Date: Fri 15-May-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Conservation-Walnut-Tree-Hill

Full Text:

Residents Protest Expansion Of Walnut Tree Hill Village

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

Walnut Tree Hill Road area residents attending a May 13 Conservation

Commission public hearing on the proposed expansion of the Walnut Tree Hill

Village condominiums made it clear that they did not favor the plan to expand

the complex from 80 to 230 units.

Residents told Conservation Commission members at length they believe that

expanding the complex will further damage their quality of life and hurt their

property values.

Developer Louis DeFilio of 26 Walnut Tree Hill Road is seeking Conservation

Commission approval to build Walnut Tree Village, Section II. In order to do

so, Mr DeFilio and partner George Trudell, who are doing business as Walnut

Tree Developers, LLC, need a wetlands construction permit from the commission.

That permit would allow the developers to build an entrance road across a

wetland area and watercourse; fill in a pond and wetland area; construct a

second road crossing for a second entrance road; remove 660 cubic yards of

earth material and deposit 1,280 cubic yards of earth material.

The 34-acre site eyed for the expansion project is a former resort estate. It

lies north of Church Hill Road, east of Walnut Tree Hill Road, west of Dayton

Street, and south of Patriot Ridge Road.

Resident Concerns

Resident John Blawie of 42 Walnut Tree Hill Road expressed concern that the

applicants submitted a revised development map at the public hearing that had

not been available for public review.

Resident Robert Stokes of 89 Church Hill Road said many Church Hill Road

residents have had their domestic water wells adversely affected by the

presence of the 80-unit Walnut Tree Village.

Resident Julia Wasserman of 113 Walnut Tree Hill Road termed the development

plan "a massive proposal" that does not work with the existing landscape of

Walnut Tree Hill. The many land cuts and fills depicted by the development

plan will result in groundwater "breakouts," she said. She expressed concerns

about the stormwater drainage design for the site. The effect of such

development on nearby domestic water wells needs to be seriously considered,

she said.

One Walnut Tree Hill Road resident pointed out that more than nine acres of

the 34-acre site would be covered with impervious surfaces, thus limiting the

amount of rainfall that can infiltrate the soil and eventually recharge the

groundwater table for domestic well supplies.

Resident George O'Brien of 91 Church Hill Road said his water well dried up

after Walnut Tree Village was built. Mr O'Brien said he had to spend $8,000

for a new well. The condo complex is served by the United Water public water

supply, which also would serve the proposed new units.

Mr O'Brien asked whether the development site would be logged and strip-mined

before construction.

Resident Mary Burnham of 24 Walnut Tree Hill Road, a next-door neighbor of the

condo complex, said four area water wells dried up after the complex was

built.

Resident Stuart Hubbard of 78 Church Hill Road said his water well, which was

dug in 1710, went dry after the complex was built, requiring him to drill a

new well. Added development will mean added damage to nearby residents, he

said.

Resident Jack Bestor of 24 Walnut Tree Hill Road said that, if necessary, the

Conservation Commission should seek out an independent environmental analysis

of the development project.

Applicant Responds

Engineer William Carboni of Spath-Bjorklund Associates, representing the

developers, said dry water wells were a problem in the area before Walnut Tree

Village was ever built. The condo complex is not significantly affecting

groundwater levels in the area, he said.

Mr Carboni presented the developers' initial construction plan at the public

hearing, and also presented some variations on that plan that would reduce

physical disruptions at the site.

The initial version would provide access to the site from Church Hill Road and

two access points on Walnut Tree Hill Road. Mr Carboni termed the proposed

expansion "a reasonable use of the land." Drainage from the site would not

affect nearby properties, he said.

The developers have applied to the Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA)

for access to sanitary sewers, he said. Also, the developers have applied to

the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for permission to build

a community septic system that would serve 92 condo units, he said.

The developers' master plan calls for the initial construction of 92 units,

which would be served by a large septic system. Construction of the 58

additional units would involve demolishing the large septic system and

connecting all 150 new units to the town sewer system. The original 80 units

at the development already have sanitary sewer service.

Stormwater drainage on the site would be cleansed of sand and oil and then

piped to the state storm sewer system on Church Hill Road and also to the

Pootatuck River.

In a modified version of the development plan presented by Mr Carboni, vehicle

access to the site would not be provided from Church Hill Road. Also, 146 new

units, not 150 condo units, would be built to minimize grading work and site

disruption.

The proposed modifications were formulated in response to Conservation

Commission concerns about the initial development proposal, Mr Carboni said.

Mr Carboni, in effect, provided the commission with a variety of development

options from which commission members could choose the ones they consider most

appropriate for the site.

Conservation Commission Chairman Donald Lawrenson explained to residents that

the applicant had provided the commission with significant possible revisions

to the development plan on the afternoon of May 13.

Mr Lawrenson said the public hearing will be continued to June 10 to allow the

public to review those revisions.

The property is in an EH-10 zone, a zone created for housing for the elderly.

EH-10 zones allow far greater building densities than typical residential

zones. EH-10 zones are designated for residences for people over 55.

The site previously was an estate containing a residence, outbuildings, a

swimming pool and extensive landscaping. It is surrounded by residential

areas. The sharply sloped property contains five wetland areas that are

wooded. It has watercourses and man-made ponds.

Besides Conservation Commission approval, the developers need Planning and

Zoning Commission (P&Z) approval to build the expanded complex.

Also, WPCA and DEP approvals would be needed.