Date: Fri 05-Feb-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Winton-Farm-M&E-Maguire

Full Text:

Plans Submitted For Subdivision Near Monroe Town Line

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

A local development company has submitted plans to the town for Winton Farm, a

proposed residential subdivision near the Monroe town line, which would

initially consist of 16 house lots, and eventually a total of 35 lots.

M&E Land Group, whose principals are developer Thomas Maguire and engineer,

Larry Edwards, have submitted plans for the development on 98 acres off Pine

Tree Hill Road, a side street that links Meadow Brook Road to Monroe.

In Phase 1 of its development plan, M&E proposes creation of 16 lots which

would have access to Pine Tree Hill Road. No new roadway would be built as

part of the first construction phase.

A second construction phase would involve new road construction to provide

access to the interior of the development site. That interior land, however,

would be more difficult to develop due to its more rugged terrain. The second

phase would add 19 lots to the initial 16 lots. The land is in a R-2

Residential zone.

M&E proposes donating 11 acres of land as open space for passive recreation.

The developers' application lists 71 properties as lying within 500 feet of

the development site, 48 properties of which are in Newtown and 23 in Monroe.

The P&Z has scheduled a public hearing on Winton Farm for March 18.

In October, the Conservation Commission has approved a wetlands construction

permit for Winton Farm.

Winton Farm was formerly proposed by M&E as Sentinel Ridge. When initially

submitted for Conservation Commission review last April, Sentinel Ridge

consisted of 31 house lots. The Conservation Commission later turned down

Sentinel Ridge. Last June, M&E Land Group submitted a revised version of the

Sentinel Ridge plan, known as Winton Farm.

The property is basically wooded land that contains a wetland corridor running

in a north-south direction. The land contains hardwoods such as oak, beech,

and hickory. Stone walls run alongside Pine Tree Hill Road.

As part of the development project, Messrs Maguire and Edwards propose

widening Pine Tree Hill Road from the southern end of the site to Pine Tree

Hill Road's intersection with Bear Hills Road. New stormwater drainage

structures would be installed. A stormwater retention basin would be built on

the site to prevent sedimentation problems. As part of its approval, the

Conservation Commission requires the developers of Winton Farm to complete the

renovation of an existing pond for the retention of excess stormwater flow and

for fire protection.