Happy New Year!

The Planning Commission is scheduled to meet this Thursday, January 14th @ 6:30 p.m. at the Police Dept. Conference Room located at 145 Maple Street. This first item of every meeting starts with 'Public Comments.' This is an opportunity for someone to discuss any concern or submit any suggestions regarding the world of planning and development! There are two applications scheduled:

1. 302 Colchester Road - The landowners, Roland & Clairette Berard, are selling their lot to Chris DiStefano, contingent on site plan approval to accommodate a contractor's yard and office space. The proposal is to convert the house into office space. Mr. Berard operated a lawnmower repair shop for many years in a shop behind the house. The shop will be razed and replaced with a new (35’ x 62’) shop for the landscaping business. The proposal includes outdoor storage of materials i.e. topsoil, mulch, etc.

2. Application of Linwood Bushey & Ken & Scott Pidgeon d/b/a K & S Properties. Sketch is the first of two application reviews for this proposal. Mr. Pidgeon is the hopeful buyer of the new lot - if approved. A 74.6-acre parcel will be subdivided and result in a 62.3-acre industrial lot and a 12.3-acre residential lot located at 289 River Road in the Agricultural-Residential (AR) & Industrial (I1) Zoning Districts. Tax Map 3, Parcel 3-3. There is no plan for development of the lot at this time. The Planning Commission will need to review the request to subdivide at a second hearing, called Final Plan review. Once the landowner decides on the type of business for the newly created lot, a third meeting would be required to address site plan issues such as traffic, drainage, stormwater, etc.

The Zoning Board met on January 7th to discuss a variance request for 29 remaining lots located in Pinewood Manor, Section H (Stonebrook Circle & Evergreen Drive). The application was continued to February 4th @ 6:00 p.m. at the same location (police building). The Zoning Board requested that the applicant provide specific variance details for each lot. The variance is being requested to provide a greater distance from the steep slopes and greater buffers to the wetlands. A couple of the neighbors attended the meeting (Thank You!) and did not have an issue with granting a variance, however did not want to see a straight line of houses all on the 25' front yard setback.

Hope to see you at the meeting!