Shall we just sit back and watch the deterioration of yet another vacant Mall?

Back in March 300+ apartments were proposed for a revitalization project at our dying Wilton Mall. The long process had gone through the different Boards in town and had finally landed on the Town Board’s agenda in the form of a Public Hearing. Most residents thought the idea of another use for our failing mall due mostly to online shopping, was a very smart move and a most welcome solution. In March three Town Board members, all firemen, disagreed out of hand without explanation. Is this a fire hazard?

What is the alternative? Shall we just sit back and watch the deterioration of yet another vacant Mall? Is there another project coming down the pike for which the Town Board thinks is a better use for that space? In our view the Board has made a monumental mistake. It has taken the power given to them by the people of Wilton and turned their own personal objections, whatever they might be, into a decision made by only them without consideration of the majority of people living in Wilton. Resident after resident made compelling points why this plan should proceed. Fast forward to October’s TB meeting where it was more of the same.

Noteworthy, not even a half hour before this project was presented in March did another come to the floor. This one is proposed for the area where the Christmas Gift Shop was, so just down the road on Route 50. Here we’ll have 3 separate buildings, each four stories high, with 390 high end apartments and there was not one objection from the Board. With this project over 30 acres of open space will need to be cleared to make way for the apartments. We can’t help but ask WHY?

– Joanne Klepetar. Town of Wilton