Date: Fri 20-Jun-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

council-scenic-roads

Full Text:

Council Approves Scenic Roads Ordinance

BY STEVE BIGHAM

The Legislative Council Wednesday unanimously passed a proposed scenic road

ordinance designed to protect some of Newtown's most picturesque roads from

major alterations.

The ordinance was advocated about a year ago by Mae Schmidle of Echo Valley

Road and other residents who view rapid development as a threat to their

quality of life. The council's ordinance committee, led by John Kortze, began

work on the ordinance this past August.

"I think this ordinance will add charm to Newtown and add to Newtown's natural

landscape and visual quality," Mrs Schmidle said at a public hearing prior to

a vote of the full council.

The ordinance will allow residents to request that their road be deemed

scenic, protecting it from speeders, billboards, jack hammers and anything

else that could threaten the safety, the natural landscape and scenic beauty

of the area.

Under state law, towns may designate local roads as scenic in order to

regulate future alterations and improvements such as widening of a

right-of-way, paving, grade changes, straightening and removal of stone walls

and mature trees.

Herb Rosenthal pointed out that scenic roads preserve the aesthetics of the

town and, from a conservation point of view, prevent non-point pollution.

The proposed ordinance gives authority to the Legislative Council to designate

and oversee all scenic roads. It authorizes the town to maintain the road,

making alterations, other than routine maintenance, only after receiving

approval from the council.

Improvements or alterations such as paving of dirt or gravel roads, widening,

change of grade, straightening, removal of structures or trees would be

required to go to a public hearing.

Jay St Mark of Huntingtown Road was concerned about criteria in the ordinance

that states that the scenic section of a road have a minimum length of at

least 30 percent of the length of the entire road. However, council chairman

Pierre Rochman said the ordinance only says it "should" be 30 percent, and

that the council and selectmen would look at roads on a case-by-case basis.

Mr St Mark asked how the ordinance would protect mature trees from

tree-cutting companies like CL&P. Councilman Will Rodgers, an attorney, said

it may be tough to stop them, though the town tree warden could help alleviate

any tree removal if he is made aware of what roads are scenic.

Jim Osborne of 8 Zoar Road called it a shame that the large trees at Fairfield

Hills on Mile Hill Road were removed earlier this week.

Paula Hopper of Boggs Hill Road was emotional in her comments, pointing out

that country roads are disappearing all across the country. "Poets don't write

about development," she said.

According to the proposed ordinance, the road cannot abut commercial property,

commercial development, or be in an area where there is extensive vehicular

traffic.

One or more of the following criteria must also be met for scenic road

designation: road is unpaved; road has mature trees; road has stone walls;

road has scenic views; road has surrounding lakes, ponds, rivers and streams.

The ordinance also requires that the road blend in naturally with the

surrounding terrain and be no more than 20 feet in width.

The ordinance also states that the section of road to be designated should

have front areas designated as parks, forests or conservation areas and front

farmland.

According to the ordinance, the majority of the road's land owners must submit

a petition in order to request a scenic road designation.

There has been much discussion by the ordinance committee about how many

residents of a road would be needed to petition for a scenic road.

Members of the ordinance committee agreed to give each homeowner with frontage

property an equal say rather than giving the homeowner with the most land the

most say.

According to the ordinance, the designation of a scenic road may be rescinded

by the Legislative Council using the same procedure required for designation.