28 July—The Litchfield Monitor isn’t in the news-gathering or scooping business, but since the local news media have for over two months ignored this undeniably important news, here’s the scoop:

Michael Peloquin and his backers (to whom he sold the land he wants to develop) lost their suit against the Litchfield Planning and Zoning Commission in a decision entered back on 7 May. The suit was an appeal against P&Z’s denial of a zone change application which would have allowed considerably more intensive development of the land parcel at issue than is currently permitted.

To save you the trouble of reading the whole closely reasoned ruling in Docket No. LND-CV-24-61806420-S, here’s the conclusion of Judge Trial Referee Barbara M. Quinn’s memorandum of decision:

“In sum, the plaintiffs have failed to prove that the Commission’s denial of their zone change application was illegal, arbitrary or an abuse of the discretion. The Commission’s decision to deny the application for a zone change was an appropriate exercise of the broad discretion and power vested in it. The decision was based on reasonable and credible evidence in the record and the public interests for carefully planned development within the community. The denial is not confiscatory in nature as the plaintiffs have development rights to their property in accordance with the present zones in which their land is variously located. Therefore, the court dismisses this appeal.”

Great! you’re thinking. But expect an appeal. And there’s always the prospect of Peloquin’s threatened skyscraper affordable housing complex for hundreds of families from Waterbury . . .