Town of North Stonington, CT PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION
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SPECIAL MEETING
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2007 – 7:00 P.M.
North Stonington Elementary School
Multi-Purpose Room
311 Norwich-Westerly Road
North Stonington, CT 06359
Draft Minutes
1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER: Chairman called the Special Meeting of the North Stonington Planning & Zoning Commission to order on Thursday, September 20, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. at the North Stonington Elementary School, Multi-Purpose Room.
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: G. Russell Stewart, III, Chairman, Vilma Gregoropoulos, Vice-Chairman, Louis E. Steinbrecher, Secretary, Anne Nalwalk, Elaine Boissevain and Alternate Members Duncan Schweitzer and Joseph Siner
COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Alternate Member Susan Grufstedt
STAFF PRESENT: Sr. Planner & Zoning Official Craig Grimord, Administrative Assistant Cheryl Konsavitch, Contracted SCCOG Planner, Jamie Rabbitt, P&Z Attorney Michael Carey, P&Z Consulting Engineer Donald Aubrey and P&Z Traffic Engineer Kermit Hua
PUBLIC HEARING
A. RC #07-060 (Regulation Change) Application of Garden Court, L.L.C., c/o James Ruskowski, 1420 Route 169, Woodstock, CT 06281 to amend the Town of North Stonington Zoning Regulations to add new Housing Opportunity Development or “HOD” overlay district regulations. The regulations apply to housing development in which, for at least 40 years after initial occupancy of units within the proposed development, (1) not less than 15% of the dwelling units will be sold or rented as units of affordable housing, as defined in
Conn. Gen. Stat. 8-30g, for persons or families whose income is less than or equal to 80% of the area or statewide median income, whichever is less; and (2) not less than 15% of the dwelling units will be sold or rented as units of affordable housing, for persons or families whose income is less than or equal to 60% of the area or statewide median income, whichever is less. (PH opened on 7/05/07 & continued to 8/09/07, 8/30/07 & 9/20/07 (extension granted); Received on 5/03/07 & PH must close on or by 10/11/07)
Vice-Chairman Gregoropoulos read the application into the record.
Seated: V. Gregoropoulos, L. Steinbrecher, A. Nalwalk, E. Boissevain, R. Stewart
Nick Mullane, 1st Selectman distributed a supplemental report and went over it.
ZEO Grimord went over his supplemental memo of 9/20/07 and submitted for the record the following exhibits, (Exhibit P) Plan showing property of James Romanella & Sons, Inc. dated July 1993, (Exhibit Q) Notice of Decision dated 2/14/90 & map of property showing Boom Bridge Road dated November 1989, (Exhibit R) map of subdivision plan of the property of Frederick & Doris Olson dated 9/20/07 and (Exhibit S) Plan showing proposed access to property of Doris Olson-Cavanna.
Mr. Rabbitt submitted for the record (Exhibit T) Arial photos of the site.
Mr. Aubrey, Consulting Engineer went over his report.
Atty. Carey submitted (Exhibit U) a memo on research notes from an independent title searcher.
Atty. Tim Bates went over and submitted the following exhibit’s for the record (Exhibit V) memo from T. Bates on responses to zoning concerns on the proposed regulation and zone change. (Exhibit W) Proposed HOD zoning text amendment, (Exhibit X) density requirements for multifamily development in Southeastern Connecticut Towns and (Exhibit Y) Garden Court affordability plan.
The Commission had questions and comments pertaining to these applications.
Mr. Russ Slayback went over his memo pertaining to water supply and sewage disposal potential and submitted it for the record as (Exhibit Z).
Vice-Chairman Gregoropoulos submitted for the record (Exhibit AA) Regional Conservation & Development Plan 2007 Detail of Town of North Stonington and (Exhibit BB) Town of North Stonington as depicted in the Conservation & Development Policies Plan for Connecticut 2005-2010 locational guide map and (Exhibit CC) the Conservation and Development Policies Plan for Connecticut 2005-2010.
Atty. Bates went over traffic access issues and submitted for the record the following exhibits: (Exhibit DD) title search of Cranberry Bog Road including deeds and maps, (Exhibit EE) letter from James Romanella pertaining to Cranberry Bog Road and (Exhibit FF) deeds and map of of Rommanella property.
Mr. John Shevlin, of Pare Corporation went over his report and submitted for the record (Exhibit GG) a conceptual plan of the entrance road.
Mr. Tim Pelton, of Holdsworth Pelton International, L.L.C. did a fire safety response site review for the Garden Court Residential Development and submitted it for the record as (Exhibit HH) along with his resume.
Atty. Bates submitted for the record (Exhibit II) deeds of property for the Romanella site.
Tim Main, Fire Chief, commented on the Pelton report ladder specifications and submitted for the record (Exhibit JJ) ladder specs for solid beam aluminum ladders.
