Near Exit 9- Hawleyville Retail Building Approved For Barnabas RoadÂ Â

By ANDY GOROSKO

Published: Apr 27, 2007 12:00 am

Near Exit 9â

Hawleyville Retail Building Approved For Barnabas RoadÂ Â

By Andrew Gorosko

A developer has gained town approval to construct a 7,500-square foot retail building at 23 Barnabas Road in Hawleyville, at the southern corner of Barnabas Road and Hawleyville Road (Route 25).

In a unanimous vote, Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members on April 19 approved the six-store general retail project submitted by Hawleyville Development, LLC. The P&Z approved the projectâs site development plan with a number of conditions.

Â The project must adhere to a landscaping plan designed to provide the site with a pleasing appearance. The landscaping elements of the project must be maintained by the owner for at least two years after construction.

All lighting on the site, including the lighting of commercial signs, must adhere to the âDark Skyâ lighting standards, which seek to prevent lighting from spilling off the site. Also, only minimal security lighting will be allowed to remain on after business hours.

On April 19, the P&Z did not approve any commercial signs for the project. Before any signs are installed, the developer must submit a visually consistent signage plan for the project for P&Z review and approval.

Also, the developer must have the well-based water supply for the commercial building meet applicable State Health Department regulations.

Following their review of the project, P&Z members decided that the commercial building and its adjacent site meet the standards and criteria for site development plans. Also, the project meets the requirements of the Hawleyville Center Design District (HCDD) zone within which it is located.

The P&Z conducted a public hearing on the commercial project on March 15.

The 1.5-acre triangular lot on hilly terrain is bounded on the west by Hawleyville Road, on the north and the east by Barnabas Road, and on the south and the east by westbound Interstate 84âs Exit 9 ramps. The site lies across Barnabas Road from the commuter parking lot for Exit 9 of I-84.

Last December, the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) granted two zoning setback variances to the developer. The setback variances concern the building placement and the parking lot placement on the oddly shaped site, which has streets on its three sides.

The siteâs unusual triangular shape results from the adjacent property acquisitions that were required for the past construction of I-84. Excavation will be required to construct a building on the hilly site.

The site will have two access driveways on Barnabas Road. On Hawleyville Road, it will have an entrance-only driveway for northbound traffic, which would make right turns to enter the site.

The property has no wetlands. It will be served by a septic system.

The retail buildingâs faÃ§ade will face the east, toward the structureâs parking lot, with the rear of the building facing Hawleyville Road.

It is yet unclear what tenants would occupy the building.

At the March P&Z public hearing on the retail proposal, nearby residents raised issues concerning the buildingâs and the siteâs appearance, as well as the traffic that would be generated by the presence of new businesses.

Barnabas Road carries the industrial traffic generated by the Hawleyville Industrial Park situated along the northern side of that street.

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I have to say, I don’t understand how this project could be considered “morally wrong.” That kind of language feels more like obstruction than constructive dialogue. What is morally wrong is leaving seniors in our community without enough housing options. Right now, Newtown does not have adequate senior housing, and the few developments that exist, like Naunawag Meadows, already have waiting lists. As for the comment that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” that simply isn’t accurate. The system is broken when residents who’ve lived here their whole lives cannot find an affordable and appropriate place to age in town. Responsible development that balances environmental concerns, safety improvements (such as traffic calming measures and sidewalks), and the needs of our seniors is exactly the kind of planning Newtown should be doing. This isn’t about wanting or not wanting something in one’s backyard—it’s about building a community that takes care of its people. Please don't get scared away by the nimby mob.

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It seems a lot of the discussion around the flagpole focuses on vilifying drivers who pass on the right, but the real issue is being overlooked. If Chapter 248 Section 14-251 were enforced, we wouldn’t see this problem to begin with. That statute prohibits stopping in the middle of a roadway to yield to cross traffic—as so often happens with cars waiting to turn from Church Hill. When vehicles stop illegally in the travel lane, they effectively create a blockage. Other drivers then either sit through unnecessary delays or carefully pass around them on the right, which is fully permitted when the vehicle ahead is “illegally parked” in the roadway. Instead of punishing drivers reacting to the obstruction, enforcement should focus on the cause: vehicles unlawfully stopping and backing up traffic in the first place. If that behavior were addressed, the need to “go around” would largely disappear.

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John, you raise an important point — these situations are tragic, complicated, and often far less clear-cut than the headlines make them seem. In the Fredericksburg case, the full facts still aren’t publicly known, and like so many of these stories, there’s conflicting information. It was apparently the back door at 3 a.m. — was it justified to use deadly force? We don’t know yet. What we do know is that the homeowner has been charged, and as you rightly noted, that is very serious. But this is also where perspective matters. These cases are quickly sensationalized in the news and on social media, yet when the dust settles, the outcomes are rarely publicized. People forget that in our system, you are innocent until proven guilty. Try to find much coverage of the convication in the case of the Fairfield Realtor vehicle homicide, or updates on the woman who shot her husband a couple of Christmases ago, or even the pedestrian death in Sandy Hook a year or so back. The follow-through simply isn’t there, and public opinion is often shaped only by the first round of headlines. At the end of the day, these situations remind us how split-second decisions in the middle of the night can change lives forever — which is exactly why the right to protect one’s property, home and family is so fiercely debated, and lucky constitutionally protected.

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First the low hanging fruit. Dave; it was a joke, please get over it. You are the only person in Newtown that thought I really wanted to build a stadium on 6 Commence Rd. Now on to Alex. You might not appreciate my writing style or my selection of words, but let's not loose sight of the fact that by responding to my letter in the manner that you did, you have removed any doubt whatsoever that you have no idea of the quantifiable benefits you are dismissing not only for the town, but also for protesters. Either you stopped listening at the word "ordinance" or you never started.. Your constitutional rights to assemble were never in question and would actually be strengthened and there would be literally no impediments. We could even title it "The Alex Villamil Ordinance" if you want. It could be your legacy and actually show Newtown your willingness to work in a bipartisan way for the betterment of the town. Businesses would be protected. Traffic wouldn't be interrupted. The town would save hundreds of thousands of dollars in police overtime. And maybe most importantly, the town could prevent another tragedy while mitigating legal risk in the event something terrible happens at a protest. Nothing bad could never happen in Newtown right? All that could be accomplished by a simple, non-intrusive ordinance unless all the detriments to our town are intentional in order to bring more attention to your cause. Alex, this was not me throwing a temper tantrum. Believe me, you will know it if that happens. I am just putting Newtown first. From that perspective, if you think critically, the regulation is necessary. It makes sense logically, rationally, and is reasonable. There is absolutely no down side. None. I would be willing to sit down with you to see if we could come to some type of compromise if you want. Let me know. You would be amazed how much you can accomplish when there is dialogue amongst neighbors.

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Near Exit 9- Hawleyville Retail Building Approved For Barnabas RoadÂ Â

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