Police Commission Endorses Proposed 60-Unit Condo Complex’s Traffic Design

By Andrew Gorosko

The Police Commission, acting as the town’s traffic authority, has endorsed a developer’s traffic-flow plans for a 60-unit, age-restricted condominium complex, which the builder proposes for a 52-unit acre site off Oakview Road, near Newtown High School.

Police Commission members November 3 unanimously endorsed Toll Brothers Inc’s traffic design, which would shunt traffic flowing to and from the 60-unit project to the northerly end of Oakview Road. The traffic design is keyed to having traffic generated by the complex use the intersection of Oakview Road and Berkshire Road when entering or leaving the project, rather than using the intersection of Oakview Road and Wasserman Way.

Oakview Road is a narrow, hilly, winding street that links Berkshire Road to Wasserman Way, near Newtown High School. Oakview Road holds about 12 houses.

The complex would hold about 120 residents who have about 120 motor vehicles. Such development is restricted to people over age 55.

The Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) was scheduled to conduct two public hearings on aspects of Toll Brothers’ development proposal on the night of November 4, after the deadline for this edition of The Bee.

Those hearings were to focus on the developer’s request for a zone change from R-2 (Residential) to EH-10 (Elderly Housing) for 21-23 Oakview Road, and also on a proposed zoning regulation change that would place certain numerical limits on the number of condos which could be constructed in such complexes.

Last April, the P&Z rejected Toll Brothers’ requested zone change for the property, with P&Z members citing heavy traffic on Oakview Road as their prime concern. At a preceding public hearing, Oakview Road residents had strongly opposed the development proposal, saying that it would cause traffic problems on that street.

At that time, Toll Brothers had proposed building 80 condos on the site, representing a third more units than the current proposal.

Last month, Toll Brothers sought but did not receive an endorsement for the project as a form of local economic development from the Economic Development Commission (EDC). EDC members took a neutral stand on the request.

At the November 3 Police Commission session, traffic engineer Michael Galante presented panel members with his traffic analysis for the 60-unit condo proposal. The analysis represents a complete study of traffic flow that would be generated by the complex, providing more detail than was available when the developer had proposed an 80-unit complex for the site last spring, he said.

A key aspect of the 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, he said.

Somewhat to the south of that general driveway entrance, the developer would create an emergency driveway entrance intended for use only by emergency vehicles, said Toll Brothers project manager Daniel Walton.