Walnut Tree Developers Present Scaled Down Expansion Plan

By Andrew Gorosko

Walnut Tree Developers, Inc., has submitted a scaled-down expansion proposal for the Walnut Tree Village condominium complex to the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z), cutting the number of units that it proposes building, compared to the expansion project that the P&Z rejected last fall.

In its May 4 submission, the developers propose adding 110 condo units to the 80-unit complex. Last fall, they had proposed adding 133 new units.

Walnut Tree Village is the town’s first condominium project. Construction on the complex intended for people over age 55 started on an 18-acre site on Walnut Tree Hill Road in Sandy Hook in 1995. The initial construction phase, plus the proposed expansion, have both been controversial plans, drawing criticism from nearby residents on several counts.

The developers propose building the 110 new condos on a rugged 35-acre site adjacent to the 18-acre site. Unlike the 18-acre site which is relatively level, the 35-acre site is steep and poses a more complex construction project than the 18-acre site did. The developers propose constructing the second phase of Walnut Tree Village in three distinct stages to limit erosion and sedimentation problems.

In the application to the P&Z, the developers state they have made “substantial changes” in the design of the project, compared to the earlier rejected 133-unit expansion plan.

“We have tried to address the concerns of the commission and believe we have done so,” according to Walnut Tree Developers, a partnership of Louis DeFilio and George Trudell.

P&Z complaints about the 133-unit proposal focused on the need for extensive earthmoving, tree cutting, and recontouring of the landscape.

In their application, the developers state the new version of the expansion project requires only 9,150 cubic yards of fill to be removed from the site, rather than the 25,150 cubic yards of fill that would have had to be removed for the larger project. The developers propose constructing 18 new buildings, plus a clubhouse. Driveways for condos would be at least 26 feet long to allow vehicles to park on the driveways without blocking adjacent sidewalks. P&Z members had complained that driveways constructed during the first phase of the complex were too short.

The revised development plans call for increased landscaping in buffer areas and a reduction in the number of units which would be built on a hillside. Also, the developers propose eliminating a hillside walkway which had been included in their initial expansion plans.

The developers propose building one-story attached units in earth-tone colors. The units would have clapboard siding and optional dormers.

“It’s conceded that no finished living space in the basements of the units is permitted. Where possible, our units provide for an exterior door in the basement,” the developers state, noting the fire marshal prefers dwellings which have more than one exit.

The P&Z and the developers became embroiled in conflict last fall when the developers sought P&Z endorsement for having created “walkout” basements in some units of the 80-unit first phase without having first sought direct P&Z approval to create “walkout” features, such as windows and doors, in the basements.

In April, P&Z members unanimously refused to endorse the creation of walkout basements.        

The basement controversy was one of several conflicts between the P&Z and the developers over the many changes which the developers had made to plans for the first phase of the complex without first having received direct P&Z approvals. The developers have countered they received approvals for the changes from town staff members. 

The developers say they would install a gate to prevent construction vehicles from traveling through the 80-unit first phase of Walnut Tree Village while they build the 110-unit second phase. Also, dust control would be employed during construction.

A traffic study performed for the developers by I.K. Chann Associates of Wilton found “Walnut Tree Hill Road has ample capacity to accommodate the small increase in traffic associated with this project.” A second access driveway to the site would be constructed south of the existing driveway.

Chann found that the “project can be accommodated safely on Walnut Tree Hill Road, and will not have an adverse impact on traffic operations, safety, and capacity.”

The Conservation Commission recently determined that the 110-unit expansion project would have no significant adverse effect on the underlying Pootatuck Aquifer. Sanitary sewers and a public water supply would serve the 110 units.

In rejecting the 133-unit expansion plans last fall, P&Z members questioned the high construction density of the project and urged that the developers preserve the property’s natural features and limit paving on the site. 

Issues included the extent of regrading; the amount of fill which would be removed from the site; unacceptably steep slope cuts; and the closeness of buildings. The P&Z suggested that extensive physical disturbance to the site could be reduced by a revised site design in which building sizes are reduced and housing densities are reduced to a point that would better maintain the natural features and contours of the land. Following the rejection of the earlier expansion proposal, the developers had conferences with town land use staff members to determine what would make for an acceptable development plan.