Date: Fri 25-Apr-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

P&Z-Avalon-Walnut-Tree

Full Text:

P&Z Delays Consideration Of Four Proposals

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

Four proposals which had been scheduled for Planning and Zoning Commission

(P&Z) consideration on April 17 are expected to be taken up at a May 1

session.

Property owners John and Nanci Kalas, and Avalon Developers, LLC, are seeking

P&Z approval for Avalon, a 13-lot residential subdivision proposed for 54

acres north of High Rock Road, across the street from DeVivo Industries, Inc.

Although Avalon had been scheduled for a public hearing on April 17, land use

officials who represent Monroe hadn't been notified of the proposal in a

timely manner, so the public hearing had to be rescheduled, according to P&Z

acting chairman Thomas Paisley.

The Avalon development site straddles the Newtown-Monroe border, so Monroe

officials must be given an opportunity to formally comment on the development

application.

On April 9, the Conservation Commission granted Avalon Developers a wetlands

construction license for the proposed 13-lot subdivision.

The pending subdivision proposal, to be the subject of a May 1 P&Z public

hearing, is a development plan with three fewer lots than the initial 16-lot

proposal submitted to the Conservation Commission last summer.

Although the 16-lot proposal gained Conservation Commission approval last

year, the developers withdrew their plan following a December P&Z public

hearing on it at which nearby property owners strenuously objected to the

development plan. The neighbors then complained that a 16-lot development

would damage water quality in the nearby Halfway River and Rowledge Pond. The

pond is used as a fish hatchery. The hatchery needs very clean water to

function and a 16-lot development would jeopardize the pond's water quality,

according to the fish hatchery's owners.

In light of the neighbors' protests, the developers redesigned their

subdivision, cutting the number of lots to 13. The developers also agreed to

extensive measures to protect the quality of the water draining from the site

into nearby watercourses.

The Avalon property holds an approximately 20-acre black spruce bog, an

unusual geographic feature this far south.

The P&Z public hearing on Avalon is scheduled for 8 pm on May 1 at the Newtown

Middle School auditorium, 11 Queen Street. A P&Z business meeting begins at

7:30 pm.

Watch Hill

Also, a public hearing on Watch Hill, a proposed 15-lot residential

subdivision on 31 acres off Alpine Drive, Alpine Circle, Pole Bridge Road, and

Bancroft Road, had been scheduled to resume at the April 17 P&Z session.

That continuance, however, was based upon the developers obtaining a road work

agreement with the selectmen. Such an agreement describes the improvements the

developers will make to existing town roads near the development.

Developer Robert Mathison told P&Z members the status of the road work

agreement is unclear. Mr Mathison explained he had been told that the public

hearing would be continued to May 1.

Besides the road work agreement, P&Z members want the town attorney to inform

them of the maximum number of houses that can legally be built on Alpine

Circle, and want to hear the town Traffic Authority's assessment of how the

project would affect area traffic.

Mr Mathison and co-developer Emory Palmer initially proposed Watch Hill as a

16-lot development in 1995. However, they withdrew the initial application

after encountering strenuous objections from neighbors who expressed fears

that building that number of homes in the already densely-developed Riverside

section would overdevelop the area, and that the development would pose

drainage problems.

The Watch Hill public hearing is scheduled to resume at 8 pm on May 1.

Black Bridge Farms

On April 17, P&Z members had been scheduled to act on Samaha, LLC's,

application to resubdivide Lot 6 into two building lots at Black Bridge Farms

on Farm Field Ridge Road in Sandy Hook.

Douglas Samaha of Prospect wants to resubdivide the 3.2-acre lot into a 2-acre

lot and a 1.2-acre lot, so that he can build two 2,400-square-foot Colonial

style houses there.

Mr Samaha withdrew his initial application for the resubdivision at a February

6 public hearing after he learned the application had some mapping

deficiencies. He later resubmitted modified plans on which a second public

hearing was held.

P&Z member Heidi Winslow explained to Mr Samaha on April 17 there weren't

enough P&Z members attending the session who were eligible to vote on his

proposal, adding that action on it would come at a future session.

To be eligible to vote on a development proposal, a P&Z member must have

either attended the public hearing on it or have listened to audiotape

recordings of that hearing.

Mr Samaha asked if a P&Z member could be polled by telephone for a vote.

The agency doesn't use any proxy voting system, Ms Winslow explained.

Mr Samaha explained that he had traveled far to attend the April 17 session,

asking if there was any way a decision could be made that night.

Acting chairman Thomas Paisley explained a decision on the matter would have

to wait.

The matter is scheduled for action on May 1 at the P&Z's 7:30 pm business

meeting.

Walnut Tree Village

Also on April 17, the P&Z had been scheduled to act on Walnut Tree Developers'

request to make some architectural design changes to planned condominiums at

the Walnut Tree Village condo complex at 26 Walnut Tree Hill Road in Sandy

Hook.

But there weren't enough eligible members able to vote, so no action was taken

on the matter.

Ms Winslow and Mr Paisley cited conflicts of interest, disqualifying

themselves from voting on the application.

The developers want to make roofline, gable design, and other architectural

changes to future condos to be built to improve the appearance of the units

and solve some practical problems.

The developers have P&Z approvals to build up to 80 units. The project is

partially done.

Because the developers have a special exception to the zoning regulations to

build multifamily housing in an EH-10 zone, any requested amendment to that

special exception must be aired at a public hearing.

The developers had planned for a March 6 public hearing on their proposed

architectural changes. But that session was postponed after it was learned the

developers hadn't formally notified nearby property owners of the hearing. A

legal public hearing was later held after proper notifications were made.

P&Z action on the developers' request is scheduled for May 1 at the 7:30 pm

business meeting.