Council Still Must Act ––

Pond Brook Endorsed As ‘Scenic Road’

By Andrew Gorosko

Two town agencies have endorsed a proposal to designate the unpaved section of Pond Brook Road as a “scenic road,” forwarding their recommendations to the Legislative Council for action.

The council is expected to take up the issue at its next meeting on July 17.

Members of the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) and the Police Commission, which serves as the town’s traffic authority, have endorsed the proposal. Having scenic road status would limit the physical improvements that could be made on the affected road section, in order to preserve its scenic character.

The P&Z considered the matter June 27. The Police Commission addressed the topic July 2. At their meeting, following a discussion, P&Z members unanimously backed the plan. Following a review of the scenic road proposal by police Lieutenant David Lydem, the Police Commission also gave its approval. 

E. Eugene Cox of Pond Brook Road recently filed an application with the town seeking scenic road status for the approximately 4,000-foot-long unpaved section of Pond Brook Road, which lies between Hanover Road and Lake George Road.

A developer’s proposal to create a 14-lot subdivision, which would contain 12 new houses, spurred many Pond Brook Road residents to sign a petition seeking the scenic road status.

The town’s scenic road ordinance is intended to give qualifying rural roads certain protections from physical changes. Currently, Sanford Road and Zoar Road are the town’s only designated scenic roads.

A Woodbury developer’s proposal to create the 14-lot Pond Brook Estates subdivision on a physically challenging site off Pond Brook Road has prompted the town to seek outside expert advice on the environmental aspects of the project.

Developer Rick Mastroianni, doing business as Pond Brook Estates, LLC, is seeking town approval to create the subdivision on 53 acres at 23 Pond Brook Road, on a site generally south of Pond Brook Road. The development site lies about halfway between the intersection of Pond Brook Road and Hanover Road and the intersection of Pond Brook Road and Lake George Road.

Two houses already exist on the site proposed for the subdivision, meaning that 12 new houses would be constructed there. Larry Edwards is the engineer representing the developer.

Vera Weeden of 23 Pond Brook Road is listed as the owner of record of the site, which is primarily wooded land.

About 12.7 acres of the 53-acre site are wetlands. Approximately 11.8 acres of the property would be designated as open space for passive recreation. About 3,500 linear feet of Pond Brook flow through the site. Approximately 2,900 linear feet of an abandoned rail bed, which generally parallels Pond Brook, passes through the site.

The site contains very steep slopes and extensive wetlands, which limit the amount of land that is suitable for residential development.

The Conservation Commission, which serves as the town’s wetlands agency, and P&Z are jointly seeking a thorough review of developmental potential and constraints on the site from the King’s Mark Environmental Review Team.

Town Conservation Official C. Stephen Driver said July 8 that King’s Mark has agreed to study the site. Fieldwork for the study will be performed in August. It is unclear when the King’s Mark report would be submitted to the town.

The Conservation Commission is scheduled to conduct a public hearing on the wetland aspects of the development proposal on August 14.