The Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z), in its role as the town’s planning agency, has approved a resubdivision of land at 176 Mt Pleasant Road (Route 6) in Hawleyville.

At an April 3 session, P&Z members unanimously approved an application from Toll CT III, Limited Partnership. P&Z members decided that the application is consistent with the town’s resubdivision regulations and also with the terms of BPO (Business Professional Office) zoning. The approval takes effect on April 14.

George Benson, town director of planning and land use, said April 4 that the approval affects approximately 1.5 acres, which will be governed by BPO zoning.

Before the approval, the site had both BPO and EH-10 (Elderly Housing) zoning designations.

The 1.5 acres are contiguous with Toll Bothers Inc’s approximately 50-acre site where it is constructing a 178-unit age-restricted condominium complex known as Newtown Woods. The 50-acre site has EH-10 zoning.

The 1.5-acre site formerly held a sales office for Newtown Woods.

Last summer, Toll unsuccessfully sought P&Z approval to create an about 2.7-acre lot with BPO zoning at 176 Mt Pleasant Road.

Residents of Liberty at Newtown, a 96-unit age-restricted condo complex that lies next to 176 Mt Pleasant Road, last summer strongly opposed that proposal, charging that it would eventually result in some type of commercially intensive land use being located immediately next to their residential complex.

Donald Leonard, president of the Liberty at Newtown Association, attended the April 3 P&Z session to list his concerns on behalf of the homeowners’ group.

Mr Leonard said April 4 that several Liberty residents who attended the April 3 session were there not to protest Toll’s current resubdivision plans, but to monitor the situation.

Liberty residents are generally concerned about change occurring at the resubdivided site due to a lack of trust which they have, based on their past experience, he said.

When some form of development is eventually proposed for the 1.5-acre site, Liberty residents will attend the P&Z’s public meetings on that proposal, he said.

Attorney Robert Hall, who represented Toll at the April 3 session, said that while there are no current plans to develop the site, it would be a logical place to construct medical office space, according to P&Z records.

P&Z Chairman Robert Mulholland said that when a development proposal is eventually made, P&Z members would need to seriously consider steps to be taken to protect Liberty residents, according to P&Z records.