Date: Fri 09-Jan-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

P&Z-Tamarack-Woods

Full Text:

Fourth Version Of Tamarack Woods Heads To A Hearing

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

The fourth version of Tamarack Woods, a controversial residential subdivision

proposed for an isolated area near Lake Lillinonah, will be the subject of a

Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) public hearing Thursday, January 15.

The hearing is slated to start at 8 pm in Newtown Middle School auditorium at

11 Queen Street. A P&Z business meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:30 pm.

In November, the Conservation Commission approved a wetlands construction

permit for Tamarack Woods, which is proposed for the land within the triangle

formed by Sanford Road, Tamarack Road and Echo Valley Road.

M&E Land Group wants to create eight building lots on a 33-acre parcel. Some

13 acres would be designated open space land.

In the current proposal, four lots would have frontage on Sanford Road, three

lots would face Tamarack Road, and one lot would have frontage on Echo Valley

Road.

Last June, P&Z members unanimously rejected the third version of Tamarack

Woods, which was then a ten-lot proposal.

The P&Z rejected the second version of Tamarack Woods in December 1996.

M&E withdrew its first version of Tamarack Woods from P&Z consideration in the

summer of 1996, before the matter reached the P&Z public hearing stage.

The developers have reconfigured the Tamarack Woods design plans as various

neighboring property owners have pressured them to present designs which would

have minimal effects on their individual properties.

The fourth version of the project seeks to satisfy the neighbors' concerns

about the construction project.

At sessions on past versions of Tamarack Woods, nearby property owners

expressed concerns that building new homes in their area would threaten their

domestic well water supplies. Also, concerns have focused on: disturbing a

rustic area; potential environmental hazards; creating traffic problems; and

damaging archaeological artifacts and local plant life.

At the request of area residents, the Legislative Council recently designated

the narrow, dirt Sanford Road as a "scenic road," preventing any major changes

from being made to it. Protections afforded to scenic roads include placing

limits on major road alterations or improvements, such as widening a

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

mature trees are protected under the ordinance.

M&E Land Group says its fourth proposal would have less impact on the

neighborhood than the previous proposals, adding that road improvements to

Sanford Road and Tamarack Road would not be necessary.

The Tamarack Woods proposal has been the subject of three lawsuits.

The developers, town officials and affected residents have been discussing

Tamarack Woods for the past two years.

Other Matters

In another public hearing scheduled for the 8 pm session, Newtown Housing for

The Elderly (NHE) will explain its request to allow the construction of wooden

decks for apartments at Nunnawauk Meadows on Nunnawauk Road.

At the 7:30 pm session, the P&Z is scheduled to continue a public hearing on

Colgate University's proposal for New England Woods, a proposed five-lot

residential subdivision on 21 acres on Jet Brook Road.

Also, P&Z members are scheduled to discuss and possibly act on a request to

allow the construction of unheated porches at Walnut Tree Village, a

condominium complex on Walnut Tree Hill Road in Sandy Hook.

The P&Z turned down a past request from Walnut Tree Developers for porch

construction. The developers then sued the P&Z and won the case. A judge has

told the P&Z to pass a motion approving porch construction.