Chairman Stewart asked if there were any questions or comments from the public in favor of this application. There were none.
Chairman Stewart asked if there were any questions or comments from the public against this application. The following people spoke:
Tammy Sherron, Boombridge Road
Robert Miner
Colleen Sottile
Tim Main
Atty. Phillip Walker
Atty. Bates responded to some of the remarks made by the public.
MOTION by V. Gregoropoulos, SECOND by A. Nalwalk to continue the Public Hearing on RC #07-060 to 9/27/07 at 7:00 p.m. at the North Stonington Elementary School, Multi-Purpose Room. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOSLY.
B. ZC #07-061 (Zone Change) Application of Garden Court, L.L.C., c/o James Ruskowski, 1420 Route 169, Woodstock, CT 06281 to amend the Town of North Stonington Zoning Map to add new Housing Opportunity Development or “HOD” overlay zone. The proposed zone consists of two parcels identified as Map/Block/Lot #118/2751/49/3006 & #119/2751/59/9950, totaling 97+/- acres of land. Located on the West side of Boom Bridge Road, North of I-95 and East of Cranberry Bog Road, approximately 1000’ south of the
intersection of Boom Bridge Road and CT Rte. 184. (PH opened on 7/05/07 & continued to 8/09/07, 8/30/07& 9/20/07 (extension granted); Received on 5/03/07 & PH must close on or by 10/11/07)
Secretary Steinbrecher read the application into the record.
Seated: V. Gregoropoulos, L. Steinbrecher, A. Nalwalk, E. Boissevain, R. Stewart
Mr. Rabbitt respectfully requested that the testimony oral and written that was submitted for RC #07-060 be applicable to the call of this hearing for the landing of the zone for the HOD as long as there is no objection from the applicant.
Atty. Bates had no objection.
MOTION by V. Gregoropoulos, SECOND by A. Nalwalk to continue the Public Hearing on RC #07-060 to 9/27/07 at 7:00 p.m. at the North Stonington Elementary School, Multi-Purpose Room. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOSLY.
C. RC #07-106 (Regulation Change) Application of John Turner, 37 Main Street, North Stonington, CT 06359 to amend the Town of North Stonington Zoning Regulations to repeal the regulations in Section 403.5 pertaining to Film & TV Studios, Film & TV Studio Entertainment Facilities, Theaters, Performing Arts Schools and Accessory Retail Stores, from the list of uses Specially Permitted in the Industrial Zone off Route 49, south of I-95 and to remove the associated definitions from Appendix “A”. (PH opened on
9/06/07 & closed; Received on 7/05/07 & Commission must act on or by 11/08/07)
Secretary Steinbrecher read the application into the record.
Seated: A. Nalwalk, V. Gregoropoulos, R. Stewart, E. Boissevain, L. Steinbrecher
MOTION by V. Gregoropoulos, SECOND by L. Steinbrecher to revisit the decision the Commission acted on at their 9/13/07 meeting. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
Vice-Chairman Gregoropoulos read the following preamble into the record.
The Commission has reviewed the testimony given at the Public Hearing and read the review from the Regional Planning Authority (SCCOG). The proposal to remove certain uses Specially Permitted in the Industrial Zone should have no effect on public health and safety and will not change the character of the district. It has been determined that Film & Television Studios for Production are a form of Light Manufacturing that is currently a Specially Permitted Use in the Industrial Zone and is not adequately addressed in the appendix definition of Light Manufacturing and therefore requires a separate definition. This use is consistent with the POCD goal of attracting high value, low impact businesses.
MOTION by V. Gregoropoulos, SECOND by L. Steinbrecher to MODIFY RC #07-106 to delete from Section 403.5 the following uses:
1. Film & Television Studio Entertainment Facilities
2. Theaters
3. Performing Arts School
4. Accessory Retail Stores associated with Film & Television Studios for production.
To DELETE from Appendix A the following definitions:
5. Film & Television Studio Entertainment Facilities
6. Performing Arts School
To MODIFY the Film & Television Studios for production use, as a Specially Permitted (foot note #3) use in the Industrial Zone, to delete “of a size greater than 10,000 square feet.”
To MODIFY foot note #3 of Section 403.5 to delete the reference to a Planned Business Development requirement and read as follows: “Within 2,500 feet of the southern boundary of the Interstate I-95 right-of-way and contain a minimum of 200 acres of land.” MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
MOTION by V. Gregoropoulos, SECOND by A. Nalwalk for RC #07-106 to be effective upon publication. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
ADJOURNMENT:
MOTION by L. Steinbrecher, SECOND by V. Gregoropoulos to adjourn the special meeting at 11:25 p.m. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
Respectfully Submitted,
Cheryl Konsavitch, Administrative Assistant
Planning & Zoning Commission
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