Two Agencies Reject Newbrook Subdivision

By Andrew Gorosko

Both the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) and the Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) have rejected the four-lot component of the proposed Newbrook residential subdivision, which straddles the Newtown-Brookfield town line.

Developer Newbrook, LLC, proposes four lots for Newtown and three lots for Brookfield, in the project that has a Newtown street address of 7 Obtuse Road.

The site is near the intersection of Obtuse Road, Currituck Road, and Hawleyville Road. The Newtown section of the development would contain 14.8 acres, of which about 3 acres would be open space land. A new road is proposed for the site.

In unanimously rejecting the application on August 2, P&Z members decided that the degree of land disturbance on the site would be extensive, considering the amount of steep slopes and wetlands on the property. Also, the development would require extensive earthen cutting and filling in order to meet the requirements of the town’s road ordinance, zoning regulations, and subdivision regulations.

 P&Z members also noted that the applicant failed to receive a wetlands permit from the IWC on July 25.

Additionally, P&Z members found that the town engineer has raised a variety of technical issues about the proposed subdivision which the applicant has failed to resolve.

Also, the conservation official has raised unresolved issues concerning the control of erosion and sedimentation on the site, according to the P&Z.

On July 25, the IWC rejected the Newbrook application without prejudice in a 4-to-2 vote.

IWC members decided that the Newbrook application was incomplete.

The applicant provided modified plans for subdivision construction work on the day that the IWC public hearing on the application concluded, preventing adequate review of the plans by the public, the IWC decided.

Also, such a late submission of modified plans provided the IWC with little time to study and pose questions on the design changes, according to the IWC.