Patch Candidate Profile: Tom Corsillo, 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

Tom Corsillo

How old will you be as of Election Day?

40

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

https://www.fairfielddemocrats.com/board-candidates/thomas-corsillo-

What city or town do you live in?

Fairfield

What office are you seeking?

Town Plan & Zoning Commission, 4-year term

Please give us your party affiliation.

Democratic

Education.

Bachelor of Science in Communications

What is your occupation?

Senior Vice President, Land Use & Public Policy at Marino PR - 18 years

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

My wife, Katherine, and I have been married for 10 years. We have two sons - Nicholas, 8, and Jonathan, 6, - both students at North Stratfield School - and our pug, Panda.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

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

I've served as an Alternate on the Plan & Zoning Commission since November of 2022.

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?

I'm running for the Plan & Zoning Commission because I believe public service is important; because I believe the TPZ can and should be proactive, rather than reactive as it has been; and because I have the expertise, experience, and vision needed to help Fairfield realize its full potential.

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

Fairfield does not prioritize people.

Our streets are unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists. Black Rock Turnpike and much of Post Road - our key commercial corridors - are unwelcoming and largely inaccessible to pedestrians and often even cars. Travel between our various neighborhoods is impractical and often dangerous without a vehicle.

I intend to prioritize people. That means ensuring our Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) includes strategies for improving pedestrian and bicycle safety and connectivity, and for increasing and promoting the use of alternative modes of transportation. It also means collaborating with other boards and commissions and working with applicants who come before the TPZ to ensure their plans enhance pedestrian safety and connectivity whenever possible.

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

I am passionate about housing.

Fairfield County needs more homes, as we hear regularly from both small businesses and large corporations looking to fill the over 80,000 jobs open in Connecticut. We need homes for seniors who want to downsize so they can stay in Fairfield; for young people who are graduating from college and want to move out on their own; for our essential workers who struggle to afford to live in the town they keep running; and for those who want to live here and become part of our vibrant community.

My opponents, who are multi-year incumbents, have had an opportunity to create the homes we need on Fairfield's terms. Instead, we've fallen woefully short. The direct result of that is bad developments that are allowed under the state law that requires us to have affordable housing. It's abundantly clear that the status quo - a 5-2 Republican majority - is not working.

I will pursue creative, practical solutions that will create homes that fit our neighborhoods - such as allowing two stories of residential above ground-floor retail along our commercial corridors and zoning to enable more middle-density homes like duplexes and cottage courts rather than relying solely on large apartment buildings to meet the need - the kinds of homes many in our aging population will want and need as they seek to downsize.

Finally, I was the first member of the Commission to call for amendments to our draft Plan of Conservation and Development to address our schools' racial imbalance and to incorporate mitigating strategies.

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

In my 18 years of professional experience in planning and zoning, I have worked on zoning initiatives in all sorts of communities, from towns half the size of Fairfield to big cities.

I have spent hundreds of hours sitting through public hearings on zoning applications, and thousands more hours engaging communities regarding proposed developments to solicit input and build consensus.

In 2018, I also was part of a committee, assembled by the Westchester County Association in New York, that developed a Land Use Policy Playbook, offering resources and strategies to municipalities across Westchester to facilitate smart development.

This experience has given me an intimate understanding of planning, zoning, and development; and of scale, of architectural characteristics, and connectivity.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Never stop learning.

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

People want to move to Fairfield, which is a testament to what a great town that is. I'm proud to have the opportunity to live here with my amazing wife, Katherine, and our two incredible boys. And I want others to have the same opportunity I did.

We can create homes while maintaining what we love about our town. It just requires vision, creative thinking, and commitment - which I promise to bring to the Plan & Zoning Commission.