Planning and Zoning Commission
40 Old Farms Road Willington, CT 06279
June 2, 2015 7:30 PM
Meeting Minutes
Roll Call
Members Present
Andrew Marco – Chairman
Doug Roberts – Vice-Chairman
Ken Golden
Nicole Martin
Members Absent:
John Sullivan – Secretary - excused
E. Standish – excused
W. Parsell – excused
P. Nevers - excused
Also Present:
Susan Yorgensen – Planner/Zoning Agent
Public Hearing
PZC2015-16 Request for a Modification to Preliminary Site Development and Land Use Concept Plan Adjustment at 350 Ruby Road and 328 Ruby Road Owners: FedEx Ground Package Systems, Inc. and Ruby Associates General Partnership (Received April 7, 2015 Public Hearing June 2, 2015 decision within 65 days after close of P.H.)
PZC2015-17 Application for Modification to existing approved special permit and site plan at 350 Ruby Road and 328 Ruby Road Owners: FedEx Ground Package Systems, Inc and Ruby Associates General Partnership (Received April 7, 2015 Public Hearing June 2, 2015 ~decision within 65 days after close of P.H.)
Attorney Dorian Famiglietti was present for the applicant. A discussion was held on presenting application PZC2015-16 and PZC2015-17 together as they are intertwined; the Commission agreed this was the way to proceed.
Atty. Famiglietti explained that Fed Ex needs to expand their parking area as it is not adequate especially during the peak season. The applicant said buildings have been added over the years and now the parking area needs to be expanded. Atty. Famiglietti said 68 million packages per year are sorted and distributed at the site and they need additional parking, staging and storage. She showed an aerial view of the site and said they can only expand to the south of the site. She said they worked with Ruby Associates to buy a 4.7 acre parcel so they can expand with minimal impacts to the environment and added that they will merge the 4.7 acres into their property.
Atty. Famiglietti said they were originally approved in 1992, they currently have 650 employees and pay close to 600,000 in tax revenue. She said IWWC granted a permit on April 27th and ZBA granted a variance to reduce the buffer from 25 feet to 10 feet as well as a variance to eliminate landscaped islands and install 35 foot lighting poles.
Paul Brand, a Civil Engineer and Designer for the applicant, presented the plans. He said the spaces will be for tractors and trailers and pointed out the various uses of the parking spaces. He said the additional parking will result in approximately 5 aces of impervious surface. Mr. Brand said they will remove the existing curb and connect to the proposed parking lot. He said they are proposing 13 new light poles which will be dark sky compliant. He said the lights will be on all the time as it is very important that the area remains well lit to prevent accidents.
Mr. Brand said the proposed retaining wall will be a max height of 21 feet and averages 15 to 16 feet. He said the grade difference from the existing parking lot to the proposed parking lot is 30 feet; they will be bringing material to fill up and level off the grade difference.
Mr. Brand said they are proposing an underground detention system. He said they did do infiltration testing and the test came back very low so they are not recommending an infiltration system. Mr. Brand said they are proposing and 10,000 gallon tank per footprint underground detention systems using 5 foot high HDP pipes. He said there will be series of catch basins along the parking lot bottom and the pavement will be sloped slightly away from the retaining wall and explained the workings of the system. He said peak discharges from the site will decrease and added that it was a challenging design; they had to relocate the existing access road to the fire pump and worked with the Fire Marshal on the design. K. Golden asked about a plunge pool and Mr. Brand said the plunge pool will be 30 feet in
diameter.
The North Central Conservation Districts recommendations were entered into the public hearing and Mr. Brand said he will incorporate their recommendations into the plan. S. Yorgensen said they would not be looking for the as built from the contractor but a final plan from a licensed professional or the commission would not approve that portion of it. She questioned the material that would be brought in and the fencing and said the detail was not provided.
S. Yorgensen referenced C10. She asked about Note 20 regarding flushing and cleaning the detention basin and asked where the material would go. Mr. Brand said it would get flushed into the detention basin and added that the system is designed for 89% TSS removal. S. Yorgensen said she would like to see the contractor vacuum out the sediment rather than flush it out. She said she would like to see a revised C10.
K. Golden asked about backfill and Mr. Brand said it would be common fill, a standard approved by DOT. A discussion was held on snow removal. S. Yorgensen asked where the sand would be stored that is mixed with the calcium chloride and the applicant said in an outside shelter in the northeast corner. S. Yorgensen would like this information on the plan.
A discussion was held on the snow storage areas and the zone listed on the plans. S. Yorgensen asked why an extra storage area plow zone A was shown but not for B or C. Mr. Brand said the extra would be used for all zones. S. Yorgensen said the area shown for zone C storage was not in a location that made sense. Mr. Brand said he would revise the areas on the plans.
K. Golden asked about the fence and Mr. Brand said it would be a 10 foot fence and the same as the existing fence.
Phil Forsley, of Fuss & O’Neill described the wetlands on the site and pointed out Ruby Lake and Upper Ruby Lake. Mr. Brand said there is a 50 foot difference between Ruby and Upper Ruby. A discussion was held on the lighting.
