Patch Candidate Profile: Jeff Randolph, Town Plan & Zoning Commission

FAIRFIELD, CT — Election Day is approaching fast, and a number of key positions in Fairfield will be on the ballot, including Board of Selectman, Board of Education, Board of Finance, RTM and others.

To help readers make an informed decision on Nov. 7, Fairfield Patch has reached out to local candidates to share their views on various topics of importance in town.

Patch will post these candidate profiles over the next few weeks, so check back often to see the latest.

Name

Jeff Randolph

How old will you be as of Election Day?

63

Does your campaign have a website? If so, include the URL here.

https://www.fairfielddemocrats...

What city or town do you live in?

Fairfield

What office are you seeking?

Town Plan and Zoning

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here.

Town wide office

Please give us your party affiliation.

Democrat

Education.

AB, History of Science, University of Chicago; Masters of Architecture, University of Pennsylvania; MBA Finance, NYU Stern School of Business 25- year Fairfield resident ● Currently Managing Partner with Bluecup Ventures LLC, brownfield industrial real estate developer (Pennsylvania) since 2016 ● Former executive in corporate real estate for three multinational organizations: Amazon, PepsiCo & Diageo; leveraged experience gained at KPMG, Trammell Crow, and working as an Architect ● Registered Architect; Member of the American Institute of Architects ● Led numerous large complex real estate transactions and design & construction projects, many over $100M, both domestically and internationally ● CoreNet: Board Member of CT/Westchester Chapter; Recipient of CoreNet RE Executive of the Year, New York ● Board Member, Greater Connecticut Youth Orchestra ● Session Member, Trustee, and Deacon at First Presbyterian Church, Fairfield ● Former Scout Master of Troop 199 Fairfield, and youth volunteer coach for soccer & baseball in Fairfield ● Served on Tomlinson School Building Committee

What is your occupation?

Real Estate Consultant & Architect w/>30 years of experience.

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

Have lived in Fairfield since 1995. Married, father of 2 grown children who attended Fairfield public schools. Son is a commissioned officer in the US Navy, Daughter is a recent graduate of Bryn Mawr College, and my dogs!

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

No

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

For many of us, our homes are our most important investments. As a member of Fairfield’s Town Planning and Zoning I will strongly support the safeguarding property values, preservation of Fairfield’s character, and assure that Fairfield’s planning and zoning ordinances provide a vision for our Town’s future.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is \_\_\_, and this is what I intend to do about it.

for Fairfield’s TPZ to better engage the community, seek bi-partisan support so we can collectively review and update the Town’s outdated ordinances. If elected to the TPZ I will bring my deep experience as an Architect, Developer and in finance to proactively plan, envisioning Fairfield’s future, rather than continuing to fend off the unwanted and mandated 8-30g developments. It’s time for new ways of thinking and stop piecemeal and reactive planning responses to 8-30g.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I bring 30 years of relevant professional experience gained through a career in finance, as a licensed architect, and a commercial real estate developer and as a member of the TPZ will safeguard property values, preserve Fairfield’s character and assure that our planning and zoning ordinances provide a vision for our Town’s future to battle sprawl, community stagnation, homogeneity, and housing scarcity.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

The incumbents have failed to formulate actionable plans to prevent the imposition of unsightly 8-30g projects in our Town. They lack vision or ideas. The incumbents are not well versed in current planning practices, or the development process, instead they have focused on creating a misdirected advocacy group, complain about their responsibility to comply with state statutes, and fallen short on developing viable long term plans to address Fairfield’s affordable housing shortage. They claim to advocate for local zoning control to ensure thoughtful and appropriate development of our communities through prudent land use decision making, but have done nothing to plan for the future.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

As a member of Fairfield’s Town Planning and Zoning I will safeguard property values, preserve Fairfield’s character, and assure that Fairfield’s planning and zoning ordinances provide a vision for our Town’s future.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I work regularly with town Planning and Zoning Boards in my role as a real estate developer; I have professional training in Land Use Planning as a licensed Architect; I have experience in zoning and land used design issues gained working at Cooper Robinson, one of the foremost Urban and Regional Design firms; I have extensive experience with master planning working as a real estate executive for major corporations: Amazon, PepsiCo, Diageo, CBRE and KMPG.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am dedicated to making Fairfield a more livable place for all by preserving open spaces, broadening housing choices to meet the needs of citizens of all ages, improving the walkability of our town, making our commercial areas more attractive and our town more sustainable. We need to come together to form a bi-partisan vision for Fairfield's future.