Town of Stonington Conservation Commission
Minutes of a Regular Meeting held on February 26, 2007
Stonington Police Station Meeting Room, 173 South Broad Street, Pawcatuck, CT
1. Call to order: Called to order by Chairman Simm at 6:11 pm. Commission members also in attendance were Cole, Swenarton, Bell and Herbst. Baldwin arrived at 6:30 pm. Lyons and Dewire were absent. Town Planner Brynes and members of the public were present.
2. Review of Town Developments and Proposals.
2a. PZ0705RA Lattizori Development - Regulation Amendment to create a Mixed Use Transitional District (MUTD) in Section 1.1, add proposed MUTD Regulations (Article VII), and add Projecting Wall Signage language (Section 7.12). Eleven-page proposed MUTD regulation was distributed. Attorney Harry Heller presented the regulation amendment application. The regulation would require a master plan, considered a zone change per Mr. Heller, and then an application for a special use permit. Swenarton expressed his concern that the proper review of applications would not take place because special use permits appear to be approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission, albeit often with stipulations. MOTION: Continue to next meeting on March 26th (Cole, Bell). Passed unanimously.
MOTION: Move to item 2d (Cole, Bell). Passed unanimously. Chairman Simm recused himself. He stated that he lives near the site of the application; he moved to the audience.
2d. IW #06-44 Alva Associates, LLC c/o Duncklee, Inc. (Development Solutions, LLC – Patrick Lafayette) – Seeking a permit to construct a detention pond for drainage within the Upland Review Area. Property located at 296 Taugwonk Road, Stonington, CT. Assessor’s Map 70, Block 1, Lot 3, Zone LI-130. Mr. Lafayette presented. Additional steel buildings and reconfigured driveways and parking are proposed. Development of a retention pond is proposed within the 100-foot upland review area of an off-site wetland to the east. A detention pond to the west will flow to storm drains under Taugwonk Road to the west. Inland Wetland & Watercourses Commission reviews upland impacts on wetlands; Town Engineer will review as well. The Conservation Commission makes no comment.
2e. PZ0713ZC MIRG Mystic Harbour, LLC – Zoning Map Amendment to increase the number of housing units from 47 to 55, as per ZR 7.19.6.3.2. Property located at 2 Harry Austin Drive, Mystic, CT. Assessor’s Map 160 Block 4 Lot 8. Zone IHRD-2. Mr. Ed McCabe presented the application. No change to the building envelopes will be made; the average apartment size will be reduced; parking is adequate. Mr. McCabe said that the DEP has lifted certain restrictions due to the removal of volatile organic compounds. MOTION: No comment (Cole, Baldwin). Passed unanimously.
MOTION: Move to 3b.
3b. Discussion on parcels for preservation in Pawcatuck – Ben.. Mr. Leon Mularski was present and asked for the Commission’s reaction to his proposal and a site walk of Skirig’s property held on January 30th Herbst, Cole, Bell and Baldwin walked the property at the end of Oakwood Ave and Johnson St. MOTION: To meet as the Open Space Committee (Cole, Herbst). Passed unanimously.
MOTION: Move to 2b (Bell, Herbst). Passed unanimously.
2b. PZ0706RA Town of Stonington – Zoning Regulation Amendment to ZR 6.6.5 Drive-in Windows to remove the maximum distance a window can be from a street. MOTION: No comment (Cole, Herbst). Passed unanimously.
2c. PZ0707ZC Town of Stonington – Zoning Map Amendment from Residential RR-80 to Residential RA-20 for properties located on the eastern side of Greenhaven Rd., approximately 242 feet south of Renie Drive, then heading southeast 1137’± to a point; then heading in a northeasterly direction 381’± to a point; then heading in a north direction 478’± to a point; then heading in a northwesterly direction 782’± to a point; then heading in a northerly direction 333’± to a point; then heading in a westerly direction 374’± to a point; then heading in a southerly direction 512’± to the point of beginning. Said area being approximately 15.65 acres and the subject of this application. Involving Map 11, Block 2, Lots 1-4; Map 12, Block 16,
Lots 2-5. Proposal to change zone of 8 lots to that of nearby rezoned O’Keefe and Carnot subdivisions. PZC hearing to be held May 1, 2007. Mr. Ed Hart suggested writing to the State regarding zoning. Swenarton and Simm will write a letter to inquire whether a bill might be passed to allow homeowners to follow the original zoning of their home lots at the time of construction. Town Planner stated that the CT division of the American Planning Association is looking into this situation; he will investigate.
2f. Any pending applications and new preliminary proposals None.
3. Open Space Committee
3a. Open space plan update – discussion on parcels for preservation. Open space plan passed as an amendment to the Plan of Conservation and Development by the PZC on February 20th with stipulations. Distributed “POCD Amendment Process” requires submission to the Board of Selectmen and then Town Meeting. The 7th stipulation, add Develop North Main Street Greenway to the action plan, is site specific. Conservation Commission members had asked Planning Director Vincent to change the language to be inclusive, allowing for greenways throughout town. Herbst will review the PZC recording supplied by the Town Planning to determine if an error was made regarding specifying specific Greenway areas. Bell stated that he is meeting with a Pequot Trail landowner investigating
preservation and/or development options.
Town Planner Brynes departed at 8:45 PM.
3c. Discussion on possible referendum for open space bonding. Herbst asked what the purpose of the Open Space Bonding Committee should be. Simm said that it is a separate entity with 3 options: Continue to go to the Board of Finance in May or June with one property such as the Verzillo property, request referral for bonding and pick properties, or do nothing. Swenarton sad that we need to present properties to the Board of Finance for purchase, perhaps one in Mystic, Verzillo’s and Mularksi’s. It was noted that the Verzillo property would not elicit town wide support alone. The Conservation Commission needs more information on the potential $2M grant in Mystic from Planning Director Vincent.
4. Old Business
4a. Discussion on Open Space Plan. Already discussed.
4b. Mystic River Dam Committee. Meeting on a date to be determined in March or April. Baldwin supplied list of abutters in 3 towns.
4c. Discussion on grant and matching funds for trails program. Town Planner Brynes will ask Planning Director about Mystic.
4d. Discussion on procedure for Town’s acceptance of conservation easements and open space. Baldwin suggested requiring a Baseline Documentation Report and Management Plan, such as that recorded for the Manatuck Preserve.
4e. Discussion on DEP’s Coastal Land Assessment Methodology (CLAM) Project. To be held with Mr. Kozak of DEP in March.
5. New Business
5a. Cole informed the Commission that the National Weather Service is watching for an Atlantic tsunami. MOTION: Stonington should become tsunami certified (Cole, Herbst). Passed unanimously.
5b. Baldwin stated that he saw temporary buildings in a town right of way against the wall of the Babcock Cemetery at the south end of Trumbull St in Pawcatuck and perhaps the filling of a wetland to the rear of an adjacent parcel. Suggested to report of Candace Palmer, Zoning/Inland Wetland Enforcement Officer.
5c. Simm reported that the Westerly Conservation Commission would like to have a joint meeting with us, will coordinate.
5d. CT Land Conservation Council meeting on March 31st.
6. Review of January 22, 2007 meeting minutes. MOTION: To approve the minutes with change of Johnson Ave to Johnson St (Bell, Herbst). Passed unanimously.
7. Adjournment.
7a. Motion to Adjourn (Baldwin). Meeting adjourned at 10:30 PM.
Respectfully submitted by Ben Baldwin, Acting Secretary.
Approved at a Special Meeting of the Conservation Commission on 3/26/2007
| 