P&Z Oversees a Four Hour Marathon

The Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission held a marathon four-hour session Thursday with seven public hearings ranging from dog kennels to solar panels to condo projects. Even an old project, Sterling Ridge, found its way back to the commission. And when the hearings were over, The P&Z approved a special exception that will enable Hallock’s popular warehouse and outlet store to move to Branford. The outlet is currently located in West Haven.

Two hearings were continued, four projects were approved and one was discussed but no vote was taken. The commission scheduled five new hearings for Dec. 15 for new applications, and they discussed other projects that didn’t require hearings.

The meeting was held at the Community Room of Fire Headquarters due to the large number of people attending. All P&Z hearings will be held there in the upcoming year.

The hearings that were continued included a proposal to build an office building across from the Blackstone Library; and a plan to put solar panels on the town’s former landfill on Tabor Drive. Discussions were held on a request to amend zoning regulations for dog kennels, but no decision was made.

Public hearings for four smaller projects resulted in unanimous approvals — including an amendment regarding a moratorium; a minor change to the Riverwalk development; a special exception for Hallock’s outlet store to move to Cedar Street; and restoration and grading at a home on Brainerd Road.

Stonewall Lane Associates Home-Care Offices

Plans to build offices on a vacant lot at 10 Cedar St., across from Blackstone Library, were revised since they were presented at the initial public hearing in October. Neighbors at that time voiced concerns about stormwater flooding and traffic. The one-hour hearing Thursday will be continued next month.

The applicant, Charles F. Shelton Jr. of Branford, who serves on the town’s Board of Finance, wants to build a two-story office building for the Shelton family’s Stonewall Lane Associates home care and companion agency. The business, which has operated since 2006, has temporary offices on Business Park Drive.

Engineer Jim Rotondo of Godfrey Hoffman Associates in North Haven, pictured above, said he met with some of the neighbors to discuss their concerns about stormwater drainage problems that currently exist in the area. He said the proposed stormwater drainage system should result in less runoff.

Rotunda said the developer hired a landscape architect, as requested by the commission last month, to develop landscaping and fencing that would provide privacy buffers for the adjacent residential properties.

Rotondo said the offices would accommodate six employees now, but could increase to 10 employees.  He said the home care aides do not report to the offices. “We do not anticipate any traffic impact,” he said.

Michael Helske of Spindrift Design in Guilford said the team met again with the Town Center Revitalization Review Board (TCRRB). “They required we make a couple changes,” he said, such as using wood planking instead of vinyl siding. The area is in the Town Center Village District.

Five neighbors said they were still concerned about a potential increase in the flooding, which has been ongoing for years, and also about the traffic problems.

“We don’t need any extra water coming down,” said Louis Deserio of Palmer Road.

Commission member Fred Russo suggested the developer get data from police about the number of traffic accidents in that area.

P&Z chair Chuck Andres said the hearing would remain open until December so more input could be received from police, the town engineer and the TCRRB.

Solar Panels for Tabor Raise Questions about View

Solar City Corporation has applied for a special exception to install a solar-based electric energy generating facility on the south facing slope of the town’s closed landfill at 100 Tabor Road.

But concerns were voiced by town staff.  Town Planner Harry Smith said both he Dan McGowan, manager of the town’s Solid Waste and Recycling Department, had questions about the height of a chain-link fence in regard to views from Ecology Park.

The Board of Selectmen approved the Solar City contract in July 2015.

Attorney Joey Lee Miranda, a partner of the Robinson & Cole law firm in Hartford, told the commission the plans call for a 432 kilowatt solar facility. She said the overall site is more than 38 acres and that the project would utilize 3.5 of those acres. The solar site would be surrounded by an 8‑foot chain-link fence, and access would be from an existing road.

Dean Gustafson, an environmental scientist with All Points Technology in Killingworth, said the project would be located on the south end of the capped landfill in the central portion of the Tabor parcel near Ecology Park. He said the facility can be seen from the park’s gazebo when people look south toward Long Island Sound. However, he said it doesn’t block the view.

Two residents expressed concern about how the facility would impact views. Brad Perry of Waverly Park Road said the gazebo at the top of the landfill ​“has sweeping views” and that there could be better placement for the solar panels.

Town Planner Smith said there is missing information in the application and that the fire marshal said a revision is needed to allow access for emergency vehicles. McGowan also submitted a report with several concerns.

Andres said the hearing would remain open until the December 15 meeting for additional information.

Should Zoning be Changed for Dog Kennels?

Veterinarian Scott Gavaletz, who just received approval to build a pet hospital on Route 139, is now requesting that he be allowed to include a kennel on the property. The new hospital will replace the Branford Veterinary Hospital which is currently located at 201 E. Main St., and has been in business 79 years.

