Planning and Zoning Commission
40 Old Farms Rd Willington, CT 06279
September 4, 2007 – 7:30 PM
Meeting Minutes
Members Present
Matthew Ellis- Chairman
Ralph Tulis- Vice Chair
Andy Marco- Secretary
Thomas Murphy
Jim Poole- Alternate
Peter Latincsics- arrived at 7:31pm
Absent:
Norm Gray
Phil Nevers, excused
Also Present:
Susan Yorgensen- Planning - Zoning Agent
Melissa McDonough- Recording Clerk
M. Ellis called the meeting to order at 7:30pm. J. Poole was seated as an alternate.
Public Hearing
File PZC2007-17- Application for Resubdivision of Lot 7 Mihaliak Road Ext. & Rosemary Lane (Map 50, Lot 3, Zone R80). Lechowiz Farms Estates Owner/Applicant: Mary C Litwinczyk & Litwinczyk Children, LLC (Received 6-19-07, P.H. 8-21-07. Decision within 65 days after close of P.H.) Site walk 8-18-07.
No one was present to discuss the application. S. Yorgensen said that she thought that the engineer was coming. The commission tabled the public hearing until the end of the meeting.
Regular Meeting
New Business
Review of Proposed Draft Regulations
M. Ellis made a motion to move File PZC2007-23 to be the first item on the agenda. R. Tulis seconded the motion all members voted in favor. Thus the motion carries.
Old Business
File PZC2007-23 Application for Sign Permit 60 Old Farms Road (Map 71, Lot 1) Owner/Applicant: Town of Willington (Received 7/17/07, Public Hearing by 9/18/07, Decision by 9/18/07)
The commission looked at the application file, they went over the site plan and discussed what regulation this sign would fall under.
T. Murphy asked if the sign will block any site lines. S. Yorgensen said that it will not.
R. Tulis said that the sign does not fall under public signs, M. Ellis suggested residential signs. S. Yorgensen said that it is a regulated sign under 19.07.01.03. J. Poole said that this sign should follow the same regulation as the original sign this one is replacing.
J. Poole made a motion to approve File PZC2007-23 Application for Sign Permit 60 Old Farms Road (Map 71, Lot 1) Owner/Applicant: Town of Willington under regulation 19.07.01.03. R. Tulis seconded the motion. All members voted in favor, thus the motion passes.
File PZC2007-17- Application for Resubdivision of Lot 7 Mihaliak Road Ext. & Rosemary Lane (Map 50, Lot 3, Zone R80). Lechowiz Farms Estates Owner/Applicant: Mary C Litwinczyk & Litwinczyk Children, LLC (Received 6-19-07, P.H. 8-21-07. Decision within 65 days after close of P.H.) Site walk 8-18-07.
Public Hearing tabled to end of meeting.
Review of Proposed Draft Regulations
Janna asked the commission members if they received a copy of the latest draft copy of the regulations. She stated that if anyone has suggestions or changes that they would like to see occur they should email those changes to her. S. Yorgensen asked to be cc’d in the emails as well.
Janna told the commission members that at the next meeting they will sit down and create a mock sub-division. Tonight she would like them to walk through the new sub-division regulations. Janna stated that she added language to the regulations regarding sub-division policy, including encouraging the pre-application conference and language regarding the POCD open space plan.
Janna showed the commission the packet that developers receive when they are beginning the application process with the town. She suggested putting some of the regulation language in that packet.
S. Yorgensen said that she worries if they put too much information into the packet then people will not look at the regulations. R. Tulis suggested putting street regulations in the packets as well.
The commission discussed having landscape architects involved from the beginning of the design process. Janna stated that they will require three licensed professionals to sign the final plans, including an engineer, a surveyor, and a landscape architect.
Janna told the commission members that she had prepared some questions for them to go over to help them set new policy.
The first question she posed to the commission was should open space generally be publicly accessible.
J. Poole stated that he feels that open space should be publicly accessible always, not generally.
T. Murphy said that he feels if the space is worth making into open space then it should be open to the public, if it is space that is not usable to people then fee in lieu of land should be taken.
P. Latincsics said that he feels it should be open to the public but has concerns with large amounts of people being on the property and what they are allowed to do while there.
A. Marco stated that he feels the open space should be public but there needs to be some sort of control system, such as they can walk on the land but they can not picnic.
R. Tulis stated that he feels it depends upon who owns the open space. He stated that if the town owns the open space then it should be public, but if it is privately own in a homeowners associated for example then it should not be open to the public. M. Ellis and S. Yorgensen agreed.
J. Poole asked about private open space receiving town funding for things like ball fields. S. Yorgensen said that the approved documents could incorporate language to the effect that (if open space is private) then they are not eligible for public funding.
Janna talked to the commission about how the use for open space should be determined. R. Tulis stated that he feels the Conservation Commission should be the one to determine what the best use of the open space will be.
