MEMBERS PRESENT: Timothy Wentzell, Kevin McCann, Sue Larsen, Patrick Kennedy, Bart Pacekonis, Cliff Slicer, and Suzanne Choate
ALTERNATES PRESENT: Gary Bazzano
Michael Sullivan
Marc Finer
STAFF PRESENT: Marcia Banach, Director of Planning
Jeff Doolittle, Town Engineer
PUBLIC HEARING – COUNCIL CHAMBERS – 7:30 P.M.
Appl 04-28P, Sweet Pea Natural Pet Foods, request for a two year temporary and conditional permit for the installation of a “dog wash” for property located at 869 Sullivan Ave., GC zone
Antoinette Rodrigues presented a proposal to the Commission for a do-it-yourself dog wash in a back room of the store. The facilities would be provided for washing the dog.
Banach reviewed the Planning report:
Request for two-year temporary & conditional permit for a dog wash at 869 Sullivan Ave., GC zone. The Natural Pet Foods business currently operates out of this location. The applicant had submitted a request to PZC for determination of whether this would be a permitted use in this zone, and the Commission suggested that the applicant return with a T&C request for the dog wash.
The applicant is proposing to convert a storage room, a 12 X 14 foot area, that will be waterproofed and finished with the appropriate flooring and lighting. The intent is that customers will wash and dry their own dogs. No animals will be kept or caged on site.
The wording of the T & C permit regulation is that, “Temporary and conditional permits may be granted by the Commission for a use which is not specified elsewhere in these regulations for a period not to exceed two years. Such approval may be given after a Public Hearing if, in the judgment of the Commission, the public convenience and welfare will be substantially served, and the appropriate use of neighboring property will not be substantially or permanently injured, and traffic and other hazards will not result from such use.”
If this application is approved, the applicant will be required to obtain electrical and building permits for the work.
There were no Engineering comments for this application.
There was no public participation for this application and the public hearing closed.
Appl 04-16P, Tom Young, request for a two year temporary and conditional permit for outdoor storage of engineered wood building products on property located at 317 Chapel Road, I-291 CD zone (Continued from 4/13/04)
Tom Young presented to the Commission information that was requested at the previous public hearing of April 13, 2004 as follows:
The hours of operation will be 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tractor-trailers making deliveries into the site will be six to ten per six day week.
Trucks entering and leaving the site on a daily basis for distribution will be two to four trips per ten-hour day.
The material will be stored in units forty-eight feet long, by four feet wide, by six to eight feet tall. There will be approximately fifteen to twenty of these types of units.
Activity level on the site will consist of one or two employees with one forklift.
With regards to cutting the product, out of a ten-hour day, there will be approximately two or three hours of cutting on and off throughout the day.
Residual from the cutting to be picked-up and disposed of weekly.
There will not be any commercial vehicles, other than a forklift left on the site overnight.
Banach indicated she had no further information to add. Doolittle indicated he would work with the applicant regarding the drainage on the site.
There was no public participation. The Commission had the following questions/concerns:
Sediment from the cutting of the wood and the effect on the drainage of the site.
Outdoor storage in the I-291 Corridor
Inquired if there would be any pressured treated materials stored
Concerns with the noise level of the chainsaw to be used on the site
Michael Dion, representing Tom Young, responded to the Commission’s comments as follows:
Proposing an infiltration system with a dry well and will work with Town Staff
The site has minimal to no visibility from the roadway
There will be no pressured treated materials stored on the site
The applicant will monitor the noise levels of the chainsaw and modify equipment if needed
It was suggested by the Commission that the I-291 Corridor outdoor storage requirements should be reviewed by the Commission.
The public hearing closed.
REGULAR MEETING – MADDEN ROOM
CALL TO ORDER:
Commissioner Wentzell called the regular meeting to order.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:
There was no public participation for items not on the agenda.
NEW BUSINESS:
Discussion/Decision/Action regarding the following:
Appl 03-28P, The Shops at Evergreen Walk – review of elevations for building 500C
Alan Lamson presented the revised elevation for building 500C as follows:
Decreased the front façade of the building by 16 feet
Off set the building front create another element to reduce the scale
There were no changes to the sides of the building
The Commission had a general discussion.
Motion to approve was made by Commissioner Kennedy. Seconded by Commissioner Choate. The motion carried and the vote was unanimous.
Appl 04-28P, Sweet Pea Natural Pet Foods, request for a two year temporary and conditional permit for the installation of a “dog wash” for property located at 869 Sullivan Ave., GC zone
Motion to approve was made by Commissioner Kennedy. Seconded by Commissioner McCann. The motion carried and the vote was unanimous.
Appl 04-16P, Tom Young, request for a two year temporary and conditional permit for outdoor storage of engineered wood building products on property located at 317 Chapel Road, I-291 CD zone
The Commission had a discussion regarding the issues presented at the public hearing regarding noise, outdoor storage within the I-291. Banach made suggested conditions that could be placed on the approval.
Motion to approve was made by Commissioner Kennedy,
Commissioner McCann proposed an amendment limiting the truck traffic to the site at 4 tractor-trailer truck trips per day.
