nothin New Haven Independent | Sterling Ridge Housing Project Gains Favor

Sterling Ridge Housing Project Gains Favor

With Permission

The long-proposed Sterling Ridge residential project, in the heart of one of Branford’s historic districts, may be nearer to reality.

The Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission discussed the most recent plans Thursday and asked the town planner to draft a resolution in favor of the project. The commission may vote on the resolution at the July 6 meeting. The property owner is seeking a modification of a previous Planned Development District (PDD) and Master Plans. If approved, the next step would be filing specific site plans.

Diana Stricker Photo

P&Z

In other business Thursday, the P&Z (pictured) approved plans for the Branford Electric Railway Association to use a garage on their property for a wood shop to repair vintage trolley cars.

Looking ahead, a public hearing will be held July 6 at 7 p.m. at the community room at Fire Headquarters for renovations of Walsh Intermediate School. Plans for a new industrial building on North Branford Road are also expected to be presented at that meeting.

Sterling Ridge

Public hearings for the Sterling Ridge project began April 20 and concluded June 1. The commission has until July 20 to reach a decision.

Attempts by various owners to develop the property over the past decade have been held up by legal appeals filed by the Branford Historical Society and by neighbors.

Alan Genn of Greenwich purchased the property for $500,000 in 2014.

The most recent plan calls for construction of four 2-unit buildings on a 3.45 acre lot at 26 Cherry Hill Road. The lot also includes an existing house, known as the McCabe House, on the northern end of the property. The site is across the street from the Canoe Brook Senior Center, and adjacent to the historic Harrison House on Main Street. The neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Commissioners at Thursday’s meeting seemed in favor of the PDD changes — with conditions.

Charles Andres, who chairs the P& Z, gave credit to neighbors and the Historical Society for working with the developer in an attempt to resolve some of the issues.

Diana Stricker Photo

Town Planner Harry Smith (pictured), who will draft a resolution and detail the conditions, said any agreements reached by the various attorneys will be incorporated into the conditions, as the attorneys requested earlier this month.

Another condition will address the blasting plan and the creation of a rock slope, which were discussed during the public hearing sessions. A report by a geotechnical engineer regarding the stability of the proposed rock slope is part of the record of the hearing.

Andres said when looking at the big picture, the current plans are better than previous ones over the years.

Commissioner Marci Palluzzi said the plans have less impact on wetlands and the ridge, and there are fewer units proposed.

The initial Sterling Ridge proposal in 2003 called for construction of condominiums in four buildings, and the demolition of the 1820 Wyllys Russell House at 162 Main St., and the 1928 McCabe House at 26 Cherry Hill Road.

Martha Bradshaw and Ann Trapasso, both members of the Branford Historical Society,  spearheaded a campaign in 2003 to save the Russell House. The Wyllys Russell House was eventually divided from the property, and was sold and restored.

A development plan was approved in 2005, but an appeal was filed by the Branford Historical Society and by Trapasso, who lives adjacent to the site.  A court settlement agreement was reached and the P&Z approved the modified plans on Feb. 1, 2007. The development never materialized, and the property changed owners a couple times.

Walsh Hearing July 6

The P&Z will hold a public hearing on the proposed Walsh Intermediate School project which is estimated to cost $88.8 million. The town is hoping for about $30 million in state reimbursement. First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove testified in March before the state legislature’s Education Committee in Hartford regarding the need for a state allocation. Reimbursement requests for new or renovated schools are in limbo while the state struggles to adopt a budget.

The Zoning Board of Appeals has approved variances for Walsh; and the IWC unanimously approved the project last month, saying there would be little impact on wetlands.

New Industrial Site?

A public hearing was opened for the proposed construction of an industrial building on 101 and 115 North Branford Road. However, the developer chose not to make a presentation until the July 6 meeting.

The site is owned by 101 North Branford LLC, based in Hamden. According to the P&Z staff report, the owners plan to construct a two-story building, and lease space and services to a variety of tenants. They would market the building to contractors and trade professional such as plumbers, electricians, etc.

The project has already been approved by the Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC).

Repairing Trolleys

Wayne Sandford, president of the Branford Electric Railway Association which runs the Shoreline Trolley Museum, asked for a special exception to use a garage for a wood shop for repairing the historic trolley cars.

The garage is located on AlexWarfield Road, near the East Haven line, on property purchased by the association.

“It would be where we do our woodworking for the foreseeable future,” Sandford said during the public hearing. He said it took a couple years and several dumpsters to clear debris off the property.

He said the wood shop is currently located in a building which is in the floodplain and is subject to frequent flooding. Sandford said it takes about 100 hours to lift the tools and equipment off the floor so they don’t get flooded when a storm is predicted. The garage is located at a higher elevation.

He said no changes would be made to the exterior of the garage.

A few neighbors expressed concerns about potential noise, saying that it’s a very quiet neighborhood.

Sandford said volunteers who do the woodworking only work during daylight hours, and do not work everyday.

The commissioners approved the request, with conditions relating to hours and days of operation.

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