九色视频 鈥 Town Council president candidates Frank Gunsallus and Don Abbatiello both recognize the need to monitor and manage Easton鈥檚 growth, but they each indicated different strategies on how to do so in editorial board interviews with 九色视频 this week.
Gunsallus, the incumbent, is being challenged by Abbatiello, the current Ward 2 councilmember. Voters head to the polls May 6 to decide the council鈥檚 next leader, as well as representatives for the second and fourth wards.
During the interviews, both candidates were asked how to tackle Easton鈥檚 affordable housing issue.
Gunsallus noted one of his priorities is to vote down an inclusionary zoning ordinance town leaders have expressed mixed opinions on. Instead, he said methods like removing impact fees or marking down land should be considered.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot simpler than it鈥檚 being made out to be,鈥 Gunsallus said. 鈥淭hose are very straightforward, simple ways that can be done very soon to make that happen.鈥
Abbatiello said the main issue with the lack of affordable homes is the rising price of land. He said incentivizing developers to build 鈥渕iddle housing鈥 options is a solution.
鈥淗ow do you get that price of land out of the equation? You have townhouses,鈥 Abbatiello said. 鈥淎nd townhouses become your starter home for people.鈥
The current Ward 2 representative added that his vote against the Gannon Range project on Matthewstown Road in 2022 stemmed from the high prices of those homes.
鈥淚t was bringing us $450,000, $500,000 homes, which is not something that we needed,鈥 he said.
Gunsallus pointed out he鈥檚 asked for the Town Council to have more say in approving housing projects. At a February workshop, Gunsallus and others led a discussion of how the council has only approved 37% of the town鈥檚 1,000 housing units in the pipeline at the time.
ENVISIONING THE FUTURE
The town is in the early process of revising its comprehensive plan for the first time in 15 years. The Planning Commission is currently reviewing drafts of the new plan, which lays out a vision for how the town should prioritize its growth.
Abbatiello said that in 2010, Easton was aiming to draw developers into town, but now the focus has changed.
鈥淭ap the brakes, we need to slow down,鈥 he said of the current thought process.
The town鈥檚 current comprehensive plan calls for 1% year-to-year growth. Gunsallus says he鈥檚 鈥渙f the school of thought that that 1% is the ceiling, and we should not be exceeding that.鈥
鈥淲hen I graduated high school here in 2006, the town was literally half the size population-wise that it is now,鈥 he said. 鈥淪o if we continue that same rate of growth, in 20 years, we鈥檒l have almost 40,000 people here.鈥
REPRESENTING RESIDENTS
Candidates were asked questions concerning constituent representation. Gunsallus said he鈥檚 given underrepresented groups a voice since being elected, such as when he voted to remove a 10-cent paper bag fee, a measure that narrowly fell short.
鈥淭hat stemmed directly from a conversation with a room full of people about, 鈥業 count my pennies when I go shopping so I can buy bags because my food stamps don鈥檛 cover the cost of bags,鈥欌 Gunsallus said.
Abbatiello said if elected, he would push for each ward to have quarterly meetings. He said follow-up is critical, such as when he helped Ward 2 residents who raised concerns about safely walking to Walmart and Giant.
鈥淚 was annoying in saying, 鈥楾here needs to be a sidewalk on Elliott Road,鈥欌 Abbatiello said.
LEADERSHIP
With an election cycle that鈥檚 become increasingly heated, both candidates offered thoughts on the responsibility of the council president and the disagreements that come with serving on the council.
鈥淵ou can be the most amazing council president in the world, but if you can鈥檛 get there with the rest of the council members, then you鈥檙e going to lose every single vote that comes up,鈥 Abbatiello said.
鈥淪ometimes you are not even part of the issue, but you still have to mediate or at least navigate the conversation,鈥 Gunsallus said. 鈥 ... Let鈥檚 find common ground and go from there.鈥
Gunsallus said it鈥檚 been an honor to serve in the role since 2023.
鈥淚鈥檓 happy with what has occurred under my administration, and I am looking forward to continuing the good work for another four years,鈥 Gunsallus said.
Abbatiello acknowledged serving on the council isn鈥檛 an easy job, but he said it鈥檚 an enjoyable one.
鈥淵ou wonder if you鈥檙e making the right decision,鈥 Abbatiello said. 鈥淏ut at the same time, I am still glad that over the last six years I鈥檝e had the opportunity to make those decisions. And I wouldn鈥檛 trade it for anything.鈥
(2) comments
Land prices are not the problem. The problem is construction costs and ludicrous building code add ons. The public has failed to digest the level of inflation in resulting construction costs. If land were free, it would not produce affordable housing in this area.
Me Abbatiello has had six years And is now stating what he wants to do for the town of Easton. He has been endorsed by two council members. This of course would allow their agenda to pass without any roadblocks. Mr Gunsallus has been endorsed by Sheriff Gamble. Johnny Mautz. Tom Hutchinson and Chris Adams. All independent of the Town Council
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