The commission unanimously approved the hospital following a public hearing earlier this month. The plans call for a two-story hospital, grooming, daycare services and indoor/outdoor exercise yards.

On Thursday, Gavaletz asked the commission for an amendment to zoning regulations regarding dog kennels.

“My vision was to offer clients a full-service facility that would cater to all their pets needs in one location,” Gavaletz said.

He said the current zoning regulations require a 5‑acre parcel with 150-foot setbacks for a dog kennel. ​“I firmly believe a 5‑acre requirement is no longer realistic or necessary to operate a safe, clean, modern dog boarding kennel.”

Gavaletz said the new amendment would not allow dog breeding kennels in Branford. The proposed amendment would also eliminate dog kennels in Limited Business and Restricted Business zones, and would only allow them in Industrial zones. There would also be a 200-foot setback from all residential zones.

Assistant Town Planner Rich Stoecker said the proposed amendment ​“appears to make sense” and is based on similar zoning regulations in other towns. He said the zone change would not affect the two existing dog kennels.

Marc Riccio, a member of the Representative Town Meeting, spoke on behalf of a constituent who has problems with an unauthorized dog boarding site at a residential home. He said people have expressed a concern that the zoning change would allow kennels in residential areas.

However, the zoning change would actually only allow kennels in Industrial zones.

Barbara Butler, who owns the Shoreline Pet Lodge on Pine Orchard Road, also spoke during the public hearing. She questioned the logic of changing the acreage requirement and said she and her husband were required to purchase an additional two acres before they could open their kennel.

Butler said she welcomes the larger pet hospital, but doesn’t think new zoning regulations are needed. She suggested Gavaletz could do medical boarding or apply for an exception. She also said the amendment could open the doors for too many kennels.

The commission discussed the amendment request briefly but did not take a vote.

Sterling Ridge Reappears

Attorney Bernard Pellegrino (pictured), of the Pellegrino Law Firm in New Haven, who represents the prospective developer of the Sterling Ridge project at 26 Cherry Hill Road, asked the commissioners Thursday to exclude their property from a six-month moratorium on duplexes that the P&Z recently enacted. After discussion, the P&Z did just that.

Pellegrino said their proposal involves a Planned Development District (PDD) and would result in fewer units than originally proposed.

The property in question is a 3.45 acre lot at 26 Cherry Hill Road located between Route 1 and Main Street. It is part of the Canoe Brook Historic District which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Developer Alan Genn of Greenwich purchased the property in 2014 through his 26 Cherry Hill LLC corporation for $500,000.

Several different owners have proposed several development plans for Sterling Ridge over the past 13 years. The P&Z approved a plan in 2005, but an appeal was filed by neighbor Ann Trapasso and the Branford Historical Society.  The historic Harrison House is also adjacent to the site. A settlement agreement was reached and the P&Z approved modified plans on Feb. 1, 2007.

The P&Z public hearings in 2015 involved a request by Genn to revise the Planned Development District (PDD) that was approved in 2007. Genn’s revised plans called for construction of three buildings on the southern half of the property, totaling 12 condos; plus the existing home on the northern half of the property. In September 2015, the developer withdrew the plans just hours before the P&Z was set to deny the project.

The developer then requested and received a town permit to begin building the 2007 project after it became apparent that revised plans would not be approved. Trapasso filed an appeal in October 2015, claiming the 2007 plan expired. The matter has been on the docket of the Zoning Board of Appeals since then while the sides discussed the issues.

“We reached an understanding conceptually,” Pellegrino told the P&Z at Thursday’s hearing. He said the new proposal would reduce the number of condo units to eight. He asked that the property be excluded from the six-month moratorium on new duplex applications, especially since the moratorium could be extended.

Town Planner Harry Smith said he didn’t think that it was the intention of the commission to include PDD modifications in the moratorium.

Trapasso, who attended the hearing, said the plans are not ready to be submitted in her opinion. “There’s lots of things have not been settled about these plans,” she told the commission.

Pellegrino said excluding their potential application from the moratorium “allows our team to get back up and running.”

Andres said there is a possibility the moratorium could be extended, and that the commission wasn’t addressing PDD’s when they enacted the moratorium.

The vote to approve Pellegrino’s request was unanimously approved. Commissioner Joe Chadwick recused himself from voting due to his ties to the Historical Society.

Other Business

The commission unanimously approved two other proposals following public hearings:

—- A special exception that will allow the H.P. Hallock Co. to move its appliance warehouse and showroom outlet store to 174 Cedar St. Site plans will have to be approved before any changes are made to the property. The Hallock’s appliance retail store on Route 1 in Branford will remain.

— A request to modify the PDD at the Riverwalk condominium development which would reduce the setback requirements in some areas.

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