Mr. Forsley said there will be no direct impacts to the wetlands with the underground storm water system and explained the detailed workings of the system as submitted with the plans. He said there are 2 discharges that do not flow into rip rap plunging pool; there are plantings in it and the velocities are nice and low. He said there is a separate discharge out of a discharge manhole that goes into a rip rap plunge pool and that is for higher flow rates which kills the velocity.
Mr. Forsley explained his report on the dam which was submitted with the application. He said there are 2 discharges out of the dam which are both stable. He said the dam itself is in stable condition and the peak flows will be less coming to the pond; there will be no impact to the pond or spillways.
A. Marco questioned what happens to the oil with all the additional tractor trailers. Mr. Brand said the town engineer would like a pre-treatment system to treat all the water and he will incorporate it into the plan.
Greg Tocci, of Cavanaugh Tocci Associates, presented the sound study that was submitted with the application. This information is available in the file in Land Use Department.
A. Marco opened the floor up to the public. Ralph Tulis asked the amount of truckloads of fill and Mr. Brand said as much as 50 a day. Mr. Tulis asked the change in the ration of impervious surface and Mr. Brand said he believes it is 22%. Mr. Tulis questioned floatables in the storm water and Mr. Brand said they are putting hooded outlets in so that they won’t get in there. Mr. Tulis asked if the storm water system would starve the outside vegetation and Mr. Brand said no, Fuss & O’Neill looked into it and it is in their report. Mr. Tulis said he has concerns on the buffer and said PZC does not have to comply with ZBA’s variance. He added that he is concerned on the back up alarms.
Herbert Klei said he is concerned the water will sheet flow into the lake. Mr. Brand said that is what it does now; they are making it better. Mr. Klei asked why they cannot use the existing catch basin and Mr. Brand said it is not engineeringly possible and showed Mr. Klei the plans. Mr. Klei questioned how this expansion is good for Willington. Mr. Klei also asked about open space. He said since the business was expanding, it made sense that the preserved open space area should be expanded. Atty. Famiglietti said Fed Ex is one of the biggest taxpayers and employers in town. She said if they are not able to expand as their business does, there is a chance they could leave Willington.
Wayne Knight said he is not the sole owner of the abutting property and asked if Ms. Parizek was notified. Atty. Famiglietti said Ms. Parizek was not on the Assessor’s card but she would look into it. Mr. Knight said PZC has an obligation to take care of the town and things that were done in the past. He said his land is now landlocked and he does not have access to the property. A discussion was held. K. Golden said he does not see what Fed Ex has to do with Mr. Knight’s landlocked property.
John Patton, of Ruby Associates, said Fed Ex is a successful business in town and the town should do whatever they can to keep them here. He said he would rather see them operate in Willington than close and then the town would have a big empty steel building. He said it is not impacting anyone and is a good fit for the POCD. Mr. Patton added that the applicant has done all they can to minimize impacts.
A discussion was held on keeping the public hearing open. S. Yorgensen asked the applicant to locate the conservation easement on C-21 and said she believes some items are missing from the legend on the cover page. She also asked the applicant to put the revision dates on the plans.
The public hearing was continued to June 16, 2015.
Regular Meeting
PZC2015-15 Requesting determination of Boundary Line Adjustment (vs. Subdivision) at 350 Ruby Road and 328 Ruby Road Owners: FedEx Ground Package Systems, Inc. and Ruby Associates General Partnership
This request was tabled to the next meeting.
Old Business
PZC2015-16 Request for a Modification to Preliminary Site Development and Land Use Concept Plan Adjustment at 350 Ruby Road and 328 Ruby Road Owners: FedEx Ground Package Systems, Inc. and Ruby Associates General Partnership (Received April 7, 2015 Public Hearing June 2, 2015 decision within 65 days after close of P.H.)
The Public Hearing has been continued to June 16th.
PZC2015-17 Application for Modification to existing approved special permit and site plan at 350 Ruby Road and 328 Ruby Road Owners: FedEx Ground Package Systems, Inc and Ruby Associates General Partnership (Received April 7, 2015 Public Hearing June 2, 2015 ~decision within 65 days after close of P.H.)
The Public Hearing has been continued to June 16th.
Minutes
A. Marco motioned to approve the minutes of May 19, 2015.
Staff Report
S. Yorgensen said she received a letter from Mr. & Mrs. Tanguay regarding the application on Potter School Road. She said it cannot be part of the public hearing. The Commission asked that it be included in any future application hearing (i.e. special permit).
S. Yorgensen said the Love’s property and Dunkin Donuts have now changed hands. She said she received an inquiry about a property owner buying a piece of property the town owns that abuts their property. She forwarded a letter to the commission so that they would be aware this may come before them. S. Yorgensen sent a Cease & Desist Willington Oaks, River Road and regarding the roosters on Wilderness Way.
A discussion was held on open space.
Meeting adjourned at 10:00 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Michele Manas
Recording Clerk
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