrite. 

“I feel like Bonnie has a lot of experience working on projects like that, and I would trust her to be thoughtful and to keep the big picture in mind.” 

The DTC chair reiterated the importance of finding the right person for the role at a time when issues of housing and affordability have changed significantly since the regulations were last overhauled. She cited the lack of diverse, local housing options as a factor in Fogliano’s decision to give up his seat on the Zoning Commission. 

“The Foglianos are moving out of town because they couldn’t find something that they could downsize to in Old Lyme,” she said. “So I think it’s really important for the Zoning Commission to be open to looking at the future of people who live in Old Lyme, and what their needs may be.”

She said the Democrats were preparing to send a letter to selectmen advising them that Reemsnyder is an experienced and thoughtful candidate who has the best interests of Old Lyme in mind. 

Thompson acknowledged Barnes had expressed interest in the position, but she reiterated Fogliano was elected with the Democratic endorsement. 

“We feel that, in the most recent election, the electorate spoke and said that they would like to see the Democratic side of the ticket hold the seat,” she said. 

The Board of Selectmen is made up of Democratic First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker and Selectmen Jim Lampos and Republican John Mesham. 

Selectmen to Decide 

Shoemaker on Friday said selectmen are following the ordinance that states Zoning Commission vacancies “shall be filled, for the unexpired term on such Commission, by appointment of the Board of Selectmen.”

She said selectmen are taking recommendations rather than using an official application process for the appointment. She did not specify any other names currently under consideration. 

Asked whether she believed the vacancy should remain with a Democratic-endorsed candidate, Shoemaker said the decision is ultimately up to selectmen. She defended the Democratic Town Committee’s right to make a recommendation. 

“And guess what? The R’s could do it, too. It’s a free world,” she said. 

Mesham said Friday he supports appointing Barnes to the vacant seat due to his experience on the commission, which is critical as the zoning rewrite continues.

“He’s done the work. He’s very knowledgeable and he’s the most experienced candidate we have right now,” Mesham said.

Mesham noted that the vacancy was created by the departure of an unaffiliated commissioner and said Barnes, who is also unaffiliated, would be the “proper and most prudent” choice for the appointment.

He referenced Reemsnyder’s run for tax collector in 2023, when she lost by 156 votes to Republican Suzanne Thompson in a year when Democratic candidates won most of the contested races. 

“The town in general did not favor her stepping back into a role in government, and that should be taken into consideration,” he said. 

Appointing Reemsnyder to an alternate position if Barnes is appointed to the full position would be a “discussion worth having,” Mesham added.  

He declined to speculate how selectmen would vote on the appointment next week. 

“I hope they’re going to keep an open mind,” he said. “I think Michael Barnes is the choice.”

Lampos, reached Friday, said he will review the candidates and letters of support before the board discusses the appointment next week. 

“I’m definitely going to take the weekend to take everything in and read all the comments that are coming in,” he said. 

Citing strong support for Democrats in the November election that put Fogliano in office, he said those numbers couldn’t be discounted. 

“I’m sure it would matter if the shoe was on the other foot,” he said. 

There are a lot of factors to consider, according to Lampos.

“I think they’re both very compelling candidates,” he said. 

Editor’s Note: Mary Jo Nosal is a financial supporter and board member of LymeLine Inc., but has no input in the editorial process, which remains completely independent.