Date: Fri 05-Jul-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

P&Z-rear-lot-amendment

Full Text:

Hearing Set On Key Residential Development Rule Change

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

The Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) is scheduled to hold three public

hearings July 11 on proposals to change the zoning regulations concerning:

rear house lots in one-acre residential zones; fire safety; and the size of

stores.

The session is scheduled for 8 pm at the Newtown Middle School auditorium, 11

Queen Street.

P&Z members are proposing eliminating a zoning regulation which allows rear

house lots in one-acre residential zones.

If the regulation is repealed, the P&Z would still allow rear house lots in

two-acre and three-acre residential zones.

A year ago, P&Z members, at the request of Attorney Stephen Wippermann

representing a client, agreed to create a regulation allowing rear house lots

in one-acre residential zones. P&Z members then said they thought it was a

good idea, noting that it paralleled the rules allowing rear house lots in

two-acre and three-acre residential zones.

But P&Z members now believe the new rule has proved to be more of a problem

than a developmental solution.

The one-acre rear-lot regulation has allowed developers to create greater

housing densities in one-acre zones than was previously possible, prompting

complaints from people who live in those areas.

The number of rear lots allowed in a given zone is based on a mathematical

formula.

After local developers realized that the P&Z's intention is to eliminate

one-acre rear lots, they submitted numerous subdivision applications to the

town to get their building proposals into the land use review process before

one-acre rear lots are banned.

If the P&Z acts to ban one-acre rear-lot zoning on July 11, it's unclear when

it will stop accepting applications for such development.

Rear lots are those lots which have insufficient road frontage to be deemed a

conventional building lot. Long driveways lead to the houses on rear lots

which often can't be seen from the street. The houses on rear lots are built

behind the houses which sit on conventional lots. In some cases, a house on a

conventional lot can have other houses on three sides of it.

Firefighting Water

At another public hearing on July 11, the P&Z will air a proposal for water

storage facilities for firefighting.

Fire officials want the P&Z to require the construction of underground water

tanks for firefighting at new commercial, industrial and multi-family dwelling

projects so that firefighters would have an immediate, dependable water source

when arriving at the scene of a blaze.

If the water source cannot physically be located on the site of a development,

it would be located near the site.

All commercial and industrial buildings of 5,000 square feet or more, and/or

building renovations and additions of 2,500 square feet or more would have a

water storage tank for firefighting. Required would be a 30,000-gallon

non-metallic buried tank equipped with piping, a sump, and drainage overflow.

Larger tanks or multiple tanks would be required for complexes exceeding

20,000 square feet.

Commercial complexes of less than 5,000 square feet may not be required to

have a fire suppression system unless the nature of the business presents a

high fire risk.

The proposed water storage rules also address multi-family developments.

The rules would require residential subdivisions and condominium complexes of

three to ten dwelling units to provide a 20,000-gallon water storage tank.

Store Sizes

In another public hearing, the P&Z will seek public comments on its proposal

to limit the size of any single retail or wholesale store or shop located

within a shopping center to maximum gross floor area of 40,000 square feet.

Placing such a size limit on stores, in effect, would prohibit the

construction of so-called "super stores" which are very large stores.

P&Z chairman Stephen Adams has said the commission wants to ban stores larger

than 40,000 to limit the amount of traffic traveling to and from such

facilities.

The last large store approved in Newtown was the Big Y supermarket which will

have approximately 55,000 square feet of floor area. The store is planned for

the Newtown Shopping Center on Queen Street in the Borough.

The Borough Zoning Commission, which is separate from the P&Z and has its own

set of rules, approved the Big Y.

Besides the public hearings on rear house lots in one-acre zones, fire safety,

and store sizes, the P&Z has two other hearings scheduled for June 11.

Colgate University, owner, and Brian Corson, contractual owner, propose a

subdivision called New England Woods consisting of 5 lots on 21 acres on Jet

Brook Road.

M&F, Inc, is seeking the resubdivision of Lot 32 at Lone Oak Meadows into 2

lots on nearly 6 acres. The property is on Fawnwood Road.

The town asks that anyone who is disabled and requires any assistance to

attend the public hearings, to contact the first selectman's office at least

48 hours before the meeting.