Commissioner Kennedy accepted the amendment as a friendly amendment.
Chairman Wentzell proposed an amendment stating if any noise complaints are received, alternate methods would need to be put in place.
Commissioner Kennedy agreed to amend approval condition to state no more than three hours of cutting shall take place during any day and cutting shall not start before 7:30 a.m. on weekday and 6:00 a.m. on Saturday.
Commissioner McCann made a recommendation to review the noise issues on the site in one year. Commissioner Kennedy agreed to add to the motion.
Commissioner Kennedy added a condition stating the Commission may review the conditions concerns noise after one year if complaints are reported to staff.
The approval conditions are as follows:
The Temporary and Condition permit will expire on May 11, 2006.
Drainage improvements are subject to the approval of the Town Engineer.
Hours of operation shall be limited to 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mon-Sat.
No more than 4 tractor-trailers per day and 10 per week shall enter the premises.
Maximum storage height shall not exceed screening or 8 feet, whichever is lower.
The Town’s noise standards must not be exceeded.
No more than three hours of cutting shall take place during any day and cutting shall not start before 7:30 a.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. on Saturday.
Commission may review the conditions concerning noise after one year if complaints are reported to staff.
Seconded by Commissioner Pacekonis. The motion carried and the vote was unanimous.
Appl 04-23P, Post Road Stages, request for a site plan modification for property located 1105 Strong Road, RR zone
Peter DeMallie presented the application to the Commission requesting modification to the site plan indicating the following:
Received a Special Exception 1965 from the Zoning Board of Appeals
1981 PZC Special Exception for parking
1985 Variance for 20% building coverage
3 ½ acre site
Ample parking on site
Unchanged impervious coverage
Project will be construction in two Phases
Phase I - 60 x 50 square foot addition, approximately 3,000 sf
Facility for bus drive thru for washing and lavatory disposal
Phase II – 60-67 square foot addition, approximately 4,000 sf
For bus storage of eight buses
Galen Semprebon, Design Professionals, Inc., gave an overview of the engineering of the site as follows:
Sanitary sewer and well to service site
Drainage to west into the wetlands
Water quality detention basin
Additional plantings along wetland area
IWA/CC approval on April 21, 2004
Relocation of dumpster and pad
Banach reviewed the Planning Report:
Request for site plan modification for additions to Post Road Stages at 1105 Strong Road, RR zone. The site received a special exception from the ZBA in 1965 to allow the operation of the bus company. At the time, there was a provision in the zoning regulations that allowed, “in undeveloped areas of the rural zone districts, the ZBA may permit, as special exceptions, limited commercial and/or small industrial operations conducted by the occupant of the property where such uses will not be detrimental to adjoining property; will not substantially change the character of the neighborhood; and will not increase congestion in the streets or create traffic hazards.”
Maximum permitted lot coverage for buildings is 10%, but a variance was granted in 1985 to allow 20% building coverage. There is a difference between building coverage and impervious coverage: building coverage is the amount of the lot that can be covered by buildings; impervious coverage is buildings plus all paved and impervious areas. A dilemma here is how to handle impervious coverage. When the application was approved in 1965, there apparently was no impervious coverage limitation. Current residential zone regulations provide impervious coverage for all non-residential uses, but this use does not fit into any of the current permitted use categories in the RR zone. This appears to effectively leave the entire site (not just the 3.5 acres in front of us tonight) with no governing
impervious coverage requirements for the bus company. Thus, while the site is limited to 20% coverage with actual buildings, there appears to be no limitation to the amount of parking area that could be created.
Proposed maximum building height is 22 feet; 30 feet allowed. Front yard setback is nonconforming at 30.3 feet, with 50 feet required.
The existing curb cut is very large, about 240 feet in length. A new 65’ island will reduce the large curb cut to two somewhat smaller curb cuts. The applicant has calculated parking requirements based on the number of staff, and indicates that 34 spaces are required, 40 provided. We do note that part of the business is on a separate, recently created lot, with a different record owner than the remainder; so the site parking is now located on separate lots. There are no cross-travel easements between the two properties. Staff are concerned that a separate future conveyance of either of the two lots would affect the parking arrangements for the other lot, and suggest that cross-travel easements be put in place at this time.
The applicant submitted a copy of the application to the CT Water Company for their review since the site is in the Kupchunos Wellfield public water supply notification area. I have not seen a response from CWC.
A new water quality/detention basin has been added at the rear of the site. This application received IWA/CC approval on April 21, with a bond in the amount of $2,000 to ensure compliance with the erosion and sediment control measures and a bond in the amount of $5,000 to ensure the establishment of the stormwater treatment structure. The bond is to be held for three growing seasons following construction.
The site is served by private well and public sewer. Water Pollution Control Authority approval is required.
New site lighting consists of two wal-pak full cutoff fixtures to be mounted on the west sides of the buildings.
There is some new site landscaping proposed, primarily along the edge of the regulated wetlands area on the east side of the lot.
There is a dumpster, which is being relocated onto a concrete pad with screening.
If this application is approved, the Planning Dept requests no additional modifications to those already noted.
