STAMFORD, Conn. — Republican Mayoral Candidate Arthur Augustyn today announced his plan to reduce the cost of housing and expand the city’s infrastructure. This pro-social policy platform is heavily inspired by Strong Towns — a nonprofit advocating for development strategies that are financially strong and resilient. The policies include:
- Housing
- Property rights for property owners. Enshrine the right for homeowners to convert their property to a duplex or triplex.
- Backyard cottages for all residential zones. Deregulate the requirements for an “accessory dwelling unit” and make it possible to build one in all residential zones.
- Legalize starter homes and apartments. Deregulate zoning laws including minimum dwelling size, setbacks, lot coverage, and maximum unit per lot to enable the construction of lower cost housing.
- Streamline the approval process. Advance and amplify the city’s efforts to digitize its permitting process.
- Infrastructure
- Family Friendly Infrastructure. Frame all infrastructure around the typical family. Parents can travel in many ways, but kids can’t drive and grandparents are not necessarily capable of biking/walking everywhere.
- Prioritize Sidewalks. Provide sidewalks within 1 square mile of Stamford Public Schools.
- Connect Bike Lanes. Provide a bike lane from Harbor Point to Bulls Head to connect three major population centers in Stamford by bike. Assess the value of bike lanes in Stamford and consider future expansion.
- Stamford Knock. Encourage residents to pushback on anti-social road rage with the Stamford Knock.
- Infrastructure Over Cameras. Support infrastructure projects redesigning roadways to increase safety, but reject efforts to automate law enforcement.
“In Connecticut, these policies are associated with Democrats but housing and infrastructure don’t need to be partisan issues,” said Augustyn. “Across the country — in places like Montana and Texas — Republicans are leading the charge to reduce housing costs and provide family friendly infrastructure. That’s because the future is pro-social. This platform of pro-social policies will enable Stamford to grow its greatest resource — people.”
Today’s pro-social video is the second of three longform policies detailing Augustyn’s platform. The other videos include:
- Break Down the Board of Representatives
- Pro-Social: Housing & Infrastructure
- Conservative policies
The final video detailing conservative policies for Stamford will be released in June.
More information about Augustyn can be found at www.thefutureisbrighter.com.
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