Newtown Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) had multiple public hearings during its meeting in the Municipal Center on March 17.

The first two discussed pertained to a proposal for an education facility at the old Taunton Press building and a proposal for a two-story apartment building on South Main Street. (The remaining applications covered during the meeting will be published in The Newtown Bee’s April 1 edition.)

Education Facility

P&Z reviewed Application 22.01 by Area Cooperative Educational Services (ACES), for a Zone Change, for a property located at 63 South Main Street, so as to change the Zone from M-5 to Special Design District #11 (SMDD11) as detailed in documents submitted to the Land Use Agency February 14, 2022.

Its public hearing also included ACES’ Application 22.08 for a Text Amendment to the Zoning Regulations of the Town of Newtown, for a new Special Design District (SDD11), for a property located at 63 South Main Street, so as to permit an educational facility, including outdoor play areas, as described in documents submitted to the Land Use Agency February 14, 2022.

Newtown resident and former Newtown High School Assistant Principal Jason Hiruo, now Director for ACES International Education and Director for ACES Security & Emergency Preparedness, spoke on behalf of the application along with ACES Deputy Director Timothy Howes.

“We are seeking a location on 63 South Main Street, which is currently the Taunton Press. We are proposing a site change so that we can bring an educational learning environment to Taunton Press campus,” Hiruo said.

Specifically, they are looking to create an “immersive early childhood Spanish language center” for students in Newtown and it would be a national flagship location.

Land Use Agency Director of Planning George Benson then spoke, explaining that his department has been working with ACES for a location and landed on Taunton Press since it has been empty for five years. Currently, the zone does not allow private schools.

“What we thought the best approach would be is to do the South Main District and just add this one use on to that district, which would be for private schools and not change any other uses in the zone,” Benson said.

Hiruo went on to say that the comprehensive program will be for ages 3 to 5 and help students learn a second language. The reason it would be a national flagship school is because ACES has been selected by the Helen Doron Educational Group to become its national flagship program for the United States.

“It also allows us to develop this as an international training center,” Hiruo said, noting the curriculum is in Spanish and that it incorporates mathematics, fitness, and the arts.

“We found that this is something that is really exceptional. There is nothing like this anywhere in the United States,” Hiruo said.

P&Z member Corinne Cox, who is a teacher, inquired if there is a tuition fee and if the school is subject to the Newtown Board of Education (BOE). She was informed that there is a tuition fee and that the school is not overseen by the BOE, but by the State Department of Education.

During the questions from the commission, it was noted that the school would likely enroll 50 students in the first year and expand to 80 to 100, as it would be interested in offering after-school enrichment in the future. They are currently determining the hours of operation.

P&Z Chair Dennis Bloom asked, “How many teachers will be there?” to which he was told they anticipate 15 or 16 staff members.

Newtown resident Richard McCandless spoke during the public participation portion and asked, “My only question is if there are 80 to 100 students and 15 to 16 staff members and the parents of each student will be dropping off and picking them up, what will the traffic situation be like on the already very congested Route 25 in that area?”

Benson answered that Taunton Press previously had 250 employees coming and going from the property. He added that in this case those going there would not be arriving and leaving at the same exact time.

The P&Z closed the public hearing and made a motion to approve the two applications. Application 22.01 and Application 22.08 were approved unanimously. Both will become effective April 9, 2022.

Apartment Building

After much deliberation, the P&Z voted on three new applications regarding an apartment building at 35 South Main Street. The property is located across the street from Modzelewski’s Towing & Recovery Inc and next to Chintz-N-Prints.

The previous applications for the proposal were unanimously denied by the P&Z on January 20 after hearing from multiple residents about their array of concerns. The old proposal was for a three-story building with 13 one-bedroom, 12 two-bedroom, and 2 three-bedroom apartments.

The current applications submitted by Robert Sherwood were:

Application 22.02 for a Text Amendment to the Zoning Regulations of the Town of Newtown, for a new South Main Village Design District (SMVDD12) located at 35 South Main Street, so as to permit the construction of a residential building for apartments as described in documents submitted to the Land Use Agency dated received February 11, 2022, and revisions as received.

Application 22.03 for a Zone Change, for a property located at 35 South Main Street, so as to change the Zone from R-1/2 to South Main Village Design District #12 (SMVDD12) as detailed in documents submitted to the Land Use Agency February 11, 2022, and revisions as received.

Application 22.04 for a Site Development Plan, for a property located at 35 South Main Street, so as to permit apartments located within the South Main Village Design District, as demonstrated on a set of plans titled, “Town Walk Residences” dated February 8, 2022, and documents submitted to the Land Use Agency dated received February 11, 2022, and revisions as received.