The commission discussed the “Similar Character” requirement. M. Ellis stated that it does not always work for all properties. R. Tulis and T. Murphy agreed. Janna stated that she feels it limits the shape of open space and does not agree that towns use “Similar Character”, S. Yorgensen agreed.
The next question posed to the commission is if they should require community water and septic.
M. Ellis stated that the commission can not force a builder to have community water and septic though he feels it is a good idea as it is difficult to find enough space for a well and septic tank on a tiny lot. He stated that he feels that getting approval for community water and septic needs to become an easier process when dealing with DEP.
Janna stated that often a community water and septic are better monitored then someone’s personal well or septic tank.
S. Yorgensen stated that she feels that if the lot sizes are very small then the sub-division must have community water and sewer. Ellis said that the Commission had discussed that and 80,000 sq. ft. would be the lot size.
Janna discussed with the commission having a requirement for common driveways. S. Yorgensen asked her to give the commission an example of why the Commission would want this requirement. Janna explained that a sub-division can consist of stacked lots that have no frontage and are entered through one common driveway, which prevents unnecessary road building.
S. Yorgensen said that the commission would like to encourage more common driveways and building on rear lots. She stated that she would like the new regulations to reflect that.
The commission discussed trying to discourage developers from building dead ends or cul-de-sacs. The commission stated that they would like a developer to be able to follow the town’s regulations and end up building an open-space sub-division.
The commission discussed where they could potentially see future road development in town. The commission also discussed that they would be responsible for approving a developer’s yield plan.
J. Poole asked for the currant draft of the new regulations to be frozen as of tonight so the commission members can get familiar with its contents and go over changes that they would like to see happen.
The commission members agreed that they would like to be reading the draft copy to get to know the regulations so they will be ready to work on the mock sub-division for the next meeting.
J. Poole stated that he would like the commission members to go over the new regulations line by line at some point to make sure they agree with everything that is in them, and to word smith the document.
M. Ellis stated that he would like Janna to be completely done re-writing the regulations before the commission goes through it line by line.
M. Ellis asked Janna if the document is complete enough that it can be frozen tonight. Janna said that it can be frozen; she just needs to make adjustments to section 5.04. M. Ellis told the commission members that they have until 9/14/07 to get any changes that they would like to see in the regulations to Janna. The commission members agreed upon freezing the document as of 9/4/07.
Public Hearing
File PZC2007-17- Application for Resubdivision of Lot 7 Mihaliak Road Ext. & Rosemary Lane (Map 50, Lot 3, Zone R80). Lechowiz Farms Estates Owner/Applicant: Mary C Litwinczyk & Litwinczyk Children, LLC (Received 6-19-07, P.H. 8-21-07. Decision within 65 days after close of P.H.) Site walk 8-18-07.
There was still no one present to discuss the application. S. Yorgensen told the commission that G. Jones had gone to the town clerks office to research the deeds for the sub-division. She stated that the open space has not been deeded to the town and no checks have been received for fee in lieu of road improvements.
M. Ellis made a motion to close the public hearing. P. Latincsics seconded the motion. All members voted in favor.
Old Business
File PZC2007-17- Application for Resubdivision of Lot 7 Mihaliak Road Ext. & Rosemary Lane (Map 50, Lot 3, Zone R80). Lechowiz Farms Estates Owner/Applicant: Mary C Litwinczyk & Litwinczyk Children, LLC (Received 6-19-07, P.H. 8-21-07. Decision within 65 days after close of P.H.) Site walk 8-18-07.
The commission discussed the application. The commission agreed that the application is not complete as they did not come in tonight to give the commission the documents that were requested at the last meeting and they were not filed with the clerk’s office as well. The commission said that they can deny the application with out prejudice and have them come back when the application is complete. The commission stated that they would like S. Yorgensen to create a draft motion for the next meeting.
Minutes
J. Poole made a motion to approve the August minutes as modified. P. Latincsics seconded the motion. All members voted in favor.
Correspondence
Spill report for hydraulic fluid on Kollar Road.
Staff Report and Discussion
J. Poole said that he would like to discuss the possibility of freezing the town’s acceptance of sub-division applications. He stated that he feels this will prevent confusion between which set of sub-division regulations a particular sub-division falls under.
J. Poole also stated that the commission had requested to meet with members of the Coventry Planning and Zoning but that was not arranged. He stated that he would still like to see that happen.
J. Poole asked M. Ellis to write a letter from the PZC to the Conservation Commission requesting their ideas relating to the sub-division regulations.
The commission members discussed freezing the acceptance of new sub-division applications. M. Ellis stated that they should only do it for six months and then if they need an extension request no more than another 6 months. R. Tulis stated that a public hearing must be held for this to happen. M. Ellis said that it can be put on the agenda for the next meeting so they can set a public hearing.
M. Ellis told the commission members that he has not received a copy of the stipulated agreement for Wilderness Way. He stated that he will try to get it for the next meeting.
R. Tulis made a motion to adjourn at 9:36 am. T. Murphy seconded the motion. All members voted in favor.
Respectfully Submitted,
Melissa McDonough
Recording Clerk
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