Tolland Election: Marilee Beebe Running For PZC

TOLLAND, CT — Democrat Marilee Beebe, 60, is running for Tolland Planning and Zoning Commission in Tolland.

Occupation: Civil Engineer

Family:
Husband: James Croll

Daughters: Mychal Beebe and Lindsay Beebe

Experience: I'm a current member of the Tolland Zoning Board of Appeals and have served on both the Planning and Zoning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals for 25 years. I also previously served on the High School Land Acquisition Committee and was co-chair of the Charter Revision Commission that submitted Town Charter updates implemented by the Town Council in December 2018.

Family in government: No

The single biggest issue in town is ______, and I plan to do this about it:

There are multiple issues facing our town at this unique point in time: We are dealing with Covid, crumbling foundations, and and the change in the business environment due to the Great Recession and rapidly accelerating technology and E-Commerce. The world has changed dramatically in the last 15 years and a sustainable local business climate is more important than ever. If elected I will encourage a proactive PZC that partners across town commissions to execute a community vision. We have brilliant people in our community; we need to tap into this resource to plan for Tolland's next 15 years.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

I feel that my background in engineering and construction and agriculture provides a mix of practical and technical knowledge that is useful on the land use boards. I have 25 years of previous service on Tolland boards and commissions that provides historical perspective to the issues facing the town and the opportunities available to us. I am familiar with the evolution of our land use and growth and believe that applying that context to planning and zoning decision making can be valuable to the town.

Accomplishments:

I worked for more than 10 years in local construction, had two daughters, and and raised cattle and sweet corn on my late husband's family farm in Tolland. In 1994 I was fortunate to be able to return to UConn to study civil and environmental engineering. I have spent the last 21 years of my career working on both remediation of brownfield (contaminated) sites and significant road and bridge projects like the Q Bridge in New Haven. My background has taught me to pay attention to details and think critically. Having a foot in both agriculture and engineering has allowed me to understand the challenges and pathways to successful development and the mitigations necessary to protect critical environments and water resources. Volunteering in STEM outreach activities has taught me the importance of speaking in plain language and making technical concepts accessible to the general public.

Other issues:

When I arrived in Tolland there was still a viable farming community and the road to the High School was dirt. There have been many changes since and but the community has retained its rural charm and has emphasized land preservation in addition to development. Moving forward I believe our immediate land use concerns revolve around development of our commercial and mixed use areas to provide a locally sustainable business community and diverse residential options for both our older citizens and young people entering the work force. It is this issue on which I hope to focus.