Doolittle reviewed the Engineering report:
The structure in front of the building is labeled as the existing lav dump and the applicant has said they want to keep this as a second lav. dump for the buses. Please explain why this second dump is necessary and how often it will be used. I still recommend this structure be modified such that the CB top is replaced with a sanitary manhole frame and cover to securely close it when it is not being used. This will have to be reviewed and approved by the WPCA.
I still recommend that the proposed front grass island be extended from the road to the building and more landscaping added. The applicant has indicated that they need this lane for bus circulation. I would like to hear more about why this lane is needed when they are constructing more paved area for circulation around the back of the buildings and how often they anticipate buses using this front circulation lane. Additional landscaping and green space would break up the large amount of pavement in the front and provide an opportunity to enhance the site appearance.
Details on the construction of the new sewer lateral from this site to the road need to be reviewed and finalized. Will the old grease trap and line to the east of the building remain or be abandoned?
What type of 15” pipe will be used for the detention basin outlet? Show details for the flared ends of the outlet pipe from the detention basin.
I could not find the existing water service for this building. Please show this on the plans and verify that it does not conflict with any of the proposed work.
WPCA review and approval is required for this application
The Commission had a general discussion regarding the following:
Cross easements on the site
Plantings on the island entering the site and the north island across the street
Discussion regarding the parking across the street
Motion to approve was made by Commissioner Kennedy.
Prior to commencement of any site work, a meeting must be held with Town Staff.
No building permit will be issued until the final mylars have been filed in the Town Clerk's office.
This application is subject to the conditions of approval of the Inland Wetlands Agency/Conservation Commission, including a bond in the amount of $2,000 to ensure compliance with the erosion and sediment control measures and a bond in the amount of $5,000 to ensure the establishment of the stormwater treatment structure. The $5,000 bond is to be held for three growing seasons following construction.
An as-built plan is required prior to issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy per Section 8.1.11 of the Zoning Regulations.
A landscape bond in the amount of $5,000 is required and must be submitted prior to filing of mylars.
All plans used in the field by the developer must bear the stamp and authorized signature of the Town of South Windsor.
This approval does not constitute approval of the sanitary sewer, which can only be granted by the Water Pollution Control Authority.
The building street number must be included on the final plan.
The Town Engineer’s review comments dated May 10, 2004 must be addressed to the Town Engineer’s satisfaction.
No bus parking will be allowed on the north side of Strong Road after completion of Phase I improvements.
Seconded by Commissioner McCann.
Chairman Wentzell proposed a friendly amendment that the south island shown to have low level planting and a small island be created on the north side to define the entrance to the parking lot and the landscaping would be subject town staff approval.
Commissioner Kennedy stated he would like to act on the amendment separately, and accepted the first part of the amendment stating the south island shown to have low level plantings subject to town staff approval as a friendly amendment.
Chairman Wentzell made an amendment on the north side an island be created around the existing telephone pole to mark a more define entrance to the parking area and the landscaping would be subject to town staff approval.
Seconded by Commissioner Larsen. The Commission had a discussion regarding the amendment and Chairman Wentzell withdrew the amendment.
The original was voted on. The motion carried and the vote was unanimous.
Kebalo Preliminary Senior Residence Development Discussion
Walt and Andy Kebalo presented to the Commission a proposal for a Senior Residence Development on John Fitch Blvd (Route 5). The Commission had a general discussion and several issued were raised indicating this would not be the best use for this site
Greenleaf Pottery Preliminary Discussion – 240 Chapel Road (see attached letter)
Ron Friedman and John Macomber presented to the Commission a proposal for Greenleaf Pottery at 240 Chapel Road. The Commission indicated this would be a good use for the property and suggested coming forward with a site plan application.
BONDS: Callings/Reductions/Settings
There were no bonds.
MINUTES: 12/9/03, 3/23/04
APPLICATIONS TO BE OFFICIALLY RECEIVED:
04-33P, Corner Meadow LLC, request for special exception to Article 4.1.12 and 4.3.11 and site plan of development for approval of an 18 unit senior residence development, to be known as “River Walk”, on 11.91 acres located on the northwesterly corner of Sullivan Ave. and Pierce Road, RR zone
04-34P, Valley Holdings, LLC, request for special exception to 6.1.3.6 and site plan modification for an animal crematorium on property located at 47 Patria Road, I zone
04-35P, Elaine D. Gerlt, request for a 3 lot open space subdivision of 1.95 ac., to be known as “City Vista” Resubdivision, on property located on the easterly side of Felt Road, northerly side of Ridgefield Drive, AA-30 open space zone
CORRESPONDENCE/REPORT:
Chairman Wentzell mentioned it is time to form the subcommittees for the review of the zoning regulations and the sign regulations.
Commissioners Larsen, McCann, Wentzell for the Zoning Update Subcommittee.
Commissioners Bazzano, Kennedy, Larsen for the Sign Regulations Update Subcommittee.
ADJOURNMENT:
Motion to adjourn at 10:00 p.m. was made by Commissioner Kennedy. Seconded by Commissioner Pacekonis. The motion carried and the vote was unanimous.
Respectfully Submitted,
_______________________________
Kelli Koehler
Recording Secretary
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