Newtown Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) made significant strides in defining warehouses, distribution centers, and food trucks during its March 16 meeting at Newtown Municipal Center.

P&Z members present were Dennis Bloom, Roy Meadows, Corrine Cox, Gregory Rich, Kersti Ferguson, Brian Leonardi, Connie Widmann, and David Rosen.

Land Use Agency Director Rob Sibley was also in attendance.

The focus that evening was to review the potential text language modifications to the Newtown zoning regulations. Sibley had put together discussion points and an updated draft text amendment for Warehouses and Distribution Centers.

“What I gave you is a copy of your subcommittee proposed amendments that you produced and that you gave to the office, and we’ve discussed twice now,” he said to the commissioners.

Sibley noted that this meeting would be “a working session” since there were some concerns with the latest version, specifically with the “explosives or flammable liquids sections.”

This would be the last meeting for crafting the write-ups before formally applying to amend the regulations.

“So, what you’re looking at are the two definitions: one for warehouse, one for distribution center. You’re looking at the question of whether or not you should do anything in the B-2 [Zone] section. Then you have all of the industrial sections and their numbers associated with it,” Sibley said.

There was also a modification to industrial uses pertaining to buffers.

Sibley’s version stated:

*Warehouse should be defined as “A building or buildings used for the storage of goods and products prior to being distributed, sold, or used. Storage of explosives or bulk storage of flammable liquids or gasses is prohibited.”

*Distribution Center should be defined as “A building or buildings used for the delivery, mixing, manipulation, sorting, packing, short-term storage, and distribution of goods and products prior to being sold or used. Storage of explosives or bulk storage of flammable liquids or glasses is prohibited except those items necessary.”

The three pages of proposed industrial section updates can be found in the P&Z March 16 Meeting Minutes.

The commissioners shared what they found acceptable and what they would suggest be updated.

As for the planted buffer section, 5.08.700, the proposal states, “The requirements of Article VIII Section 4 Landscape, Screening, and Buffering Requirements shall be utilized as a minimum standard for landscaping, however, all parking areas that are adjacent to a residential zone shall be landscaped to have a visually impenetrable screen year-round. Unless additional setbacks and/or natural planted buffers are expressly required in these regulations, all lots which are adjacent to a residential zone, or a single-family dwelling shall maintain a 75-foot-wide natural buffer along such boundary. In the absence of such a natural buffer, a planted buffer shall be required.”

“Thanks, Rob, that was a lot of work,” Rich said, and other commissioners agreed.

Food Trucks

Sibley said that he spoke with the Health District to see what they thought of a new Food Trucks definition.

“The Health District has basically said that we operate from such a completely different type of definition, because we are talking about licensing food establishments. Their definition says, ‘Any person, … firm, or corporation operating a food vending business serving food or drink from an approved conveyance without a fixed location,’” he explained.

Bloom, who identified himself as a licensed food truck owner, brought up that he believes food trucks should be allowed at certain approved locations in town, such as at Fairfield Hills Campus or commercial properties, and not just set up the side of the road.

Sibley’s definition for food trucks or an “itinerant mobile food establishment” reads, “A Public Health licensed motor vehicle, trailer, or mobile food kitchen that is designed to be readily moveable, is self-contained, and from which food is prepared, sold, or served. The term includes, but is not limited to, a commercially manufactured vehicle.”

Commissioners talked about if they should make the distinction of the type of drinks that food trucks can sell, specifically alcoholic versus non-alcoholic. Sibley proposed including the phrase “alcoholic beverages only permitted in conjunction with food,” and the P&Z appreciated that distinction.

After hearing additional comments, Sibley said, “Let me go back to the drawing board and spend a little more time. I think we are very close on the definition.”

He will return to the commission in roughly a month to present an updated draft amendment for food trucks.

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Reporter Alissa Silber can be reached at alissa@thebee.com.