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Town Of Willington
Economic Development Commission Meeting
Meeting Minutes of
April 28, 2014
*Minutes are not official until approved at the next regular meeting.
Attendees: Kim Kowalyshyn Tom Treiber, Co-Chair/Secretary Jackie Silverstein, Co Chair Jason Bracich
Tom Buccino
Opened Meeting at 6:11 PM
Approval of Minutes:
The minutes from February 24, 20014, March 24, 2014 and April 1, 2014 were reviewed and accepted, but cannot be formally approved until the next meeting.
Public Present:
None
Old Business:
Guest – Susan Yorgensen, Planning and Land Use agent for the Town of Willington.
Susan was kind enough to attend our meeting to help us understand the new business application process including:
- Zoning Classifications
- Her role with respect to the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC), the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission (IWWC), the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) and The Eastern Highlands Health District (EHHD).
- Special Permits
- Any ideas she had for simplifying and streamlining the process.
Susan said that she had 26 years of experience in the land use field, plus another four in Stafford Springs, CT. She advised that she had certifications from the DEP and CT Zoning Enforcement as well as expertise in soils. Susan said that she reported to the PZC and the IWWC and that she staffed and supported their functions in the application process. She said that she also staffed and supported the ZBA function. We discussed several of the zoning classifications including but not limited to:
- 2.02.01 Designed Commercial DC. Susan said that the northern or I-84 side of Route 32 was zoned commercial from about the American Eagle to the Sunoco Station near the entrance to I-84.
- 2.02.03 Designed Recreation DR. Susan said that an allowed use would be a golf course. She said that the land where the former Wagon Shed business was located on Route 44 was zoned recreation.
- 2.02.04 Designed Community Residential DCR was for multi-family dwellings, apartments and condominiums.
- 2.02.05 Designed Industrial DI. Susan said that commercial and industrial zones were different allowed uses, She said that the FEDEX facility on Ruby Road was zoned industrial and that the zone surrounds FEDEX. An example of businesses in this category would be a thread mill.
- 2.02.06 Designed Neighborhood Commercial DNC. She said that this zoning class was appropriate for businesses that would not disrupt a residential neighborhood. She said that Kid’s Kingdom (a day care business on route 32) was a good example as was Village Springs which started as an in home business.
Susan said that she tells prospective business what the process is and what applications and permits from PZC, IWWC and EHHD they will need for their business. She helps them navigate through the public hearing process if a Special Permit is needed from PZC or a Special Exception is needed from the ZBA. She said that The Special Permit and Special Exception processes are in place to give the town control over what type of businesses come into town. Susan advised that the PZC could overrule IWWC or the EHHD if, and only if, the PZC wanted to be more restrictive. She indicated that in certain cases waivers (of Special Permits and Special Exceptions) are granted to new businesses that are in the same type of business as a previous tenant. Susan said that in some cases the waiver process
takes only a few days, but in others, it could take longer. She said that waivers and other efforts to streamline the application process add to her workload, as they become the responsibility of her department.
Economic Development – Tom T. said that Love’s Travel Center (LTC) faces another public hearing before the PZA and our assistance may be required.
2014 Action Items
- Business Profiles – Ongoing.
- Marketing & Promotion – The Business Networking Meeting held this month is an example of how we promote the EDC and our town. Tom B. will take on this project and put together an action plan.
- Process Mapping – Ongoing. Members will review/edit a Land Use Handbook developed by the Town of Coventry for possible use in Willington.
- Willington Word Advertising – For the next edition, Jason will prepare a paragraph on the BNM thanking participants and Hilltop Restaurant.
- Greater Windham Chamber of Commerce. We agreed to move forward with membership. Tom B. will ask the chamber for an invoice and verify the annual fee.
- Voicemail Project – Ethan will update us on his progress at our next meeting.
Budget & Housekeeping
- EDC Finances – We have $397 on hand after BNM expenses.
- Email –Kim is still working with the town to resolve an email problem.
- Jason Bracich was appointed to an EDC alternate position by the BOS. Congratulations Jason and welcome aboard.
- Commission vacancies – 1 alternate seat is open.
New Business:
- Correspondence – Kim reported that C-PACE will attend the May 5, 2014 BOS meeting at 6:30 PM. She also got an email from Wendy Race of Custom Ventilation, LLC (Heating and Air Conditioning) about the Business Networking Meeting. Kim provided information on the event to her and asked Wendy to provide information on the business for the Online Business Directory which Wendy has done.
- New Business Activity and Contacts - Coventry Economic Development Regional Forum, April 24, 2014, 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Kim and Tom T. attended and learned about the UCONN Tech Park initiative from Larry Silbar, UCONN’s Vice Provost of Strategic Initiatives. Silbar is a Willington resident. The event was organized by the Town of Coventry as a way to promote regional economic development. After Silbar’s presentation, members of the EDCs of Coventry, Mansfield, Windham, Bolton, Tolland. Andover and Willington shared ideas about what they are doing to encourage economic growth and business retention in their towns. There was interest in continuing these regional meetings on a regular basis.
Tom T. met a principal of Medical Web Technologies, LLC (MWT) at the Mill Works open house. Tom B. reported that there was another new business in the Mill Works – Mary Saville Studio, fine arts and vintage clothes and textiles. Kim will add these businesses to the Online Business Directory.
- Meeting Protocol & Records Retention – We discussed the process and why it’s important.
- Welcome Baskets – Kim and Jackie are working on this initiative as well as business cards and magnetic nametags.
- Business Networking Meeting (BNM) Feedback – Tom B. talked with Diane Nadeau regarding running a QuickBooks training for those BNM participants who expressed interest along with others in the town who want to participate.
- EDC Members Town Meeting attendance – Jason will attend town meetings of his choice in June 2014.
- Chairman and Vice Chairman – It was agreed that Jackie would become Chairman and Tom T. Vice Chairman in order to remove the co-chair titles.
Meeting adjourned at 9:04 PM. Our next meeting will be held on Monday May 19, 2014 at 6:00 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Tom Treiber
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