ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE MINUTES
October 6, 2011, 5:45 p.m.
Members present: Sue Larsen, Marshall Montana and Charles Regulbuto
Staff present: Michele R. Lipe, Town Planner
Acting Chairman Larsen called the meeting to order at 5:50 p.m.
- Appl. 11-26P, Tuscan Hill Site Plan – request for site plan modification for one new building, totaling 4,750 sf of office, for property locate at 218 Buckland Road, Buckland Road Gateway Development zone
Karen Isherwood, Isherwood Civil Engineering, presented the application. She indicated that in 2007 the M&R Package store was approved and subsequently constructed to the south of this site. At that time there was an approval for a two story building with retail and office condo to share the access with M & R Liquors. Today the plans have changed and the applicant is proposing to construct a single story 4,750 sf professional office building with 21 parking spaces.
It is proposed to keep the original design of the detention; sharing common access drive on the site. The proposed landscaping has adhered to the original approved plan preserving 6 willow trees and London plane trees along Buckland Road with ornamental pear trees in the front island, fir trees, spreading yew which will grow to 3 feet in height, areas of bushes, plants etc. The wetlands disturbance will be minimal.
A sidewalk is shown along Buckland Road and into the site. A crosswalk has been added through the parking area to connect to the building.
Lighting will include three existing poles and three additional poles to be added to match the existing.
Alan Lamson, architect and owner of FLB Architecture and Planning, designed the office for Carter Mario Lawyers. He indicated that the main reception and entrance will face Buckland Road. Employees will park around the back of the building. The building will be similar to a new office building recently built in Manchester that is visible for the access road to Route 84 westbound.
The building will be all brick combined with man made stones. There will be a significant amount of glass at front entrance with many windows. They are proposing a dark red brick for the building. The roof will have an overhang of two feet and architectural asphalt shingles will be used for the roof.
All the mechanical units will be in the attic and hidden from view and a concrete pad for a compressor will be in the back of the building. The dumpster is proposed to be on a concrete pad and screened.
The signage proposal has not been decided. The applicant will submit for signage approval at a later time.
The Committee discussed the proposal and indicated that they were pleased with the architecture and plans as presented.
- Appl.11-29P, Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) —request for a two lot minor subdivision of 60+ acres and a special exception to 5.4.3 and a site plan of development for the construction of a 64,300 sf school to be known as “CREC International Magnet Elementary School” on property located at L007 Long Hill Road (westerly side of Long Hill Road, southerly side of Chapel Road, northerly of I-291, easterly side of Ellington Road), I-291 Corridor Development Zone, Rural Residential/I-291 Overlay Zone and Rural Residential Zone
Fritz Morris, Architect with Perkman Eastman Architects of Stamford, CT, presented the application. He was accompanied by David Fresk, Project Manager with CREC, who was also available to answer any questions. They are proposing a new 63,000 sf elementary school – on three levels – on property located on the south western corner of Chapel Road and Long Hill Road.
The 14.35 acre site has substantial grade changes on Long Hill Road. The building is designed to respond to those grade changes and limit the amount of cuts and fill. The foot print is 32,000 sf. There will be two playing fields. Drainage for the site will follow natural drainage of the land. The bus and parent drop off loop will be separated.
The international magnet school’s architectural floor plan is in a pin wheel layout with the media center described on three levels. Historical references indigenous to South Windsor are used throughout. Massing of the building gives the building some height using vertical elements which respond to the grades of the site. The front will be buff sandstone with color brick, with red sandstone in the other areas. Window frames will be painted aluminum with green tinted glass.
The media center is the circular building and connects all the levels in the school. The dark forest green pitch roof helps break up the building and give the appearance of a series of buildings.
The parking lots are populated by red oaks and maples with buffer trees.
ADRC recommends a darker color be considered for the split back and different color
They also recommended turning off the 24 foot high LED site lighting after hours.
Site signage has not been finalized. Applicant will return to the ADRC with designs.
Chiller, dumpster and generator will be at the back of the site.
Air handlers on the roof will be screened by the pitch roofs.
The Committee complemented the good job in minimizing the scale of the building.
- Appl. 11-32P, Metals Testing Site Plan- request for a site plan approval to construct a 12,832 sf, industrial building on 2+ acres of property located on the northerly side of Kimberly Drive, I zone
Ben Wheeler of Design Professionals presented the plans. The applicant is proposing a 12,800 sf industrial building adjacent to their existing site. The entrance will be from Kimberly Drive, parking spaces shown on the left side of the drive with reserve area shown on the right side.
The buffer requirement is being met by preserving the existing trees and supplementing them with evergreen trees and mountain laurel. The surplus of material on the site will be used to add a mound in the rear of the property. The landscaping plan calls for five trees in the parking area and plantings around the building
The dumpster will be on a concrete pad and screened.
The proposed sign will match the existing sign measuring 5 feet high, 24 square feet.
The building design includes a connector 14 feet wide, 25 feet long. Mechanicals can not be placed in side yards and must be on concrete pads and screened.
There will be three 25 foot high lights in the parking area and security lighting on the building.
Jim Simmons from Allied Construction presented the building plans. The building is a pre-engineered building 25 feet in height. The building floor plan contains about 1,000 square feet of office in the front. A connector will allow them to transport materials between the two facilities. The connector is designed so it can be removed and will have a six foot high privacy fence to block it.
A split face masonry front will be earth tone in color keeping the color scheme between the two buildings. Bronze frame will be used to match the windows. Effice will match the existing building with metal siding, tan color with rib panels. The masonry on the east side of the building will be continued for the employee entrance. The lunch area will include an outdoor picnic area protected by a three foot concrete wall for protection. No windows or doors are proposed on the rear of the building.
The Committee discussed the proposal and indicated that they were pleased with the architecture and plans as presented.
Respectfully Submitted,
Michele R. Lipe, AICP
Town Planner
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