To the Editor:

I am once again writing concerning the request for a second gas station in Hawleyville near exit 9. Planning & Zoning has already approved a gas station that will be starting construction next to the Hawleyville fire house. This second gas station will be ¼ of a mile (2000 feet) south of that. The location is 13 Hawleyville Road (Route 25), at the corner of Covered Bridge Road. A large church was built on Covered Bridge [Road] last year, and there are currently over 200 apartments being constructed there now. I live off of Covered Bridge, where there is only one way in and out for all of this traffic. Now they want to add a gas station that will also have an access onto Covered Bridge.

At the P&Z meeting on November 7, 2019, the entire P&Z board voted unanimously to deny the application for this second gas station. The denial had nothing to do with the size of the building. Rather, it was stated by the board, that a second gas station would not serve the needs of the community. We were all so happy that P&Z finally got something right!

Imagine how surprised, disgusted, disappointed, mad — take your pick of adjectives — we were to find out that the applicant had returned with a new request for a smaller gas station. During the public comment portion of the December 19 meeting I asked why this was even being considered since the first application was not denied due to size. The applicant is reducing the number of pumps by half, but not reducing the underground storage tanks. Why is that? Maybe because next year he will request to add additional pumps? The applicant, Mr Lucera, is the same person who is building the apartments on Covered Bridge.

None of this should matter anyway. This application was denied the first time because this area does NOT need a second gas station. Everyone knows when I-84 backs up, people get off exit 9. Traffic routinely backs up here. Anybody familiar with this area knows how bad the traffic is and how it is only getting worse. P&Z chairman, Don Mitchell, wants more info on how this will affect the traffic. Seriously? There will be more traffic. Duh. So, we will be at the January 16 meeting to speak against this, again, and I encourage anybody who travels this area to speak against this, too.

I don’t understand why P&Z seems to bend over backward for applicants looking to build over the needs of the tax payers in the community. The first sentence of the P&Z duties from the town website states, “P&Z Commission is responsible to promote the orderly and coordinated development of the Town AND THE GENERAL WELFARE AND PROSPERITY OF ITS RESIDENTS.” Okay, I added the caps, but the point is, maybe the P&Z Commission should reread what their obligations are to the town and the residents.

Thank you,

Janet McKeown

10 Hillcrest Drive, Newtown January 8, 2020