1995/08/08BERLIN PLANNING COMMISSION
The August 8, 1995 meeting of the Planning Commission was called to
order at 7:05 P.M. by chairman Dennis Kern. Those present were
Joan Carey, Bruce Moore, Susan Wiley, Town Plan'rfer Brian Miller, and
Recording Secretary Sharon Guite. Tim Zigmont, Ron Edelson,
Eileen Meskill, and Amy Cobuzzi were absent. Ail Commission members
present were seated.
1. AUDIENCE OF CITIZENS
Michael Lewchik was present to discuss location and elevation
of his house which is under construction on Lot 5-74, Lamentation
Drive. He submitted copies of approved resubdivision plans and
plot plan and minutes of the Planning Commission meeting of
June 8, 1993 which stated that approval was given to change access
to Lot 5-21 to Old Wood Road as a revision to Section VI,
Lamentation Mountain Estates, with the condition that the
owner of Lot 5-21 be partwof a shared driveway agreement to
be filed with the Town Clerk. The Commission scheduled a
site walk for 5:30 P.M. on August 17, 1995 and will put this
item on the agenda for August 22, 1995.
2. PUBLIC HEARINGS. Mrs. Carey read the legal notice of the
public hearings to consider the following:
a. Proposed subdivision of Ecos Corp. for 9 residential
building lots located on the north end of Sunmeadow
Drive at Lots 26G,26H,26K,26L,26M,26N,26P,26Q, and 26S,
Block 133. (Continued from June 13, 1995 and July 11, 1995
meetings.} No one was present to present the plans and
staff has no communication with the applicant. There were
no comments from the public. A motion was made by
Mrs. Carey, seconded by Mr. Moore and voted unanimously to
closed this public hearing.
b. Request for final subdivision approval of Donald Blier
for a 3 lot subdivision at Lot 10B, Block 108,
Wildermere Road. Lewis Mirante presented the plans.
Original subdivision plans left this parcel as unbuildable.
Since that time, FEMA has reduced flood hazard areas on
this parcel to allow for 3 building lots. 17.3 ac~es
will be conveyed to the Town as open space and will
connect to other existing open space along Belcher Brook.
Conservation easement areas are on all lots. Ail wetland
will be in the open space area and lot lines have been
kept away from the wetlands. An 1800 foot driveway will
serve all three lots. The driveway begins in a wetland
area which has received IWWC approval. Restrictions will
be placed on the cutting of trees on lots. There will
be access to the open space area from Wildermere Road.
Plans were reviewed by the Fire Marshall. He is concerned
with turning radius of the driveway to some of the lots,
which Mr. Mirante stated can be addressed. There were no
comments from the public. A motion was made by Mr. Moore,
seconded by Mrs. Carey and voted unanimously to close the
public hearing.
Co
Request for preliminary subdivision approval of Redcoat
Home Builders, Inc. for 7 lot open space subdivision at
Lot 10, Block 107, Toll Gate Road and Orchard Road.
Mr. Mirante presented the plans. The parcel can hold
11 lots but because of the topography the applicant is
proposing 7 lots; 4 frontage lots on Toll Gate Road,
1 frontage lot on Orchard Road with access on Toll Gate,
and 2 rear lots. 7.9 acres will be conveyed to the Town
as open space. Part of the parcel will be conveyed to
the abutting owner to the north. An existing path along
the ridgeline will be in the open space area. A Conservation
easement will be along the westerly side of Lots 10-7
and 10-4. The applicant requested three waivers:
1. Buffer along southerly side from 100 feet to 50 feet.
2. Buffer along northerly side from 100 feet to 30 feet.
3. Sidewalk requirement along Toll Gate Road. Mr. Kern
asked for comments. Jim Bryers clarified that the path
along the ridge crosses a 20 foot strip of Lotl0-7 and
will need a pedestrian easement. A motion was made by
Mr. Moore, seconded by Ms. Wiley and voted unanimously to
close the public hearing.
a. ECos Corp., Sunmeadow Drive Subdivision. . .
