nothin New Haven Independent | Shelton Home Care Agency Expansion Runs into…

Shelton Home Care Agency Expansion Runs into Stiff Opposition

Diana Stricker Photo

L-R: Harry Smith. Rich Stoecker; and architect Michael Helske at right.

A proposal to build new offices on Cedar Street for a home care agency met with disapproval from neighbors who fear the construction could increase flooding and traffic problems that already occur.

Stonewall Lane Associates LLC is hoping to build a two-story office building at 10 Cedar St., across from the Blackstone Library. The half-acre lot, owned by Andrew Porto, was recently subdivided from property that fronts on 736 Main St. The plans were discussed during a public hearing Thursday night at the Canoe Brook Senior Center.  The hearing will be continued at the Nov. 17 P&Z meeting.

In other business Thursday, Town Planner Harry Smith distributed draft copies of a resolution regarding the affordable housing application at 239 Pawson Road. He said it is still being reviewed by the town attorney. The deadline for the commission to vote on the project is early November. The 8‑page draft lists reasons the application can be denied.

Stonewall Architect: Home-like Office Building

We tried to make it look more like a house than a big office building,” said Architect Michael Helske of Spindrift Design in Guilford. Helsky is pictured at right above with Town Planner Harry Smith, at left, and Assistant Town Planner Rich Stoecker. Helske said he revised the designs to make it appear more home-like after suggestions from town staff and the Town Center Revitalization Review Board (TCRRB).

The Cedar Street project was introduced by Attorney Christian B. Shelton who represents Stonewall Lane Associates LLC and the applicant, his father, Charles F. Shelton Jr. of Branford. 

The elder Shelton sits on the town’s Board of Finance and is the president of the Branford Hills Health Care Center off Alps Road, a 190-bed skilled nursing facility that has served the New Haven area for more than three decades. The Stonewall Lane care agency is affiliated with Branford Hills Health Care Center.

Diana Stricker Photo

Engineer Jim Rotondo at left next to applicant Charles Shelton; and attorney Christian Shelton at right.

Attorney Shelton, pictured at right above, said Stonewall Lane Associates has operated the home care and companion agency since 2006. “Its purpose is to provide home care and companion services to the shoreline, especially into the town of Branford,” attorney Shelton said. He said most of their clients are senior citizens.

Christian Shelton’s Legal Woes

According to a June article in the Hartford Courant, Christian B. Shelton was recently reprimanded by state authorities for crafting a “fictitious consulting contract with former Governor John Rowland in 2011 as part of his job as in-house counsel for Brian Foley, owner of Apple Rehab, an Avon-based chain of nursing homes.”

Rowland, Foley, and his wife, Lisa Wilson-Foley were convicted in U.S. District Court of crimes in connection with the consulting contract.

Christian Shelton, whose law offices are in Branford, was officially reprimanded, but he did not lose his license to practice law. 

At the P&Z, Christian Shelton told the commission that the home care agency has temporary offices on Business Park Drive and has been looking for a more permanent location. He said there would only be six people working at the office building and that home care workers would not report to that building. “The amount of traffic that would be on Cedar Street would be extremely limited,” the attorney said.

Office Plans

Diana Stricker Photo

Engineer Jim Rotondo (pictured) of Godfrey Hoffman Associates in North Haven said he met several times with the TCRRB which oversees the Town Center Village District. The TCRRB has not yet approved the designs, and will hold another meeting to review the revised plans. Here he explains a site sketch.

Rotunda, pictured above, said plans call for a 3,177 square-foot building, which would have two stories, but since the land is sloping, it would appear as one story from Cedar Street. Offices would be on the upper floor and file storage on the lower floor. The access road would be from Cedar Street. There would be two parking spaces in front of the building, and 11 spaces in the rear. He described the landscaping and lighting.

Rotondo said the stormwater management plan includes catch basins and subsurface stormwater detention chambers in the front and rear of the building.

Assistant Town Planner Rich Stoecker said the P&Z staff has been working with the TCRRB since the project is in the Town Center Village District. The lot is zoned Restricted Business, but it is surrounded to the west and north by residential properties with R-1 zoning designations.

Town Planner Smith said the developer may need to hire a licensed landscape architect to resolve questions about trees and privacy landscaping for the surrounding homes.

Neighbors: Too Much Traffic; Too Much Flooding

Diana Stricker Photo

Ten neighbors who spoke during the hearing said there are already traffic issues on Cedar Street because of the close proximity of the library, St. Mary Church and St. Mary School. They also said there are flooding issues in the neighborhood, especially on Palmer Road, Barton Court and Palmer Woods Circle.

Louis Deserio of Palmer Road said he has lived in the neighborhood for 50 years and flooding has always been a problem. You could float a boat down Palmer Woods Circle,” he said. He described the traffic on Cedar Street as impossible” and said a traffic light is needed. He asked the commission to look at the site and the neighborhood.

Sharon Downing of Barton Court asked if stormwater runoff from the proposed parking lot would flood her property. Why is this such a big building for six employees?” she asked.

Toni Killion of Palmer Road said she was also concerned about stormwater. Drainage has always been a problem on Palmer Road,” she said. She also said the home care business is a booming industry” and she expressed concerns about the business expanding and adding more employees and traffic. 

Beverly Hewitt of Palmer Woods Circle spoke about the flooding and also questioned the need to build on that site. There are so many other empty buildings in Branford. Why do they have to put it smack dab in the middle of a residential area?” she asked.

Barbara Naylor of Barton Court said flooding on Palmer Woods Circle is legendary. It’s like a lake back there. There’s ducks there.” Another Barton Court neighbor said sump pumps in his basement run continuously, even in the drought.

Numerous Issues

Diana Stricker Photo

P&Z

Charles Andres, who chairs the commission (pictured), said the hearing would be continued in November. There’s been a number of issues raised,” he said, listing stormwater runoff, noise and lighting, privacy and traffic. There’s a ton of concerns about drainage,” he said in regard to the neighbors, adding that he would ask Town Engineer Janice Plaziak to look at the new plans.

Engineer Rotondo said the stormwater drainage system was designed to meet the regulations and it would not exacerbate drainage problem.

Andres said the developers could answer concerns Thursday and then fully address the issues at the next meeting. He suggested the development team meet with the neighbors.

Marcia Chambers contributed reporting for this story.

###

Sign up for our morning newsletter

Don't want to miss a single Independent article? Sign up for our daily email newsletter! Click here for more info.


Post a Comment

Commenting has closed for this entry

Comments

There were no comments