P&Z Reviews Modified Veterinary Hospital Project In Bid To Save Mature Trees

By Andrew Gorosko

The applicant for a veterinary hospital proposed for 164 Mt Pleasant Road (Route 6) has submitted revised plans for the project in response to a request from the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) that the developer not remove as many mature specimen-grade trees from the premises as had been earlier proposed.

Engineer John McCoy of JFM Engineering, Inc, of Ridgefield, representing applicant Claris Construction, Inc, of Newtown, told P&Z members at a February 4 public hearing that the plans have been reworked to protect some high-quality trees on the 3.2-acre site, as had been requested by P&Z members at January 21 hearing.

As part of those changes, the driveway serving the proposed 16,502-square-foot single-story building would be constructed farther to the west than was earlier proposed, he said. Also, the location of a proposed stormwater detention basin on the site would be shifted to preserve some trees, Mr McCoy said.

George Benson, the town director of planning and land use, said February 5 that the plan revisions would preserve four significant trees in front of the proposed building, plus several other large trees on the site. Overall, eight to ten trees which earlier had been proposed for removal would be preserved based on the modified development plans, Mr Benson said.

Mr McCoy said February 4 that the revised development plans would be submitted to the Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) for its review and action.

P&Z member Robert Mulholland suggested that the developer shift the location of the proposed veterinary hospital farther to the north on the site to preserve additional significant trees on the property.

Mr McCoy explained that shifting the building northward would result in a need for more extensive earth moving on the property, thus making the project more complex.

Mr Mulholland questioned the need for a parking lot as large as the one which the developer has proposed. The parking lot would contain 73 vehicle spaces.

Mr McCoy responded that a parking lot of that size is needed when considering the logistics of shift changes for employees at the facility. There would be times when two shifts of workers would be present on the property at the same time, he said.

Mr McCoy said the developer would seek to preserve some additional trees on the property.

Mr Mulholland said much more study is needed to identify all the significant trees on the site that could be saved.

The P&Z’s concerns about the removal of trees of historic sizes at the site stems from its past adverse experiences with some developers in that general area, who have removed extensive amounts of trees from their properties.

P&Z Chairman Lilla Dean said the P&Z would act on the construction proposal after the IWC reviews and acts on the project.

In July 2009, the P&Z had approved the construction of a much larger building at the 164 Mt Pleasant Road site, which would have held retail, office, and restaurant uses. That building was never constructed.

The currently proposed 16,502-square-foot building, which would house a veterinary hospital and associated services, would be built instead of a two-story 28,380-square-foot mixed-use commercial building.

The property is on the north side of Mt Pleasant Road, directly east of the driveway that leads to The Homesteads at Newtown assisted-living complex. The land is in a B-2 (Business) zone.

The site holds a vacant dilapidated single-family house, detached garage, and shed, all of which would be demolished to make way for new construction. The sloped site is wooded and has stone walls.

The project, known as Newtown Veterinary Hospital, would provide a wide range of health services for pet animals, such as dogs and cats. The facility would provide emergency pet care, surgery, internal medicine, and cancer treatment, plus laboratory services. The animal hospital would be open around-the-clock, seven days a week.