Stated that Staff has a number of COncerno~- Miller
to communicate with the applicant but has received no
o -~ve tried
response. A motion Was
oM~S. Wiley and VOted u .made by Mrs. Carey, SeConded by
£ nOncon~_ . nanlmouslv t^
below: ~~,.=nce With SUbdivi~__~ ueny approval because
~. ~u,~ regulations as listed
7 Side and rear yards should be shoo, ii on the plans.
-. Date of previous approval should be listed on the plans.
3. Site plan shougd he submitted.
4. Sidewalks should be shown in the cul-de-sac.
5. Sedimentation and erosion control notes shou/d be submitted with the plans.
~. Six spec/es of street trees
regulations, are required by Section 52:036 of the subdivision
7. A planting detail for the island in the cul-de-sac should be submitted.
plantings should be a Iow maintenance variety.
8. Provisions for the long-ter~ maintenance of the island by owners
are required.. . of the lots
9. Lot pins should be shown to be set.
! O. Only the selected sanitary sewer r.o.w, option used in the northeasterly comer
should be shown on the plans.
Blier subdivision, Wild
tM°~_.re'.sec°n, ded by ~s~.e~,~R.°.a_d_'~ A motion was m
l~rr.~n. anal subdivision ~__ -~ ann VOted ..... nde by
uOmmon driveway and =w.~roval subject to~'~anlm°usly to
Submitted f~_ _ maintenance ~__ the
~ ~pProval by th- ,~r.eement should b
to filing the subdivisio~ = =xannlng Commission ~rior
mylar.
2. Access to the proposed Open Space area should be shown
on the plans.
3. Note added to the plans stating that the proposed
houses Will be Constructed in close proximity to the
shown typical house locations.
4. Open space to be dedicated to the To%rn by deed at the time
of or prior to the recording of the mylar.
5. Radius and width of driveway to adhere to COmments of
the Fire Marshall.
6. Conservation easement and conservation COVenants to be
executed at the time of or prior to the recording' of
the mylar.
Redcoat Home Builders, Inc., Toll Gate Road and Orchard Road.
A motion was made by Mr. Moore, Seconded by Mrs. Carey and
Voted Unanimously to grant a buffer waiver on south side
of the property to 50 feet because of the compatibility of
proposed use and use of property to the south, and the
Algonquin gas line right-of-way to the south serves as
cD u-~ an additional buffer area.
~ e~ :, A tion was made b Mr
~ 6~ ? a~voted unani .... ~. _. MOore, seconded by Mrs
cc ~ ~er re~uirem ..... ~_ant a walver of the 1~
~ ~ ~f __ ~ .... e o= compatibility of ,,~ ..... a a0 foot
~ ~. ~'~.e ~equest for ~,..~u . -
~ '~ ~ust ....... ~ walver will be d'
~ ~ · ~ ~g 22 meetin~ pr_~=_:_ . lSCUssed at the
~ ~ ~- =~mxna · · ·
~ ~ ~ ~so be on the ..... ry suba~vlslon aDD ov ·
~ ~ ~- ~ pzans Watch were Submitted=toda~~x[ =line to review
d. Preliminary sketch layout of Vernlund and BOwer for a
6 lot subdivision at Lots 19 and 18C, Block 144, Spruce
Brook Road. Attorney James Ripper presented the plans
which have been revised to address Comments made by the
Commission at the recent site walk. Rod ~ewitt described
the revised layout which has five proposed lots with an
easement strip for future road to property to the north.