At a previous P&Z meeting on March 3 residents continued to voice their concerns straight to the P&Z. Some even wrote letters to The Newtown Bee Letter Hive about their disapproval of the project.

The proposed apartment building would be two stories and include eight two-bedroom apartments and 12 one-bedroom apartments. It would have 46 parking spaces, which would include two six-bay garages. A locked emergency access driveway would be off Borough Lane.

Sherwood resumed representing himself during the March 17 meeting and identified himself as a landscape architect.

“Since our last meeting, we have gone through and revised some of the site plan issues, as well as text amendment and zoning change” he said. He noted there was an issue brought up about the roof height, so they revised it to be lower.

“Right now, it is at 31 feet 6 inches, which is substantially underneath the zoning,” Sherwood said. Another change he made was adding four more paved parking spots, and that was done after hearing P&Z member Roy Meadows’ comments about parking.

“That brings us up to 50 parking spots for 20 units, which is well over the code as well,” Sherwood said. Pertaining to the issue of lighting, he said that parking lot lighting poles have been reduced to 12 feet.

Also, Sherwood said he got feedback from the Town Engineer that “he didn’t like the grade,” for the emergency access drive and wanted it to be created to Newtown’s commercial driveway standards. Changes are being made for that.

Sherwood went on to tell the P&Z that the site plan was “well received” by the Design Advisory Board. Their input included using wall sconces on the building to look more residential. Benson told the P&Z that Land Use Agency Deputy Director of Planning Rob Sibley reviewed the lighting and landscaping changes and is good with him.

Benson added that they should add in the text amendment the condition that it cannot exceed 33 feet in height if someone were to come in down the line and build something else there.

The commission discussed their opinions about the emergency accessway being locked. Some brought up that it was a concern that emergency responders would have to take time to get out and unlock it; instead, maybe a system where they can open it from the vehicles would be more efficient. Others brought up that it is how other buildings in town operate.

“It’s a standard,” Benson said.

Meadows asked if that must be an emergency driveway or can it be a regular accessway, the latter which he feels would be more convenient for residents. Cox agreed.

The Fire Marshal has also requested a hydrant be put on the property.

Public Participation

Newtown resident Dennis Danko inquired about the height of the building and how it compares to the current building on the property. Sherwood responded that the building there now is “two and a half feet lower” than the apartment building he is proposing.

Danko added, “I’m just a little concerned how it went from three stories to two stories, and we’ve only lost four feet to the top of the building. How big are the apartments? Vaulted ceilings?”

In terms of the accessway on Borough Lane, he said the road is narrow, in bad shape, there is a sinkhole coming back, and he is concerned with more traffic on the road.

Newtown resident Aaron Nezvesky said that he has lived in town for 28 years and over the last years has seen continued changes to his town.

He voiced, “I feel as though the beauty of the town is starting to diminish. As I drive through the town, where there were once leaves on trees and tall grasses in meadows, there are now groupings of trees laying down, virgin topsoil stripped from the land, and new commercial and residential buildings towering up. It seems that every road I drive on there is new construction occurring.”

Nezvesky said he has been doing research on the Conservation Commission, and he read an excerpt from their mission statement for the town. An additional point he made was the impact of resources that every new elderly care facility, apartment complex, and multi-family structure has on the town.

“There is a great stress put on our volunteers and first responders. The volunteering departments, specifically fire and EMS, are seeing a rapid decline of volunteering efforts ... At this rate you are looking in the near future for paid services,” Nezvesky warned.

He explained it will cost the town far more for these paid services than the town would ever get from taxes from these new buildings. He asks the P&Z to consider the taxpayers of Newtown when making their decision.

Newtown resident Wayne Addessi, who noted he has a business in Ridgefield, spoke next and said he was in favor of the apartment project, because “there is nothing like it” on South Main Street and it would be “an enhancement.” He said he would like to see more of a buffer of trees.

Newtown resident Marlene Danko said that her main concern is the size of the building and the traffic.

About half a dozen more residents spoke up during public participation. Comments included their support of Nezvesky’s sentiments, that Newtown is losing its character, Newtown is turning into Monroe, that the P&Z needs to think long-term about the town, that the building height still seems too tall, as well as one person who liked the improvements made to the site plan compared to the possibility of a gas station or commercial building potentially going on the property.

The P&Z closed the public hearing and made a motion to approve the three applications. The meeting minutes state Benson included that Application 22.02 will have the condition of a "35 foot height limit" to the text amendment. Members of the P&Z complimented Sherwood’s work and said he did a nice job.

Applications 22.02, 22.03, and 22.04 were then approved unanimously. All three will become effective April 9, 2022. For more information about Newtown Planning and Zoning Commission and upcoming meetings, visit newtown-ct.gov/planning-zoning-commission.

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