ARB MINUTES
Regular Meeting
Monday, December 14, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.
Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room
302 Main Street
I. CALL TO ORDER
Chairman David Wight called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m.
II. ROLL CALL
Attendant Members
David Wight, Chairman
Jonathan Gibbs, Regular Member
Kingmon Snow, Regular Member
Theodore Pendleton, Secretary
Arcangela Claffey, Alternate
Absent Members
Attendant Staff
Christine Nelson, Town Planner
Joanne Rynecki, Recording Clerk
III. OLD BUSINESS
IV. NEW BUSINESS
1522 Boston Post Road (Map 26/Lot 28)
Business B-4 District
Applicant/Agent: Attorney David Royston
Attorney David Royston presented on behalf of the Applicant Nancy Engberg. Ms. Engberg was present along with Mike Fowler the proprietor of Mike’s Deli. The application is before the Board for review of the landscaping, architecture, lighting and signage. A written report will be made to the Zoning Commission. The application before Zoning is a special exception for restaurant use. The Applicant has been before the ZBA and has
received variances for front setback and front perimeter landscape buffer. An IWWC permit has been issued for the project because there are wetlands on the property, a stream on the western side of the property.
The Applicant is proposing a 1, 535 sq ft addition to the existing 1,095 sq ft building. The addition will be used as a 31 seat restaurant. The seating will also be used by deli customers when the restaurant is closed.
The exterior siding and roofing material will match the material on the existing building. Mullions and shutters will be added to the existing building to closely match the new windows on the addition. Jonathan Gibbs suggested extending the canopy over the front door to the maximum allowed. It is thought that the canopy can extend 3 feet. The lighting plans for the building are recessed down lights in the soffit over the rear door ways and a goose neck light over the sign above the front door. Kingmon Snow of the ARB recommended full spectrum lamps. Exterior parking lighting was not indicated on the plans and the Board recommended that the Applicant refer to the new Zoning Regulations regarding lighting, specifically that since the property is within 100 feet of the wetlands and light spillage can
be an issue. The recommendation was made to use low level path lighting and downward lights in the parking area.
The proposed sign above the front door will be 5’ x 3’ oval with red and tan lettering on a black background illuminated by the goose neck light over the front door.
The landscaping plan shows the addition of plantings along the stream per the IWWC and the planting of grass in the area where the parking lot is shifted slightly to the south. The parking lot is being moved to south to improve the ingress and egress and allow for the necessary required number of parking spaces. A portion of the parking lot to the south will be gravel. The Board recommends removing the old pavement at the front entrance area to improve the appearance and to plant a few trees in the front of the property to the west of the proposed parking lot.
MOTION to recommend approval of the site plan with the following recommendations: 1. submit tree plan for westerly side of the proposed parking lot; 2. remove existing pavement in front of the proposed addition to improve the appearance of the front entrance; 3. submit a lighting plan if additional lighting is proposed for the parking area; 4. consider extending the canopy over the front door out to 3 feet. MOVED by D. Wight; SECONDED by K. Snow; IN FAVOR: D. Wight, J. Gibbs, K. Snow, A. Claffey, T. Pendleton; OPPOSED: none ABSTAINED: none APPROVED: 5-0-0.
- “Between the Bridges, LLC” Site Plan
142 Ferry Road (Map 45/Lots 11, 14 &29)
Marine Commercial District, Residential A District
Applicant/Agent: Attorney William Childress
This application is before the Board for review of the landscaping, architecture, lighting and signage. A written report will be made to the Zoning Commission. Tonight will focus on the site plan and landscaping.
Mr. Stuart Fairbanks from Angus McDonald/Gary Sharpe Associates explained that the property is located on the east and west side of Ferry Road. The east side of the property (5.7 acres) is currently marine commercial with office space, parking, 289 boat slips and related facilities including a 225 seat restaurant. The west side of the property, (6.7 acres) is residential with 4 structures, a parking area and an underground sewage treatment area used by the marina property. There are tidal wetlands on the far western side of the property (5.6 acres) which are planned to be deeded to the Town of Old Saybrook as open space. The rear of the property on the west side abuts the Eden Harbor, over 55 community, the tidal wetlands and the proposed 45 Ferry Street affordable housing development.
Plans are to demolish the office space and restaurant, repair the concrete pad and lower level parking lot, construct 25 residential units, a 150 seat restaurant, public access gazebo and sewage treatment facility on the east side of Ferry Road. The proposed demolition of the existing structures and sewage treatment on the west side will allow the applicant to construct 65 residential units, with overflow parking for the restaurant and marina, leaching fields, walking paths to connect adjacent developments and a gathering area with bulle courts and a pergola.
Mr. John Cunningham from TJC Landscaping Design explained that the plantings will be similar and a continuation from the adjacent 45 Ferry Road project. The sidewalks will be done in a stamped concrete that will allow residents on the west side access to the pool, marina and restaurant. A “green screen” will be attached to the marine commercial buildings to allow plants to grow up the side of the buildings to soften the commercial look of the buildings. There will be shrubs planted for privacy between units with shade and ornamental trees lining the parking and gathering area. Jonathan Gibbs would like to see a delineation of what green space is public space and what is private. He would encourage the applicant to include private outdoor spaces, perhaps separated by a fence, for unit owners to
plant gardens and have a space to call their own.
Ms. Christine Nelson asked a few questions to Mr. Cunningham and Mr. Fairbanks. She asked to see the trail connecting to the Eden Harbor property, where the boats will be stored in the off season, consider a barrier between the marina parking and the water, avoid making the garage a focal point in the architectural design of the residential units, change the lighting style used for the parking area and the street to be different from each other, ensure cross
walks cross the roadways/driveways, and consider enhancing the parking area in front of the restaurant by adding curbing and planting beds to define the entrance to the parking lot.
MOTION to continue the site plan review for Between the Bridges, LLC until January 11, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. at the Old Saybrook Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 302 Main St. MOVED by D. Wight; SECONDED by K. Snow; IN FAVOR: D. Wight, J. Gibbs, K. Snow, A. Claffey; T. Pendleton; OPPOSED: none ABSTAINED: none APPROVED: 5-0-0.
V. REGULAR BUSINESS
A. Meeting Minutes- November 23, 2009
MOTION to approve the minutes of November 23, 2009. MOVED by J. Gibbs; SECONDED by K. Snow; IN FAVOR: D. Wight, J. Gibbs, K. Snow, A. Claffey; T. Pendleton; OPPOSED: none ABSTAINED: none APPROVED: 5-0-0.
- Correspondence
- Committee, Representative & Staff Reports
VI. ADJOURNMENT
MOTION to adjourn the meeting at 10:30 p.m. until the next regularly scheduled meeting on Monday December 28, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. at the Old Saybrook Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 302 Main St. MOVED by D. Wight; SECONDED by K. Snow; IN FAVOR: K. Snow, D. Wight, J. Gibbs, A. Claffey; T. Pendleton; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: none; APPROVED: 5-0-0.
Respectfully submitted,
Joanne Rynecki, Recording Clerk
| 
