PART II- Candidate Molly Salafia- A follow up to my letter- My issues

I am posting as a follow up to my previous Eye article, I am not being endorsed by the Eye, but I have been a regular blogger like Ed McKeon (D), who is also a candidate. I would like to state my issues & qualifications for the record, which i neglected to do before.

I am a Republican candidate for the Planning and Zoning Board seeking election in the 2011. I am also thrilled to be cross-endorsed by the Realistic Balance party of Middletown.

I wrote a letter to the Press & Eye about a month ago stating how I will not let fear of retribution keep me from doing what is right for Middletown. Please read below as a part II to that article.

I purposely wanted to wait to state my qualifications as a Planning and Zoning candidate and the issues important to me, which if elected I will address. I am an architectural designer and job captain at an architectural firm in New Haven specializing in HUD /CHFA supportive and affordable housing as well as historic preservation / renovation.

I have a bachelors as well as masters degree in architecture. This education allowed me to study many of the same areas he or she would learn about if were getting a degree in urban planning. I am currently sitting for my architecture licensing exams.

I am LEED GA, and am an advocate for sustainable building practices. I believe everyone deserves a safe place to live, it is a basic human necessity and should be a right, not a privilege. Although currently employed, I know what it is like to have no job as I had been laid off recently and had to rely on unemployment to pay bills.

If elected, I hope to preserve open space in Middletown, work on a plan to develop the riverfront that engages residents in a dedicated public space, and bring the right kind of development to the riverfront area that will make Middletown thrive. To achieve what is best for Middletown, I feel we need to closely examine our zoning and find out where we can afford to make changes to allow for business, and where once and for all we need to take a stance and keep certain areas strictly residential.

I believe Newfield Street needs a lot of attention, and I want to address this area. I want to preserve the nostalgia and vitality of Main Street, but also help spread that vitality to other parts of town. I want to encourage new businesses to come to Middletown and current businesses to stay here and employ our residents.

This is the only way to keep Middletown economically sound for all residents. Everyone should know that Middletown is open for business, with people ready to work. Growth starts at home!

I am a member of the Historic Preservation and Design Review Board of the City of Middletown. My goal is to open people's minds and to challenge preconceived ideas so that Middletown can grow.

I will use my training and experience in sustainable/green building knowledge to bring new ideas to the city. In planning the riverfront, those involved need to think about how the decisions made today will impact those who inherit Middletown in the future — we have to plan in accordance with being good to the environment and doing things that do not harm out natural resources and use energy efficiently.

We only get one shot to plan the riverfront and undo some of the damage that the highway has caused to downtown. Middletown needs to be at the forefront and ready to accommodate changing modes of transportation as we as a country become less single-occupant automobile-dependent. If we plan and are willing to accept the changes that need to happen, Middletown can be a leader and epicenter for light rail and bus lines that I am convinced, will one day be prevalent in Connecticut. The only way the economy of the country can improve is if towns and city's like ours embrace, thru planning our city and proper zoning, new technology based on the growing the need to restructure our infrastructures to be based on sustainable energy rather than those dependence on fossil fuels. These changes implemented on a local level will create jobs.

After this winter, and hurricane Irene, we learned valuable lessons that call for having emergency lighting that does not rely on electricity; our plans for Middletown need to include alternative energy sources, and better plans to maintain Middletown’s infrastructures during crises. There are areas of the city, such as Saybrook Road and Laurel Grove Road, that desperately need road work, and if we keep putting it off it will cost Middletown greatly in the long run.

These are among many issues important to me, and this is only the beginning.

I hope to have your support and your vote. I look forward to seeing you at the polls! Please know, my door is always open. If I can be of any assistance, please feel free to e-mail me: molly.salafia@gmail.com.

Education

Roger Williams University, R.I.

Master of Architecture, 2007

BS Architecture, Dual Minor in Visual Arts and Art History

Member of the American Institute of Architecture Students at RWU 2005-2006,

Chapter President of AIAS 2005-2006

Represented AIAS during the 2006 National Council of Architectural Registration Boards accreditation of Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture

Certifications, Honors and Awards

Alpha Rho Chi Medal Recipient

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Associate-certified,

Service

Member of the Historic Design Review Board of the City of Middletown
Member Kiwanis of Middletown