Residents living near the Old Green Road site proposed for a one-million-gallon Aquarion Water Company water storage tank intended to serve the firm's central water supply system, have raised questions about the effects that the concrete structure would have on the neighborhood.Public QuestionsAquarion Viewpoint

About 15 residents attended an April 19 Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) public hearing on the proposed water tank, which is intended to improve the public water supply's functioning and reliability, including fire hydrant reliability. Old Green Road is a residential street in Sandy Hook that connects Walnut Tree Hill Road to Horseshoe Ridge Road.

Aquarion has about 2,200 customer accounts locally, the large majority of which are served by its central water supply system. The firm also owns two much smaller neighborhood water systems.

The Old Green Road area is not served by Aquarion, but the firm has said that residents there who are adjacent to a 16-inch-diameter water main, which would be installed to link the proposed water tank to the Aquarion water system, could connect to the water main at those residents' expense. Also, Aquarion has said it would install two fire hydrants along the planned water main to provide fire protection along the southeastern section of Old Green Road.

Attorney Peter Olson, representing Aquarion, told P&Z members that the proposed columnar concrete tank, which would stand 50 feet tall and be 62 feet wide, would be located at a high elevation at 13 Old Green Road.

That 5.17-acre residentially zoned property is owned by Martha Conti. The water tank would be set back roughly 800 feet from Old Green Road. The reinforced tank would occupy just over 3,000 square feet of ground area. Such a tank is designed to provide at least 80 years of service. Aquarion's high-yield water wells, which are located at 219 South Main Street, would provide the water stored in the tank.

The site is on the west side of Old Green Road, across Old Green Road from its intersection with Valley Field Road South. The site is in a R-2 zone, within which such water tanks are allowed through P&Z approval of a special zoning permit and a site development plan.

If Aquarion receives the P&Z approvals to construct the tank, Aquarion would buy the 5.17-acre lot at 13 Old Green Road, which contains a Colonial-style house that was built in 1970. The company may sell that house and adjacent land. An existing driveway at the property would be extended rearward to provide the water company with access to the tank, which would stand on a separate lot.

Neighborhood residents with concerns about the installation and operation of a water tank raised questions about the proposal during the public comment section of the hearing.

David Smiley of 2 Valley Field Road South, which lies across Old Green Road from the site, asked about the project adversely affecting his property's value. Mr Smiley said he expects that his property would lose more value than Aquarion would acknowledge.

Karen Smiley, of the same address, said she does not support the water tank project. Ms Smiley noted there has been a lack of concern among people in the neighborhood about the project. The tank would exceed a 42-foot height limit for structures in such areas, she said. A recent display by Aquarion to demonstrate the tank's height was not effective, she added.

Ms Smiley stressed that she lives near the site, adding, "I find the design very ugly... commercial, utilitarian."

The structure would be the color of concrete - pale gray. It would have a shallow dome atop its curving walls. An air vent would extend several feet upward from the top of the dome.

Ms Smiley stressed that the industrial structure would be located in an area where there are single-family houses. She warned that such a tank might become a place where youths loiter to drink alcohol and vandalize with graffiti. She suggested that Aquarion construct a water tank near its water wells.

P&Z Chairman Donald Mitchell said that any water tank constructed near those wells on South Main Street would need to be much taller than the tank proposed for Old Green Road, when considering the importance of a tank's elevation in relation to water customers' locations. The Old Green Road site has an elevation more than 200 feet higher than the wells' elevation.

Of the development application, Ms Smiley said, "I feel it's being rushed." The installation of a tank and a connecting water main will cause much disruption in the area, she said.

Karlyn Sturmer of 22 Old Green Road said the neighborhood would not benefit from the presence of a water tank. She suggested that Aquarion provide water service to people living in the area. She also suggested demolishing the house at 13 Old Green Road. Ms Sturmer criticized Aquarion's landscaping plan in terms of the type of plants it proposes.

Kathryn Keane of 20 Old Green Road stated her opposition to the tank project. Truck traffic connected with a tank's presence would damage her property's value, she said. Ms Keane said there was inadequate notice given about the tank project.

Patrick O'Dell of 49 Schoolhouse Hill Road said he would be able to see the tank from his property. Its presence would damage his property's value, he added. The neighborhood would not benefit from a tank's presence, but would have its property values drop, he charged.

Ken Chimileski of 22 Walnut Tree Hill Road asked whether the tank site is habitat for an environmentally threatened type of turtle.

Matthew Montana of 12 Old Green Road said he opposes the project because it would not benefit the neighborhood.

In response to questions posed by residents, Mr Olson said the future of the house on the site remains unclear. Aquarion employees have not been inside the building, he said. If the house is sold by Aquarion, the new owner would have some restrictions placed on the property's use, Mr Olson said. The tank site's landscaping plan would be modified, if needed, he said. Aquarion followed applicable rules on providing public notice of the P&Z hearing, he added.

To provide fire protection for the area, Aquarion would install fire hydrants at the intersection of Old Green Road and Valley Field Road South and at the intersection of Old Green Road and Walnut Tree Hill Road.

Carolyn Giampe, who manages Aquarion's capital projects, said that on average, water system customers use about 600,000 gallons of water daily. It is uncommon for a water supply system as large as Aquarion's Newtown central system to have so little water storage capacity, especially in terms of fire protection, she said. Aquarion currently operates a 540,000-gallon steel water storage tank at a high elevation at 14 Reservoir Road.

The firm researched nine possible sites before proposing 13 Old Green Road as the location for the proposed tank, Ms Giampe said. The firm chose the site based on its elevation, its general suitability, and the current owner's willingness to sell the property, according to Aquarion.

Engineer Salvatore Longo, representing Aquarion, said that water tank installation would require some tree removal. Landscaping trees would be planted at the site. The tank would operate on gravity power without the need for a water pump, Mr Longo said. Water in the water supply system would flow in and out of the tank, as needed, via the proposed water main, he said. The tank would be surrounded by security fencing.

Engineer William Andres, representing Aquarion, said the construction project could start in late summer, with workers returning in the spring of 2019. About eight months of construction work would be required for the project, he said. There would be no lighting at the water tank, he said.

Landscape architect Matthew Popp, representing Aquarion, described landscaping elements that would be planted at the site, including the types of trees and shrubs that would be planted, as well as their number.

An appraiser for Aquarion, who researched the project's possible effects on nearby property values, said such construction would have little effect on nearby real estate values.

The P&Z's public hearing on the water tank proposal was scheduled to resume on the night of Thursday, April 26. The P&Z agreed to continue the public hearing to allow a lawyer, representing people who own property next to the site, to comment on the development application.