Patch Candidate Profile: Alan Pilch, Ridgefield Inland Wetlands Board

RIDGEFIELD, CT — The 2023 municipal election is heating up in Ridgefield and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Ridgefield Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Alan Pilch, 69, is running for re-election to the Ridgefield Inland Wetlands Board as a Republican.

Education.

Master in Landscape Architecture

What is your occupation?

Civil Engineer and Landscape Architect. 40 years of professional experience.

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

Married. Two children.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

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

I was a Member of the Conservation Commission for 11 years prior to be elected to the Inland Wetlands Board. I also served on the committee to draft new stormwater regulations for the Town.

Why are you seeking this office?

My professional experience as a professional civil engineer and landscape architect is in the preparation of site development plans, environmental assessment and wetland mitigation enables me to have the expertise to read through projects that are submitted to the Town. Our wetlands regulations require that prudent and feasible alternatives which might have a less detrimental effect on the wetlands or watercourses be considered. As a member of the Inland Wetlands Board, I have been able to use my professional experience assess the impacts to wetlands, watercourses and the aquifers which provide our potable water and to recommend to applicants alternatives that will better protect our natural resources.

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

The health and viability of wetlands are critically important for protecting the water supply, the aquifers and groundwater that provide potable water to our wells, and in controlling flooding. Wetlands also are very productive ecosystems which provide habitat for many plants, as well as shelter and food sources for many animals. I will continue to work to provide a better balance between development and environmental protection to sustain these critical resources.

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

I have a wealth of professional experience in environmental matters and assessment that will help to make the Inland Wetlands Board a well-rounded body to protect the Town's natural resources.

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

I have extensive volunteer experience, not only with the Town, but with other organizations which I feel helps me appreciate the many talents of the persons that I have collaborated with over these many years.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Volunteering to help and better the community where you live is something we all should strive to do. Do not keep aloof from your community. As it is said, if I care only for myself, then what am I? If not now, when?

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

I am a 27 year resident of the Town of Ridgefield. I am a licensed civil engineer in Connecticut and New York, and a registered landscape architect in Connecticut, New York and Rhode Island and have over 40 years of professional experience. My professional experience includes the preparation of site and subdivision plans, stormwater management plans (including extensive use of low impact development techniques), and wetland enhancement and mitigation plans. In addition, I have considerable experience in the preparation of environmental impact statements and environmental assessment.

I feel honored to have been elected by my fellow Town residents to the Inland Wetlands Board in 2019. I look forward to continue my work with the other members of the Inland Wetlands Board to provide a balance between the use and development of land and our need to protect the natural environment.