P&Z Approves Construction Changes For Fraser-Woods School

By Andrew Gorosko

The Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) has approved a variety of construction changes requested by the Newtown Montessori Society, allowing the society to continue converting the former Gordon Fraser Gallery property at 173 South Main Street into the private Fraser-Woods School and school grounds.

P&Z members August 17 unanimously approved several changes to the special exception to the zoning regulations, which the society received from the P&Z last November, to convert the former store, office, and warehouse complex into a school. The school opened for classes last April.

In its approval, the P&Z gave the society permission to: use the northern half of the building as a school; relocate some parking spaces; create a second student drop-off area; widen the entrance drive from Pecks Lane to provide two lanes for entering traffic; modify the South Main Street driveway to meet state Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements; relocate the reserve area for the septic system; redesign the use of some classrooms; and make some window changes in the building.

Attorney Robert Hall, representing the society, withdrew from P&Z consideration a Montessori request to allow it to construct a compact soccer field northwest of the school building.

The society had proposed locating the soccer field at an elevation which is higher than the roof of the school, posing practical problems in creating a handicapped-access ramp linking the school to the soccer field. The soccer field is not a dead proposal, Mr Hall said.

Mr Hall added that Montessori officials did not want problems posed by building a handicapped-access ramp to delay the school conversion project. Mr Hall urged P&Z members to act on the requested construction changes August 17.

Resident Nellie Simpson of 42 Pecks Lane, who lives next door to the school property, told P&Z members she keeps horses at her property and asked whether the society would provide fencing to prevent school children from coming into contact with the horses. Ms Simpson said she wants to ensure that school children do not get injured on her property. Ms Simpson lives north of the school property.

Mr Hall said the school does not plan to install fencing along the northern edge of its property. The areas where school children will play will be fenced off, he added.

Ms Simpson asked whether blasting would be required to develop the school site.

Engineer Larry Edwards, representing the society, said no blasting is planned.

In November 1999, the P&Z approved the Newtown Montessori Society’s request to use the former Gordon Fraser Gallery as the new home of the school. The school had been located in cramped quarters in Dodgingtown.

Montessori representatives then told P&Z members that as the society’s need for added space in the building grew, it would return to the P&Z with specific space use requests.

In approving the society’s request for a special exception to the zoning regulations, P&Z members last November concurred that the school is a community asset which provides an educational choice for residents; the site is an appropriate location with excellent access to major roads; and that the use of the site as a school will not adversely affect the town’s Aquifer Protection District (APD) within which the site is located.

In the summer of 1999, the P&Z approved a zoning amendment requested by the society which allowed the society to proceed with planning to convert the South Main Street building for school use. That amendment allows private schools as a permitted use in an M-2 Industrial zone, provided that the applicant receives a special exception to the zoning regulations for such a use.

The P&Z’s approving that amendment came in the face of opposition to the proposal from the town’s Economic Development Commission (EDC). EDC members had opposed the amendment because they fear the local property tax base would suffer by having a taxed industrial building converted for use as a non-taxable school.

In approving the zoning amendment, P&Z members decided that private schools are a community benefit which provide an educational choice for residents and enhance the local quality of life. P&Z members decided that the benefits of having the school at the South Main Street site outweigh the loss of property tax revenue.

In the past, the school had sought to relocate to a site off Route 302 in Bethel, near the Newtown town line, but those plans fell through. Also, Montessori had investigated the possibility of relocating to Watertown Hall at Fairfield Hills.