P&Z Awaits Traffic Comments On Office Building Project

By Andrew Gorosko

Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members are awaiting comments from the Police Commission on the expected traffic impact of a 20,000-square-foot office building proposed for 174 Mt Pleasant Road (Route 6), near the Bethel town line.

On April 17, P&Z members held the second segment of a public hearing on the office building proposal. An initial public hearing was held on March 6.

However, because P&Z members had not received formal comments on the traffic implications of the project from the Police Commission by April 17, the P&Z opted to tentatively resume the P&Z hearing on May 1, provided that the Police Commission’s traffic comments are available by then. The Police Commission is the local traffic authority.

At an April 1 Police Commission session, at the commission members’ request, Police Chief Michael Kehoe said he would provide individual copies of the developer’s traffic report on the office building project to commission members, who would review that report before their regularly scheduled May 6 session.

P&Z Chairman Lilla Dean said the P&Z does not want to proceed with the office building application before receiving the Police Commission’s traffic comments. Those comments must be received before the P&Z closes its public hearing on the application, she said.

Mount Pleasant Road, LLC, is the developer which is seeking a special permit for the proposed two-story office building.

Attorney Robert Hall, representing the applicant, told P&Z members on April 17 that certain technical changes have been made to the site plans for the project, including parking changes. Those revisions slightly reduce the number of parking spaces designated for the proposed building.

Mr Hall said that United Water has agreed to provide water service for domestic use and for fire protection for both the proposed new building and an existing building at the site, which currently houses Grace Christian Fellowship.

The proposed new 20,000-square-foot office building would be constructed on a site directly north of the 12,000-square foot building holding Grace Christian Fellowship Church. A single driveway extending from Mt Pleasant Road would serve both structures. The new building would be set back 450 feet from Mt Pleasant Road.

The church group has received P&Z approval to construct a new church off Hawleyville Road (Route 25), near Exit 9 of Interstate 84. The church would move to its new quarters after they are constructed. It is unclear how the building that now houses the church would be used in the future.

The lot which holds the existing building is 1.2 acres. The proposed building would be constructed on a 2.8-acre lot. The overall site would contain a total 150 parking spaces. Of that number, 90 spaces would be reserved for the proposed building, and 60 spaces designated for the existing building.

Equale and Cirone, LLP, an accounting firm, would relocate its Danbury and New Milford facilities to the new office building after it is constructed. A financial services firm also would locate there.