The Commission found the presented plans a favorable
alternative to the original plans and suggested a
conservation easement to protect the trees.
e. Determination of Suitability for a 9 unit Design Open
Space Development at Lot 5, Block 51, Chamberlain Highway
of Mooreland Hill. A motion was made by Ms. Wiley, seconded
by ~s. Carey and Voted unanimously to grant a Dete~ination
of Suitability for the following reasons:
1. Appropriate use of the property.
2. The proposal provides Superior residential environment.
3. The proposal preserves Open space.
BUSINESS
4. NEW
Determination of Suitability of a proposed 9 lot Open
Space subdivision of HOward Asal, at Lot 14, Block 71,
Stillmeadow Drive. A motion was made by Ms. Wiley,
Seconded by Mr. Moore and Voted unanimously to grant
a Determination of Suitability for the following reasons~
1. The proposed Open Space subdivision is an appropriate
use of the parcel.
2. The proposal preserves ~pen space adjacent to
Bicentennial Park.
5o
b. Subdivision of Joan Hennessey for a 2 lot subdivision at
Lot 2lB, Block 108F, Meadow Lane. Plans were discussed
with Lew Mirante. A public hearing was scheduled for
September 12, 1995.
c. Subdivision of Mooreland Hill Trust for a 2 lot subdivision
at Lot 5, Block 51, Chamberlain Highway. Plans were
originally approved in 1992 but the mylar was never filed.
A public hearing was scheduled for September 12, 1995.
d. Site Plan Change of Use of Jack Banks and Paul Carson,
Powerhouse, Inc. at Lots 36C,36D, and 37, Block 83,
Webster Square Road. Only change of use is proposed
for the property with no exterior site changes. Mr. Miller
pointed out that the last use of the property was a car
dealership and most parking spaces are 8 feet wide for
storage. He recommended that the parking lot be restriped
with 9 foot wide parking spaces. A motion was made by
Mrs. Carey, seconded by Ms. Wiley and voted unanimously
to grant site plan change of use with the following
condition:
1. Parking lot be restriped with all 9 foot spaces.
ApProval was granted because the Commission found the
proposal conforms to all Zoning Regulations.
e. Site Plan Application of Amedeo D. Zovich for an 856 square
foot addition to an existing building at Lot Z-25, Block 91,
Washington Avenue. The proposal is a second floor addition
to AMCO Precision Tool. A motion was made by Mr. Moore,
seconded by Ms. Wiley and voted unanimously to grant
site plan approval because the proposed addition conforms
to a variance granted by ZBA.
OTHER COMMISSION BUSINESS
a., A motion was made by Mr. Moore, seconded by Mrs. Carey and
voted unanimously to accept the minutes of July 11, 1995.
A motion was made by Mr. Moore, seconded by Ms. Wiley and
voted unanimously to accept the minutes of July 25, 1995
A motion was made by Mrs. Carey, seconded by Mr. Moore and
voted unanimously to accept the minutes of July 18, 1995.
b. Installation of sidewalks on Quincy Trail was discussed.
After visting the site, it was the consensus of the
Commission to eliminate the requirement for sidewalks,
provided the developer uses the money saved on the
sidewalks to install plantings in the area. The developer,
Lou Valentine, was present and stated that Millane
Nursery of Cromwell is drawing up planting plans and will
do the planting in the fall.
c. Request of Robert Dornfried for bond release, O'Connell
Drive. A motioh was made by Mrs. Carey, seconded by
Mr. Moore and voted unanimously to release all except
$23,100, which is to held as the maintenance bond.
PLANNING COMMISSION - 5 - AUGUST 8, 1995
Request for bond reduction, Wood's Edge Court, Frank Albert.
Mr. Miller reported that the bond is at the 25% minimum.
Signing of documents by the Chairman. There were none.
Communications: none.~
A motion was made by Mrs. Carey, seconded by Mr. Moore and
voted unanimously to add this item to the agenda. A motion
was made by Mrs. Carey, seconded by Mr. Moore and voted
unanimously to authorize payment in the amount of $952.50
to MBA Engineering for work completed in the Cenvest
subdivision.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:10 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Sharon Guite
9
[I