RECEIVED JUNE 28, 2010 @ 8:51 A.M.
Michele R. Grande, Redding Town Clerk
3 pages
Public Hearing Minutes
June 23, 2010
7:30 p.m.-Hearing Room Town Hall
100 Redding Road
Town of Redding, Connecticut
Present: ~~ Gerry Casiello, Chairman; John Shaban, Vice Chairman; Ben Gordon, Secretary; Marshall Sanford; Joe Ventricelli, Ted Ogonek; Gary Miyashiro
Also Present: Robert Flanagan, ZEO
Mr. Ogonek was seated for Mr. Shaban, who arrived after the meeting began and was then seated.
PUBLIC HEARING – Redding Country Club, 109 Lonetown Road – Continuation of the Special Permit and Site Plan Review
MOTION: ~Made by Mr. Sanford and seconded by Mr. Ventricelli to open the public hearing. Carried unanimously.
Attorney Richard Gibbons, representing the Redding Country Club presented the application and answered questions from the Commission. The Conservation Commission approved the application at their last meeting. There were four issues with regard to the Milone and MacBroom engineering report that were unsettled. More detail was requested. Both the engineer for the project and the landscape architect sent additional detail to Milone and MacBroom. (Mr. Shaban arrived at 7:33 p.m.) The revised plan includes two handicapped van parking spaces. Attorney Gibbons submitted a letter confirming agreement with the Milone and MacBroom report and the Country Club’s intended compliance. Attorney Gibbons repeated that this was not an expansion of use but an alleviation of a parking issue.
Mr. Casiello said that letters had been received from the Redding Conservation Commission, dated June 15, 2010, confirming conditional approval; also received was a letter from the Town Health Department saying that a B100 septic system was necessary and they approve the application; the Planning Commission voted unanimously on May 11, 2010 that the improvements shown on the site plan were n accordance with the Town Plan of Conservation and Development. Letters from neighbors were also received.
Elizabeth Dudley, 127 Lonetown Road, read a statement into the record with regard to being curator of the Highstead Property with her husband. Mrs. Dudley said that loud property maintenance machinery is in operation on the RCC property from as early as 5:30 a.m., which impacts the ability to enjoy the benefits that Highstead offer. Mrs. Dudley said that the RCC is in violation of conditions attached to its original special permit issued in 1966, including inadequate noise absorption and visual buffering. Removal of the current buffering trees that are sixty to eighty feet high and replacing them with trees that are eight feet tall is not acceptable. Mrs. Dudley said that the proposed expansion will have a deep and lasting impact on the Highstead property.
David Foster, Director of The Harvard Forest and President of the Highstead Foundation. Mr. Foster read into the record and submitted a copy of a letter from himself and Bill Toomey, Director of Highstead. His comments included that the expansion activities were contrary to Zoning regulations and concerns with the impact of ongoing development and commercial expansion of the Lonetown neighborhood. Mr. Foster and Mr. Toomey strongly urged denial of the application.
Attorney Edward Mellick, Mellick and Sexton, P.C., represents Highstead Arboretum and made comments with regard to the need for submission of a new special permit application, not an amended or re-stated special permit.
Gene Connolly, representing the Redding Land Trust, read a letter dated June 21, 2010 into the record, urging denial of the application.
A letter received from Laura Sellick, 59 John Read Road, urging denial, was read into the record by Marshall Sanford.
Raymond D’Angelo, 4 Cross Highway, representing the Redding Preservation Society, said that the plan represents significant intensity of use and that the proposed merger of properties is an expansion. Mr. D’Angelo also expressed concern about the John Read III house, circa 1750, which the RCC owns and rents, and that an historic easement would not be placed on that building to preserve it from unreasonable demolition. The RCC has acquired property in the past that has led to demolition. Mr. D’Angelo urged denial of the application.
Ed Zuback, 32 Drummer Lane, questioned if the proposed work was necessary to accommodate 40 cars for a period of time that is equivalent to 18% of the year.
Gene Connolly, 30 Meeker Hill Road, suggested that a preservation easement would be an important condition should the application be approved.
Zach Smith, 262 Umpawaug Road, expressed concern that the Highstead property would be negatively impacted by the proposed work at RCC.
Bill Hill, John Read Road, expressed concerns over incremental degradation of the habitat and said that the expansion is unnecessary.
Charlie Couch, 5 Topstone Road, Town Historian, made comments as to historic background of the area and structures and strongly opposes the application.
Sharon Epstein, 32 Drummer Lane, made comments as to removal of the buffer and the noise factor.
Bill Toomey, Director of Highstead, asked if the RCC was permanently protected open space and if the six aces were merged to the existing RCC property, would that property be considered permanently protected open space as well.
Attorney Gibbons responded to many of the comments made.
1. The RCC has no intention of changing the use of the John Read III house, as there was concern that it would be turned into a pool house.
2. The proposed parking lot will be used more intensely in the summer but is intended to be used for the full year.
3. The application is an amended special permit, was reviewed by Town Attorney Mick Lavelle.
4. There is no proposed increase in use of the RCC.
5. DOT permit will not be obtained until all local approvals have been obtained.
6. The size of the proposed trees for buffering can be changed to accommodate requests from concerned neighbors, and the pro-
posed lighting can be put on a timer system so as not to impact neighbors at off business hours.
MOTION: ~Made by Mr. Ventricelli, and seconded by Mr. Sanford to close the public hearing. Carried
unanimously.
PUBLIC HEARING-Sean Keenan & Patricia Casillo, 417 Rock House Road—Special Permit and Site Plan
MOTION: ~Made by Mr. Sanford and seconded by Mr. Ventricelli to open the public hearing. Carried unanimously
Robert Flanagan, Zoning Enforcement Officer, presented a list of 13 documents received with regard to this application and entered them into the record. Mr. Flanagan said that the Zoning office had received reports that trucks were entering and exiting Rock House Road, moving material and that there was some type of activity within adjacent to wetland soils. A cease and desist letter was issued, and it was discovered that approximately 730 cubic yards of material had been moved. Property owner Sean Keenan was present and answered questions from Commission. Mr. Keenan said that there were boulder piles on the lot and that there was a steep manmade hill made of loose rock, constructed by the former owner. Mr. Keenan purchased the lot, cleaned up most of the materials and moved the boulder pile. He was not aware of zoning
requirements prohibiting these kinds of activity. The only activity left is the planting of shrubs on the face of the hill. A letter from the Planning Commission was received expressing approval of the after the fact activity and Inland Wetlands approval as well.
MOTION: ~Made by Mr. Shaban, and seconded by Mr. Sanford to close the public hearing. Carried
unanimously.
Respectfully Submitted,
Val Koniecki, Clerk
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