OLD LYME PLANNING COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
MAY 8, 2008
PRESENT: Robert McCarthy, Connie Kastelowitz, Steven Ross and Alternate Robert Pierson seated for Harold Thompson and Alternate Sean Mulligan seated for Chris Kerr. Also present were: Ted Crosby, Ellie Czarnowski and Kim Groves.
Vice Chair McCarthy called the meeting to order at 7:32 p.m.
TALCOTT FARM – DISCUSSION OF PARTIAL BOND RELEASE
Robert McCarthy made a motion to retain 75% of the $25,000.00 bond currently being held for the Talcott Farm Subdivision bond per Tom Metcalf’s letter dated March 10, 2008. Therefore, the commission shall retain $18,750.00 and release $6,250.00. Robert Pierson seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
DISCUSSION – ELLIE CZARNOWSKI – PLAN OF CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT
The commission discussed and reviewed the questionnaire that was sent out by the Planning Commission in 1997. Ross stated the answers you receive from a questionnaire are directly proportional to the clarity of the questions you ask. Ross stated he reviewed this questionnaire, but before he reviewed the questionnaire he made a list of things that he thought should be included. He stated when he was done reading the questionnaire he was pretty impressed that not only was it totally inclusive of any question that he thought should be asked but the questions were clear and the answers should be representative of the true feelings of the respondents. He also felt the size of the print, length of the questionnaire and the ease of filling it out were what generated the high response
rate. Ross stated that there might be some items that the Conservation Commission would like to add to the questionnaire.
Ellie Czarnowski stated there are much different demographics in town now and a lot more people. She further stated she felt the expansion of I-95 should be addressed in the questionnaire. Ross asked how the demographics have changed in town. Czarnowski stated because of Pfizer there are a lot more people from different ethnic origins.
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Pierson stated he felt the I-95 expansion would probably not be a part of this 10 year development. McCarthy asked how she envisioned Old Lyme would have an influence as to what happens on I-95. Pierson stated when I-95 was originally planned ramps were only allowed at each ends of the town. Czarnowski stated the Conservation Commission has discussed improvements that could be made to the Bucky Brook Bridge when the I-95 expansion goes through that would make the river more accessible for pedestrian and boat traffic.
Pierson asked how a questionnaire to the general public in this town would effect these improvements. Czarnowski stated if the town could prove that people were interested in that sort of thing the town could take these responses to the DOT.
Ross asked Czarnowski if it would be possible for her to come up with a list of proposed changes, additions or deletions that she would like in the questionnaire. Czarnowski stated when the Conservation Commission started this process they did not want to write the questionnaire. She stated some time ago they sent a letter to all the Boards and Commission in town asking for their input as to what type of questions they would like to see included in the questionnaire. Czarnowski stated their intent was to take those results and compile it into something that was doable.
Pierson stated he was unclear about how much of the population in Old Lyme would be concerned about that piece of property and the bridge. Czarnowski stated I-95 would have a big effect on the town and therefore she felt it was a good idea to ask the townspeople what they think of the expansion. McCarthy further stated the question is how it is going to impact Old Lyme and he felt the addition of another lane was a transportation issue nothing to do with the town unless people feel it is going to effect the character of the town. He further stated the bridge that goes over Lyme Street will probably be a big issue as far as keeping the aesthetics of the bridge.
Czarnowski stated when she solicited comments from the commissions last year they received two comments. She stated they received a response from the Historic District and the Old Lyme Conservation Trust.
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Ross stated that the Planning Commission will be sending a questionnaire out and we want it to be inclusive of any issues that any boards might have in mind. He further stated the Planning Commission would be happy to modify the questionnaire to include additional questions. Ross further stated he thought the commission should think more about what questions to ask than to second guess the answers to them.
Crosby stated the idea is to get the predominant issues in front of the people and the response. He stated if we are looking for a span of the ideas and issues from the responses we get the questions have to be put in front of the people that are representative of those concepts. Kim Groves agreed to forward copies of both the comments from the prior questionnaire as well as the questionnaire to the commission members, Ted Crosby and Ellie Czarnowski.
Czarnowski stated that they do have people on their commission that were around and involved for the last Plan of Conservation and Development. Czarnowski further stated she was present this evening to explain what they were proposing to do and it sounds like this commission did the exact same thing. Pierson stated that we send out the questionnaire to help with the POCD which the Planning Commission is mandated to do by the state.
Crosby stated he felt the questionnaire should try to elicit responses. He stated we should try to cover issues like should traffic on Lyme Street be limited and further stated should we approach the DOT about entrances on Whippoorwill Road and/or Flat Rock Hill Road to the turnpike. He stated there is an area of greater folks in the center of town leaving and coming back to town that are forced to travel Lyme Street which is out of their way. Therefore he asked how something like this would be addressed in a question and also gets DOT to consider some dialogue in the future.
Czarnowski stated there are also other issues such as the beach community. She asked what happen when we get the next ’38 (hurricane). She asked what the town wants to see happen when half the beach community is washed away. Do they want to see it built back up or would they like to see it remain in its natural state?
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Ross stated issue after issue can be discussed but the topic is to develop a questionnaire related to the Plan of Conservation and Development and this commission would appreciate any input. Czarnowski stated they would be happy to provide that to the Planning Commission. Crosby stated the Conservation Commission tries to plan their activities for the year and where can they aid other commissions. He stated this is one area that they felt they had a voice and would like to participate and feel they have the time and resources to do that. Crosby stated the Conservation Commission was hoping to take some of the workload from the Planning Commission and try to steer it in the right direction.
Crosby asked the commission what role they would like the Conservation Commission to play in this process. The committees discussed using a web based questionnaire to make it easier to extract the data. The committees also discussed making them available on line as well as in the Library and Shopping centers.
Crosby asked if the town were to suffer a disaster in the beach areas, he felt that this was long range planning and should be a question that is put in front of the taxpayers. Crosby suggested the plan show some reasonable aspect of planning in this area. Crosby also expressed concern about the amount of development in the town.
McCarthy suggested the commission set some timelines to get the questionnaire underway. Czarnowski agreed to put together the comments from the Conservation Commission.
READING AND APPROVAL OF THE APRIL MINUTES
Steve Ross made a motion to waive the reading of the minutes and approve them as presented. Connie Kastelowitz seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Kim Groves
Land Use Administrator
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