Regency at Newtown—

Developer Says Steep Slopes

At Condo Complex Would Be Stable

By Andrew Gorosko

The developer of a 59-unit age-restricted condominium complex proposed for Oakview Road this week assured Conservation Commission members that its development design, which involves the construction of some units atop steep slopes, is a safe design that would not jeopardize the slopes’ stability.

Representatives of Toll Brothers, Inc, told Conservation Commission members at a June 22 public hearing that the results of subsurface testing indicate that the 21 Oakview Road site is a geologically suitable place to construct the proposed Regency at Newtown complex for people over age 55. The 51-acre site is near Newtown High School.

The environmentally sensitive Pootatuck River, which is a spawning ground for brook trout, lies at the base of the steep slopes, which extend westward from the condo site. The Pootatuck River in that area is a Class 1 Wild Trout Management Area, one of only eight such fisheries in the state, where wild trout reproduce naturally due to cold, clear, clean water conditions.

The Conservation Commission has until July 27 to act on Toll Brothers’ application for a wetlands permit for the condo project.

Attorney Robert Hall, representing Toll Brothers, told Conservation Commission members that through careful planning and excavation, the construction firm would be able to build the condo complex without discharging any earthen material down the steep slopes. Such a soil discharge down the slopes could jeopardize the water quality and trout habitat in the pristine Pootatuck River.

Engineer Thomas Daly of Milone & MacBroom, Inc, representing Toll Brothers, used cross-sectional diagrams to illustrate in detail to Conservation Commission members the steps that the developer would take to prevent the excavation work atop the steep slopes from environmentally damaging the Pootatuck River. Toll Brothers has experience in constructing condominium complexes atop steep slopes, he said.

Recent subsurface test borings on the site indicate that soil conditions are suitable for the proposed construction work, Mr Hall said. “The slope would remain stable,” Mr Hall stressed.

It is in the developer’s best interest to construct stable buildings along the edge of the slopes, he said.

The soil conditions at the Oakview Road site are different than those in some parts of California, where unstable slopes sometimes result in buildings sliding down the slopes, Mr Hall said.

Conservation Commission member Donald Collier questioned the accuracy of some of the developer’s construction drawings, asking whether the geometry depicted on the illustrations truly reflects site conditions. Mr Collier said he raised the issue because commission members are concerned that stormwater drainage flow down the steep slopes would cause environmental problems.

If a heavy rainstorm should occur during the condo construction process, it could result in waterborne silt entering the river and contaminating it, he said.

Mr Daly responded that extensive soil erosion and sedimentation controls would be in place throughout the construction area to prevent such river siltation problems from occurring. A series of sediment traps and stormwater diversion berms would be used to forestall problems, he said. While construction is underway, stormwater would be contained on the site, where it would then seep down into the ground, he said.

Mr Collier observed that if a heavy rainstorm occurs after trees are removed from the site, stormwater drainage could cause silt to enter the river.

Dan Walton, Toll Brothers’ project manager, said the firm proposes constructing the condo complex in one phase, rather than in multiple phases.

Conservation Commission member Jane Nickerson said that constructing such a complex in multiple phases could better prevent erosion and sedimentation problems from occurring.

Mr Daly responded that the site’s erosion and sedimentation control devices would be in place before construction commences, as an environmental safeguard.

Environmental scientist William Root of Milone & MacBroom, representing Toll Brothers, said the steep slopes lying between the condo site and the Pootatuck River are a stable earthen feature. Keeping flowing stormwater off of those slopes is the key to keeping the slopes stable, he said, adding that the construction project would divert stormwater away from the slopes.

As part of the condo project, Toll Brothers has offered to donate approximately 13 acres along the Pootatuck River as public open space for passive recreation. The condo project would be served by a public water supply and municipal sanitary sewers.