MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Patrick Kennedy, Bart Pacekonis, Mark Abrahamson, David Sorenson, Tim Moriarty, Viney Wilson and Elizabeth Kuehnel
ALTERNATES PRESENT: Frank Bonzani
STAFF PRESENT: Marcia Banach, Director of Planning
Jeffrey Doolittle, Town Engineer
PUBLIC HEARING/COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Chairman Kennedy called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
- Appl. 10-21P, The Yoga Shop—request for a special exception to Section 7.13 for a yoga studio at 524 Sullivan Ave., I zone.
Kevin Charbonneau presented the application. Kim Charbonneau is interested in opening a Yoga shop at 524 Sullivan Avenue.
Banach had a Planning report as follows.
Request for Special Exception to Article 7.13 of the zoning regulations to allow a yoga studio in the existing building at 524 Sullivan Ave., I zone. The yoga studio will occupy about 3,500 sq ft. Special exception criteria for indoor recreational use include:
- The proposal is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Plan of Conservation and Development.
- The application has met the requirements of the zoning regulations.
- The land is physically suited to the proposed use.
- Minimal, if any, adverse environmental impacts are created.
- No traffic or other hazards will be created.
- The impacts on the capacity of the present and proposed utilities, street, drainage systems, sidewalks, and other elements of the infrastructure will be minimal.
- There will be minimal or no adverse effects on existing uses in the area.
- Surrounding property values will be conserved.
- The character of the neighborhood will be maintained or minimally disrupted.
- The general welfare of the community will be served.
- There is a balance between neighborhood acceptance and community needs.
- Historic factors are adequately protected; or due consideration to preservation of historic factors has been demonstrated.
- The overall physical appearance of the proposed development is compatible with surrounding development and the Commission’s goals for the neighborhood/corridor.
- The architectural design is aesthetically pleasing and blends well into the surrounding area.
- The Commission may impose additional conditions in accordance with these regulations in order to ensure that all applicable criteria enumerated above and/or within a particular use category are satisfied.
The applicant is proposing approx. 4 to 10 classes a week with class sizes ranging from 5 – 8 students.
The parking requirement for indoor recreational use is one space per 250 sq ft, or 14 spaces. The applicant is showing 16 spaces and 1 handicap space dedicated for this unit.
The Fire Marshal has reviewed this application and provided his requirements to the applicant. Those requirements have been satisfied.
The site is served by public water and sewer.
If this application is approved, the Planning Dept requests no additional approval modifications.
Engineering had no comments.
There was no public participation.
The public hearing was closed at 7:35 PM.
- Appl. 10-12P, Nutmeg Commons and Nutmeg Village – Request for a zone change and general plan of development of 55+ acres from industrial zone (I) to Multi-family AA zone (MF-AA) to create a 202 unit multi-family complex on the southerly side of South Satellite Road and easterly of Nutmeg Road South (Continued from 3-9-10)
Attorney Ralph Alexander came before the commission.
Attorney Joseph Cameron, representing South Windsor Merger, requested that he be allowed to present a point of order. Mr. Cameron stated that the zone change map was not recorded in the Town Clerks office; therefore the hearing could not go forward. Attorney Cameron submitted a petition signed by 20% of the owners of the land with 500 feet of the proposed zone change, which would require a supermajority vote of the Commission for the application to be approved.
Attorney Ralph Alexander requested to continue the public hearing and have the Town Attorney review the matter.
Moriarty made a motion to continue the public hearing. Sorenson seconded the motion.
Discussion ensued among commission members.
Commissioners raised concerns about continuing the hearing. Some Commission members felt that they did not vote for the hearing to be done all over again.
Attorney Ralph Alexander responded that the applicant was not intending to do the hearing over, the intent was to answer any new questions or concerns.
The motion carried and the vote was unanimous.
The hearing was continued till April 27, 2010.
REGULAR MEETING – MADDEN ROOM
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:
- CGS 8-24 Referral from Town Council-regarding the lease of Town owned land on Barber Hill Road also known as Pudim Property Sledding Hill
Pacekonis made a motion to give favorable recommendation for the above mentioned referral. Abrahamson seconded the motion. The motion carried and the vote was unanimous.
- CGS 8-24 Referral from Town Council-regarding the lease of Town owned property located at R010 Barber Hill Road
Pacekonis made a motion to give favorable recommendation for the above mentioned referral. Abrahamson seconded the motion. The motion carried and the vote was unanimous.
- Appl. 10-21P, The Yoga Shop—request for a special exception to Section 7.13 for a yoga studio at 524 Sullivan Ave., I zone.
Kuehnel made a motion to approve the above mentioned application with the following conditions.
Pavement markings must be maintained in good condition throughout the site drives and parking areas.
All free standing signs and/or building signs require the issuance of a sign permit before they are erected.
Special Exception form must be filed in the office of the Town Clerk.
Sorenson seconded the motion. The motion carried and the vote was unanimous.
- Appl. 10-14P, Mitchell Parking Facility – request for site plan of development to create parking lot with 83 spaces on property located at 35 Ident Road (westerly side of Ident Road, southerly of Strong Road), I zone
Billy Mitchell came before the commission for a request to add more parking to the site. The applicant received approval through IWA/CC and will satisfy the Towns Engineering and Planning comments.
Planning had the following report.
Request for site plan approval for off-site parking at 35 Ident Rd, I zone, in accordance with the provisions of Section 6.4.7. The proposed parking lot will be for employees of the school bus company located across the street at 38 Ident Road. The current employee parking area will be used for school bus parking.
