59 Units—

Commission Restates Need For Traffic Control At Condo Complex

By Andrew Gorosko

As the environmental aspects of a proposed 59-unit, age-restricted condominium complex are under review by the Conservation Commission, the Police Commission has reemphasized its requirement that that the developer take special measures to regulate traffic flow to and from the complex on the narrow, winding, hilly Oakview Road, near Newtown High School.

Toll Brothers, Inc, proposes the construction of Regency at Newtown for people over 55 at a 51-acre site at 21 Oakview Road. Oakview Road is a residential street containing about 12 houses, which links Berkshire Road to Wassermann Way.

At the request of Police Chief Michael Kehoe, Police Commission members July 5 again reviewed the traffic impact of the project on Oakview Road, a narrow street which until several years ago was a dirt road.

Chief Kehoe told Police Commission members that following Conservation Commission review, the developer would submit plans for the project to the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) for a site plan review.

Acting as the town’s traffic authority, the Police Commission makes recommendations to the P&Z on the traffic aspects of development proposals.

In April 2004, the P&Z members had rejected Toll Brothers’ initial request for a change of zone in connection its then-proposed 80-unit condo complex, stating that such a project would overburden Oakview Road with traffic.

In a revised version of those plans, Toll Brothers reduced the complex to 60 units and proposed the installation of traffic devices, which would shunt traffic flow to and from the complex onto the northern section of Oakview Road, which connects to Berkshire Road. The condo proposal has been cut to 59 units by the developer.

Those traffic-control structures were proposed to prevent traffic flow to and from the complex from using the southern section of Oakview Road, which connects to Wasserman Way. The intersection of Wasserman Way and Oakview Road is considered hazardous. Also, there are youth athletic fields located near that intersection.

Toll Brothers’ revised condo complex plans resulted in the P&Z granting the project a change of zone last January, thus allowing the project’s planning to proceed.

In November 2004, the Police Commission had endorsed Toll Brothers’ traffic-control design for Regency at Newtown.

A key aspect of that design involves creating a driveway entrance to the complex that would physically encourage motorists entering and leaving the complex to use the northerly section of Oakview Road.

Somewhat south of that general driveway entrance, the developer would create an emergency driveway entrance intended for use only by emergency vehicles.