Hattertown Road Subdivision Proposal Encounters Obstacles

By Andrew Gorosko

A proposal to create a four-lot residential subdivision on Hattertown Road has encountered some technical stumbling blocks amid the developer’s goal of constructing new homes on the property.

Civil engineer John McCoy of JFM Engineering, Inc, of Ridgefield, representing Hattertown, LLC, told Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members on May 1 that the development proposal has encountered some obstacles.

Hattertown, LLC, proposes the home construction project for a steeply sloped 11.4-acre site at 22 Hattertown Road, which has a significant amount of wetlands. The property is on the west side of Hattertown Road, about 700 feet north of Hattertown Road’s intersection with Poverty Hollow Road. The property has F/R-1 zoning.

The subdivision proposal drew various concerns from nearby property owners at a February 21 public hearing. The May 1 session was a continuation of that hearing.

The developer recalculated its design for the project because town wetlands regulators declared there to be more wetlands on the property than previously thought, Mr McCoy said.

Also, the town health department testing resulted in the need to redesign the septic systems proposed for the property, Mr McCoy said.

Also, there are issues concerning stormwater drainage control on the site, he said.

Depending on what happens in terms of the various pending developmental issues, the developer may withdraw its P&Z application from consideration, Mr McCoy said.

Based on design changes stemming from the pending issues, the developer would provide P&Z with revised mapping for the project, Mr McCoy said. Those revisions would include changes in the proposed boundary lines of building lots, he said.

At the February P&Z public hearing, Mr McCoy presented plans that included curving driveways that would extend from Hattertown Road to the home sites. The driveway curvature would be necessary to meet P&Z’s steepness limits for driveways. Retaining walls would be built to hold back earthen areas near the driveways.

At the February session, issues raised by nearby property owners included traffic safety concerning motorist sight lines and school bus travel, as well as stormwater drainage control, water quality preservation, and open space access.