P&Z Approves Site Plans For 5/6 School

By Andrew Gorosko

The Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) has approved site development plans for the proposed $33.2-million Grade 5/6 public school envisioned for town property at Fairfield Hills.

P&Z members approved the design plans for the 168,000-square-foot building and related site improvements in a 5-to-0 vote on April 5. Voting in favor of the project were Chairman Daniel Fogliano and P&Z members James Boylan, Lilla Dean, Robert Taylor, and Anthony Klabonski.

P&Z members approved the project with few questions for school officials, in contrast with past P&Z meetings on the school project at which there was extensive discussion when school officials sought preliminary approvals for the project.

School officials hope to put the school construction proposal to a public vote in June. The town is soliciting construction bids for the project.

P&Z members placed several conditions on their approval of the site plans.

The school system must construct a 12-foot-wide hard-surfaced, gated driveway linking Old Farm Road to Wasserman Way. The fire marshal’s office requires such a driveway for alternate fire vehicle access to the site.

Also, a planned driveway linking Trades Lanes to the site must be 20 feet wide, instead of 16 feet wide. The P&Z also is requiring that lightposts on the site be no taller than 25 feet.

In approving the site plans, P&Z members decided that the project meets the requirements of the town’s Public School (PS) zone. The P&Z created the PS zone in the past specifically for the construction of the Grade 5/6 school.

School officials told P&Z members the town has received approval from the Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) for sanitary sewer service for the school. The town also has received approval from the state and from the Potatuck Land Company to connect Fairfield Hills’ public drinking water supply to the school. The fees for water service will be established before the school opens.

The school site will have 257 parking spaces, plus seven spaces for handicapped parking, and 24 spaces for school bus parking.

The building proposed for the 19.2-acre site is designed to house up to 1,100 students in grades 5 and 6. Main access to the site would be from Trades Lane. The building is projected to open in January 2003.

School officials provided P&Z members with two sets of numbers concerning traffic that would be generated by a new school. One set indicates there would be 530 vehicles entering and 530 vehicles leaving the premises daily. The other set of numbers shows 1,011 vehicles arriving and 1,011 vehicle leaving daily. School officials said they used the higher set of numbers in presenting the plans for state review.

The Conservation Commission has approved the school system’s plans to build an elaborate stormwater drainage system on the site, intended to protect the water quality in a nearby trout stream.

The site will require extensive regrading to prepare it for school construction.