Date: Fri 14-Jul-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

exhibition-hall-Hawleyville

Full Text:

DEVELOPERS SUMBIT PLANS FOR EXHIBITION HALL IN HAWLEYVILLE

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

A development group has submitted a proposal to the Planning and Zoning

Commission (P&Z) for an exhibition center in Hawleyville which would be used

year-round for a variety of shows featuring trade, products, technology,

development, and education.

Connecticut Expo Development, a limited liability partnership, submitted a

proposal this week for the Connecticut Exposition and Performance Events

Center (CEPEC), an exhibition hall envisioned for land across Route 25 from

the Hawleyville Post Office.

The P&Z is scheduled to conduct three public hearings August 17 on preliminary

aspects of the proposal. If the P&Z approves the three regulatory changes

sought by the development group, the zoners, at some later time, would

consider site plans for the project.

The development partnership is represented by Attorney Paul Jaber of the

Danbury law firm, Cutsumpas, Collins, Hannafin, Garamella, Jaber and Tuozzolo.

On August 17, the development partnership will be seeking three changes to the

town zoning regulations which would allow it to proceed with further planning

for exhibition hall construction. The regulatory changes sought are:

A change of zone for 80 acres from its current Farming/Residential (R-1) to

Industrial (M-5) zoning. (When such zone changes are requested, property

owners with holdings within 500 feet of the area proposed for a change of zone

are notified. There are 55 parcels lying within 500 feet of the 80-acre lot).

A zoning amendment which would allow an exhibition and public events center as

a permitted land use in an M-5 zone.

A zoning amendment which would allow an exhibition and public events center to

be as tall as 50 feet. Current industrial zoning allows buildings a maximum of

30 feet tall.

In the request for a change of zone from R-1 to M-5 for the property at 33

Hawleyville Road, the applicants state that the land is currently vacant

except for one house. The town's master plan of development provides for that

land to be changed to industrial zoning, according to the applicants.

In the request for allowing an exposition center as a permitted land use, the

development partnership is seeking regulatory language which would allow an

"exhibition and public events center, the use of which will include but not be

limited to trade shows, public or private shows and events, recreational and

sporting events, food and beverage facilities with kitchen and dining areas."

The applicants propose allowing such a land use in M-5 zones only.

In the request for increasing the maximum industrial building height, the

development partnership seeks permission for exhibition and public event

centers which are larger than 50,000 square feet to be a maximum 50 feet in

height above average ground level.

If the development proposal receives the one requested change of zone and two

requested zoning rule amendments, plans for the project would then be subject

to review under the special exception provisions of the zoning regulations.

Details

Joy Brewster of Cassio Kennels of Mt Pleasant Road, the managing partner of

Connecticut Expo Development, said the proposed exposition center is

approximately 115,000 square feet in area. The center would include 90,000

square feet of exhibition space. Ms Brewster said the project is estimated to

cost approximately $8 million. The development partnership has an option to

buy the 80 acres from J&M Realty Company of Danbury, according to Ms Brewster.

The exhibition hall would be constructed on a 23-acre section of the property.

In a May 1 report to Greg White of Noetic Engineering, Ltd, of Bethel, Robert

P. Jurasin, senior vice president of Wilbur Smith Associates of New Haven,

writes that an exhibition hall would be available seven days a week for trade,

product, technology, development and educational expositions.

Noetic Engineering is the engineering firm for the construction proposal.

Wilbur Smith Associates did traffic planning work for the project.

The development group expects that the peak period of operation for a typical

dog show would be between 8 and 10 o'clock on a Saturday morning.

Approximately 50 to 100 recreational vehicles carrying dog owners and their

dogs would arrive at the facility on the Friday afternoon preceding the show.

Based on a dog show in which 1,700 dogs are shown, approximately 425

exhibitors would be present. Spectators at a dog show would number between 500

and 600 per day.

Home Show

The developers expect that approximately 200 to 230 exhibitors would be

setting up their displays on a Friday from noon to 9 pm for a weekend home

show at the center. Spectators at a home show would number approximately

10,000 per day for each day of the two-day event.

A total of 920 vehicles per hour are expected to enter and exit the site

during its peak hour of use, reflecting the arrival and departure of an

estimated 2,300 people during that period. The traffic planners base their

estimates on an average 2.5 people in each vehicle.

In an April 27 report to Mr White, Harry Strate, vice president of Wilbur

Smith Associates, writes that based on a maximum attendance of 10,000 people

at a Saturday home show and a two-hour average stay at the show, an

accumulation of approximately 2,400 visitors is expected at such a show

between 1 and 2 pm.

The traffic engineers calculate that "Total parking spaces needed for both

visitors and exhibitors on a typical weekend day would be approximately 1,200

spaces."

Plans for the project list Achilles Architects of Westport as the designers.

The exterior of the hall would be masonry. The occupant load of the

sprinklered building would be 6,000 with a total occupancy of 6,805. The hall,

which resembles a collegiate field house, would be constructed to allow two

separate exhibitions to take place simultaneously.

Exhibitions envisioned for the hall include those involving: dogs, homes,

automobiles, gems, minerals, nursery products, boats, microelectronics, tools,

flowers, antiques, fashion, computers, telecommunications, recreation, travel,

foods, photography, printing, fire prevention, building materials, and bridal

items, among many others, according to Ms Brewster.