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Selectmen appoint Bonnie Reamschneider to Zoning Commission after contested public comment
Summary
After a lengthy public comment period and competing letters for both candidates, the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen voted to appoint Bonnie Reamschneider to a regular seat on the town Zoning Commission. Supporters of long-serving alternate Michael Barnes urged his elevation; the board voted separately on each nominee.
The Old Lyme Board of Selectmen voted July 13 to appoint Bonnie Reamschneider to the regular seat on the town Zoning Commission that became vacant when a member relocated, a decision that came after extensive public comment and written submissions for two candidates.
Reamschneider’s appointment comes amid a comprehensive rewrite of the town’s zoning regulations. Supporters of Michael Barnes, a six-year zoning alternate, urged the board to promote an experienced alternate who they said already understands the details of the ongoing rewrite; multiple residents and letters read into the record described Barnes’ attendance, institutional knowledge and work on harbor and zoning issues.
Barnes himself told the board he has spent six years as an alternate and highlighted examples of unintended consequences from earlier rewrites — citing a past rezoning that affected a long-standing veterinary business — to underscore why continuity and technical familiarity matter. “I do this because I love Old Lyme,” Barnes said while describing his experience on the harbor and zoning matters.
Opponents of elevating Barnes urged the board to appoint Reamschneider because of her municipal leadership and regional planning experience. Denise Savageaux, a current zoning commissioner, told the board Reamschneider has served in elected office and worked with the regional council of governments, calling that background valuable as the town works through state-mandated changes. In written submissions read aloud, Christopher White urged the board not to bypass the alternate and raised concerns about Reamschneider’s past public service record.
The meeting record includes at least one written objection that alleged prior management concerns connected to Reamschneider’s earlier service; a selectman responded during discussion that Reamschneider had been investigated previously and, in that speaker’s account, was exonerated following the inquiry. The board did not attempt to adjudicate past state-level matters during this appointment vote; they treated the written claims as part of the public record.
Selectmen handled the two nominations as separate motions. The motion to elevate Michael Barnes did not carry; the motion to appoint Bonnie Reamschneider passed with at least two selectmen voting in favor and at least one opposed, and the board then moved toward adjournment. One board member publicly expressed strong dissatisfaction with how the appointment vote was handled.
Why it matters: The Zoning Commission is in the middle of a substantive rewrite of local regulations and will be addressing changes stemming from state housing laws and overlay districts that participants said could have long-term consequences for property rights and development. The selectmen’s choice of a regular member for that commission affects who will sit at the table while those rules are finalized.
The selectmen set a public-comment cutoff for the meeting because the Zoning Commission was scheduled to convene at 6:30 p.m.; the board called for a motion to adjourn at 6:30 p.m. and indicated the appointment and the letters will be part of the minutes package.
