Meet the Candidate: William Eccles

Name: William N. (Bill) Eccles

Age: 41

Party and position running for:
Republican for Planning and Zoning Commission (two-year term)

Family Info: 

Married to Terry M. Eccles, pediatrician, solo practitioner, Stafford Springs

Father of two sons

Previous Political Experience:
Zoning Board of Appeals (Alternate, 2010-present)

Other Experience:
Chairman, Ad Hoc Committee on Residential Growth, Tolland (2005)
Electrical Engineer, Hamilton Sundstrand, (1999-present)
Officer, United States Air Force (1992-1999)
MSEE, University of South Carolina (1993)
BSEE, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (1992)

Why are you running for office?

Nearly 14 years ago, my wife and I were attracted to Tolland for its rural nature, its quality of life, and its small-town atmosphere. In the intervening years, the town has undergone both expansion and contraction of its economy, both rapid and slowed growth. Though Tolland has changed in population, the essential nature of the town has not changed dramatically, though it is at the very edge of losing many of its essential qualities. As growth is on the upswing from its low in 2005, the time is right for an influx of new and creative ideas to maintain these qualities which we all appreciate about Tolland.

I bring a variety of experiences and viewpoints to bear on every problem I'm faced with, whether a town-wide problem faced by the P&Z or an engineering problem I face in my work. In 2005, as chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on Residential Growth, many town residents and I worked together to discover the essential qualities of Tolland's nature. As the husband of a small-business owner, I am sensitive to the costs of regulations and how they impact the quality of life of the business owners. As a father of two boys in Tolland's schools, I understand the necessity of ensuring that the town's tax base remains viable but not burdensome. And finally, as a bicyclist who averages hundreds of miles per year on the roads of Tolland and surrounding communities, I am intimately familiar with the beauty of our surroundings and am acutely aware of the need to preserve it for the enjoyment of future generations.

And so I am running--with great enthusiasm--for a seat on the Planning and Zoning Commission. I am impressed with the work that has been done in the past, and intend to continue to support the goals and plans set by the current commission. As a Republican and conservative on the Commission, I will do my best to balance the needs of nature, our businesses, our government and our citizens. And, with the input from the citizens of the town, I intend to be successful in doing so.

How will you work with residents to ensure that their issues are addressed as the Tolland Village Area moves forward?

The Tolland Village Area regulations and guidelines are, by their very nature, polarizing and somewhat controversial. The affected property owners, who are citizens of the town too, have views which are as varied as the opinions of the residents. And I have discovered in the past weeks of campaigning that there's quite a bit of misunderstanding about the Village Area. These are all problems which must be overcome if this area is to be developed successfully and in harmony with the goal of preserving the rural nature of Tolland and its economic and natural resources.

The good news is that the Village Area regulations are a framework--guidelines within which property owners can work. Better yet, these guidelines are not cast in stone. Though considerable time and effort was poured into creating them in a sensible and reasonable fashion, the future is impossible to predict with certainty, so it's important that they can be changed. But it will take willful forward motion on the part of the property owners to get to the point of discovering unworkable points in the regulations. It will also take understanding on the part of the Commission to ensure progress continues in a manner that is agreeable to as many people as possible.

James Baldwin, a 20th-century American novelist, said, "Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced." Together, we--developers, citizens, and property owners alike--must face the future that has been outlined in the Village Area regulations. If change becomes necessary, I will work with everybody involved to refine these regulations to help achieve harmonious solutions to the problems.