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MEMBERS PRESENT: Patrick Kennedy, William Carroll, Kevin Foley, Elizabeth Kuehnel, Viney Wilson and Bart Pacekonis
ALTERNATES PRESENT: William Butter, Stephanie Dexter
STAFF PRESENT: Michele Lipe, Town Planner
APPLICATIONS TO BE OFFICIALLY RECEIVED:
- Appl 12-17P, Simmons Premier Soccer Club – request for renewal of a 2-year temporary and conditional permit (Section 2.13.a) to create two soccer fields and associated parking, at 225 West Road (southwesterly corner of West Road and Sullivan Avenue), GC zone
REGULAR MEETING – MADDEN ROOM
CALL TO ORDER: 7:30 PM
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: None
NEW BUSINESS:
Discussion/Decision/Action regarding the following:
- Meeting with Heidi Samokar from Planimetrics to review the draft of Booklet 4: Conservation Topics for the update to the Plan of Conservation and Development (Exhibit A)
Heidi Samokar said that the Planning & Zoning Commission has the responsibility to create the Plan for the entire Town; however they are not responsible for the implementation of all its components. Strategies for all areas will be covered, and at a later stage, other Commissions will be on board or have more to offer, such as additional suggestions.
Page 1, Overview:
- The general overview includes Community Character, Natural Resources, Open Space, Farmland, and Historic Resources.
- The Conservation Chart ranges from less aggressive to more aggressive options, from education and information all the way to purchase and ownership.
Pages 2-3, Community Character:
- Physical assets and community spirit help protect community character.
- Commissioners want to preserve the rural character, country charm, agricultural roots. It can be accomplished by taking an active approach and buying development rights to land to preserve it.
- Commissioners would like the Town to be known for something specific, such as the Strawberry Festival, Wapping Fair, etc.
- Samokar suggested that the Town could be known and recognized for being a “community for all” with a high quality of life and services.
- Samokar reviewed the Character Resources Plan Map, which included community icons unique to South Windsor such as Wood Memorial Library, Wapping Church, and Mill on the River. She would like the Commissioners to relay any additional items for the map to Michele Lipe.
Page 4-5, Appearance of Gateways:
- Gateways are important because they are the first impressions of South Windsor.
- Samokar suggested that there should be a sign on Buckland Road, and the sign on Route 5 from East Hartford could use improvement and be bolder. There should be a sign on Route 5 from 291 West.
Page 6, Aesthetics:
- Aesthetics focuses on architecture, landscaping, and lighting.
- Zoning regulations currently have the tools to address lighting issues.
- There are detailed landscaping requirements in the Zoning and Subdivision regulations.
- Building architecture needs more guidance.
- ADRC is an area to focus on regarding guidelines, protocol, and knowing what people want. Could ADRC’s expertise be used beyond land-use applications?
- Samokar suggested that there should to be long-term strategies for projects in regards to their general appearance.
- Commissioners asked about protocol for old signs, such as Geissler’s having names of businesses listed for the plaza that are not there anymore. Samokar will research sign protocol.
Page 7, Scenic Areas:
- General goals were presented such as preserving scenic areas as open space.
- There is only one designated scenic road in South Windsor.
- Additional local scenic roads could be designated.
- Certain areas should have underground utilities.
- Commissioners were concerned about possible CL&P tree trimming in the historic district.
- Commissioners agreed that Five Corners in Ellington looks much nicer with underground utilities.
- Burying underground utilities should be on DEEP’s radar after Storm Alfred.
Page 8, Community Spirit:
- Residents of the Town understand that South Windsor is a great community, but outsiders do not.
- Commissioners asked how South Windsor could be affiliated with State Tourism because of the local history.
- Samokar replied that the State cut back the Tourism Budget, but she will research it.
Page 9-11, Natural Resources – Preserve and Conserve
- “Preserve” means if it is touched, it will no longer serve its function. Uphold the regulations for these resources.
- “Conserve” means building may be done, but be sensitive to the fact that it could impact resources.
- Samokar reviewed the map. She indicated she needs to research well heads in town.
Page 12-13, Plan of Conservation and Development Considerations
- Samokar recommends a tiered approach for the overall strategy for natural resources.
- Preserve as open space, where feasible
- Reduce intensity of development where preservation is not possible
- Design sites to avoid sensitive areas
- Mitigate impacts to wetlands
- Planning & Zoning Commission has the ability to change the regulations and zoning to help protect areas that are being developed.
- Commissioners were concerned that the Town was running out of buildable residential land, and that some of the 500-year floodplain is in the commercial and industrial areas, making it more difficult for economic development.
- Samokar and Commissioners agreed that there is some room for improvement regarding residential areas.
- Samokar questioned what sustainability means for the future.
- Commissioners said that the Town could stay the way it is with the same quality of life, possibly farming to produce food to sustain the Town, and finding a balance between Town growth while maintaining natural resources.
Page 14-15, Open Space and Greenways
- There are three different types of open space.
- “Protected” is land that will never be developed.
- “Managed” is land that is used as open space today but in the future could be developed.
- “Greenways” are corridors of open space located along a natural corridor such as a river or right-of-ways along abandoned rail lines.
- Samokar recommends incorporating Goals and Objectives on page 14 into the Town’s Plan.
Page 16, Plan of Conservation and Development Considerations
- There are suggestions for managing existing open space.
- The Town could create a management plan that spells out what it is meant to be used for, why it is protected, etc., such as farmland.
- It could also identify open space that is not being used but has to be maintained.
- The Town could develop tools to better prevent encroachment.
- For open space preservation, the Town needs a plan for 2022 to have a certain amount of open space. Many communities either choose a specified acreage amount or a percentage.
Page 17-19, Farmland & Farming
- Samokar has no clear data source telling her how much farmland there is in Town. She recommended finding a way to determine how much there is.
- Right to Farm Ordinance would be a helpful tool. Farming would not be considered a nuisance by the community. The Town Council would need to enact such ordinance.
- Tobacco is a strong farm product, but corn could replace it as a main product.
- CRCOG has good regulations for helping maintain farmland, but there is not much the Town can do if the farm is not wanted by the family anymore.
- Lipe suggested that SWALPAC has been effective in providing programs to preserve farmland.
Heidi Samokar’s discussion will continue at the April 17, 2012 meeting.
BONDS: None
MINUTES: The minutes of 3/13/12 were approved by consensus with minor changes.
OLD BUSINESS: None
OTHER BUSINESS: The property at the intersection of Felt Road and Oakland Road has started a U-Haul business. Lipe asked the Commission if they felt this was permitted in a Restricted Commercial (RC) zone. Commissioners did not feel this kind of business is appropriate in an RC zone. It was the consensus that either an Industrial (I) or General Commercial (GC) zone would be more appropriate.
CORRESPONDENCE/REPORTS: None
ADJOURNMENT:
Commissioner Carroll made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:38 PM. Commissioner Pacekonis seconded the motion. The motion carried and the vote was unanimous.
Respectfully Submitted:
Ashley Summers
Administrative Secretary
Approved 4/10/2012
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