I. CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Friedmann called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
II. ROLL CALL
Attendant Members Absent Members
Robert Friedmann, Chairman Geraldine Lewis, Regular Member
Madeleine Fish, Vice Chairman David Shearer, Alternate Member
Walter Harris, Secretary Charles Sohl, Alternate Member
John Talbott, Alternate Member
Carl Garbe, Regular Member
Attendant Staff
Christina Costa, Zoning Enforcement Officer
III. REGULAR BUSINESS
ZEO Costa advised that she made an error on page one. The approved minutes were from January 19, 2010 not from January 19, 2009.
MOTION to approve the minutes of the January 19, 2010 meeting as amended; MADE: by R. Friedmann; SECONDED: by W. Harris; no discussion on the motion; VOTING IN FAVOR: R. Friedmann, M. Fish, W. Harris, C.Garbe, J. Talbott; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINING: none; APPROVED: 5-0-0.
B. CORRESPONDENCE
The Commission reviewed meeting packet materials. No bills to pay.
IV. WORKSHOP
A. ZONING REGULATIONS: Review Aquifer Protection, Connecticut River Gateway Conservation, Planned Residential Development, Coastal Area Management & Flood Plain Management Sections of the Regulations.
Chairman Friedmann discussed the difference between a zone and a district. ZEO Costa reviewed each zone with the Commission and referrer red to the Zoning Map. The Commission held an in depth discussion on each zone, discussed previous permitting experiences and asked questions.
V. COMMITTEE, REPRESENTATIVE & STAFF REPORTS
ZEO Costa informed the Commission of the following:
- New applications received by the Land Use Department since the last meeting.
- Continued enforcement matters.
- ZEO Costa and Attorney Childress spent an afternoon reviewing the Between the Bridges Marina master file page by page to determine previous permits granted by the Commission. The file is currently being reorganized.
- Discussion regarding parking calculations for a proposed take-out pizza restaurant looking to relocate to vacant space at Seashell Plaza, 843 Boston Post Road. The ZEO and the Commission reviewed a proposed parking plan and agreed that parking was insufficient for such an intense use.
ZEO Costa requested without any explanation that the Commission observe activities when driving by Stella D’Oro Restaurant, 1231 Boston Post Road. Ms.Costa advised that her request was due to a letter forwarded to the First Selectman from adjacent property owner Robert Cote of 1235 Boston Post Road.~ Mr. Cote claimed that the way the restaurant was run depreciated the value of his residential rental property by $70,000.00 and that Zoning Regulations were not being enforced.~ The Commission reviewed a complaint from Mr. Cote and Ms. Costa’s response in March of 2009 when both the ZEO and Scott Martinson of the CT River Area Health District found no problems at the site but requested that the dumpster areas were cleaned up.
Since Costa’s request, each Commission member stated that they either drove by or drove through the parking lot at least once at different times of day and night.~ The Commissioners agreed with Costa that they did not observe anything they believed had intensified the use. ~If anything, the Commission thought that the intensity had diminished since the previous restaurant, Jon’s Brick Oven Pizza.~ The Commission commented that very few cars were in the parking lot, the site appeared tidy and the lighting was minimal.~ The Commission did note that a flood light on the CL&P pole by the property produced some glare; however, the light belongs to CL&P and not the restaurant.~~ The Commission directed ZEO Costa to draft a letter from the Commission to Cote regarding their findings.~ The Commission
agreed that it was not necessary to refer the matter to their attorney for legal input.
VII. ADJOURNMENT
Chairman Friedmann adjourned the meeting at 9:25 p.m. until the next regular meeting of Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at the Old Saybrook Town Hall, First Floor Conference Room, 302 Main at 7:30 p.m.
Respectively submitted,
Christina M. Costa
Zoning Enforcement Officer
Acting Clerk
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