Proposed impervious coverage is 46%, maximum impervious coverage allowed is 65%. Lot size is 1.19 ac; minimum lot size allowed is ¾ ac.
A parking waiver is needed per Section 6.4.7.C in order to have an off-site parking lot that requires crossing of a public street to access the primary facility. There is a pedestrian crosswalk proposed for Ident Rd to connect the new parking lot with the existing site. I presume that the crosswalk aligns with the existing sidewalk at 38 Ident Rd, but would like to see this confirmed on the plan.
Proposed lighting is very low intensity, with full cutoff shoebox fixtures on 20’ poles. There is no spillover lighting at the residential site boundary to the south. The Commission may want to include an approval condition that parking lot lights be turned off within an hour of the close of business.
There is a buffer requirement as this lot is adjacent to residentially-zoned properties. The Zoning Board of Appeals granted two variances for this site in October 2009 to allow smaller buffers than required by the zoning regulations along the south and west boundaries. The south boundary buffer was reduced from 50 feet to 36.5 feet, and the west boundary buffer was reduced from 50 feet to 30 feet. The south buffer, which is closest to an existing residence, includes a 6’ stockade fence plus a double row of arborvitaes for screening. The west buffer has some existing trees, primarily deciduous, and the residential lot to the west is undeveloped. This buffer needs to be addressed; and at this early stage, with no development on the residential lot, smaller plantings can be used.
Parking lot landscaping requirements include 10% landscaping in the interior of the parking area plus perimeter landscaping. This applicant has provided the required landscaping, using ornamental Callery pear trees throughout the site.
The site will drain to an existing detention basin on the adjoining lot to the north.
There are regulated wetlands on this site. IWA/CC approval was granted in January 2010 with no unusual approval conditions and bonds in the amount of $2,500 for installation of storm water controls and $2,500 for maintenance of erosion controls.
South Windsor Police Department has no issues with the application.
If this application is approved, the Planning Dept requests the following modifications:
- Work w/staff on height of landscape plantings to ensure no sight line issues;
- Correct impervious coverage %;
- Show buffer plantings in west boundary buffer area.
Doolittle had an engineering report as follows
- The bioretention area outlet pipe should be larger for ease of maintenance. I suggest a 12 inch diameter pipe. This pipe should have some type of grate or trash rack on the inlet end. There should also be a small rip rap energy dissipater at the outlet end of this pipe.
- The stormwater discharge from the biofiltration area proposed on this site goes into a drainage channel that crosses abutting properties at 151 Strong Road, 15 Bancroft Lane and 9 Bancroft Lane. There needs to be signed drainage easements or rights to drain from the owners of these parcels to the developer/owner of this parcel.
- The hydraulic analysis provided uses a C value of 0.5 for the gravel parking lot. This is too low as the gravel lot will likely become more impervious over time and should be treated similar to impervious pavement. A C value of 0.85 or 0.9 should be used for the gravel parking lot area.
- Please provide back-up information and an explanation as to how the exfiltration rate of 2 inches per hour was developed for the bioretention area.
- Provide an analysis of the existing culvert crossing Strong Road to the west of #151 to determine if there is sufficient capacity in this culvert for the flows expected from the proposed development on this site.
- Provide an operations and maintenance plan for the stormwater facilities proposed for this site. Include maintenance of the existing drainage swale from this site to Strong Road that receives the stormwater outflow from these proposed improvements.
- The proposed crosswalk on Ident Road between 38 Ident Road and the proposed parking facility must be maintained by the owner of 38 Ident Road as it only serves this property.
- It will be very difficult for busses to get in and out of the proposed front parking lot at 38 Ident road as shown, because there does not appear to be enough room to turn a bus around. I suggest a turn-around area or connection to the rear parking area be provided to facilitate bus circulation and parking.
Moriarty made a motion to approve the above mentioned application with the following conditions.
- 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 bonds in the amount of $2,500 for installation of storm water controls and $2,500 for maintenance of erosion controls.
- A landscape bond in the amount of $2,000 is required and must be submitted prior to filing of mylars.
- All bonds must be in one of the forms described in the enclosed Bond Policy.
- All plans used in the field by the developer must bear the stamp and authorized signature of the Town of South Windsor.
- The building street number must be included on the final plan.
- Pavement markings must be maintained in good condition throughout the site drives and parking areas, and the crosswalk in Ident Road must be maintained by the owner.
- All free standing signs and/or building signs require the issuance of a sign permit before they are erected.
- Work with staff on height of landscape plantings to ensure no sight line issues.
- Correct impervious coverage % in zoning data table.
- Show buffer plantings in west boundary buffer area.
- Town Engineering comments must be satisfied.
- Appl. 10-12P, Nutmeg Commons and Nutmeg Village – Request for a zone change and general plan of development of 55+ acres from industrial zone (I) to Multi-family AA zone (MF-AA) to create a 202 unit multi-family complex on the southerly side of South Satellite Road and easterly of Nutmeg Road South
The above mentioned item is postponed till 4-27-10
MINUTES:
The March 9, 2010 minutes were approved by consensus.
OTHER BUSINESS:
ADJOURNMENT:
Pacekonis made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Sorenson seconded the motion the motion carried and the vote was unanimous.
The meeting ended at 9:00 PM.
Respectfully submitted
Approved by PZC 4-27-10
D. Maria Acevedo
Recording Secretary
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