Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members at a September 3 public hearing learned about certain revisions that a developer has made to a major mixed-use development proposal for Hawleyville in response to traffic-related concerns raised about the project at an initial P&Z public hearing in late August.

The development project, which would include a rental apartment complex in six large buildings, a diner, and a church on land off Hawleyville Road (State Route 25) near the Exit 9 interchange of Interstate 84, had drawn many traffic-related questions and comments from nearby residents and from P&Z members at the first hearing.

Covered Bridge Newtown, LLC, is seeking to build a 180-unit rental apartment complex off Covered Bridge Road and also construct a 4,160-square-foot diner at 13 Hawleyville Road. The apartment complex would include 36 units of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income people.

Also, Grace Family Church, Inc, is seeking to build a church at 9 Covered Bridge Road. The new church would replace the group’s existing church at 174 Mt Pleasant Road.

The overall development site covers 42 acres, of which the apartments would occupy about 21 acres, the church would stand on about 17 acres, and the diner would occupy roughly four acres.

The church group currently owns all that land. The church group would retain the property needed for the church and would sell the other land to a development firm that would build the apartment complex and the diner.

Adjacent to the development site are Hillcrest Drive and Covered Bridge Road, both of which are dead end streets, containing six houses and two houses, respectively.

Because members of the engineering firm that represents the church were not present at the September 3 P&Z hearing, commissioners focused on a presentation made by another engineering firm that represents the company seeking to build the apartment complex and the diner.

Developer Anthony Lucera of Brookfield of Covered Bridge Newtown, LLC, said the revised development proposal calls for main vehicular access to the apartment complex to extend directly from Hawleyville Road, rather than following an existing curving route at the site.

Initially, the developer had proposed providing main access to the apartment site via Hillcrest Drive, a design that drew strong opposition from neighborhood residents.

In the current plans, the developer proposes an emergency accessway to the apartment complex via Hillcrest Drive.

Covered Bridge Newtown, LLC, is seeking a special zoning permit from the P&Z for the apartment complex/diner.

The firm plans to meet soon with the town’s Design Advisory Board to review project aesthetics.

Engineer Dainius Virbickas of Artel Engineering Group LLC of Brookfield, representing Covered Bridge Newtown LLC, said that the applicable Incentive Housing-10 (IH-10) zoning regulations for the apartment complex would allow up to 224 dwellings to be built, but the developer is seeking only 180 units.

Landscape architect Abigail Adams of A2 Land Consulting, LLC, of Brookfield, representing the developer, said that picnic areas and a large lawn would be provided at the apartment complex.

Traffic engineer Michael Galante of Frederick P. Clark Associates of Fairfield, representing the developer, said that as requested by the P&Z, he has sent a letter to the state Department of Transportation (DOT) in seeking traffic signal installation at the intersection of Hawleyville Road and Covered Bridge Road in connection with the project.

The proposed complex would hold 708 parking spaces, including 432 spaces for the apartments, 196 spaces for the church, and 80 spaces for the diner. The entire complex would contain about 294,000 square feet of enclosed space, including about 265,000 square feet for the apartment complex, about 24,900 square feet for the church, and 4,160 square feet for the diner.

The DOT is expected to review the effects of the proposed mixed-use complex on area traffic as if it were one project, Mr Galante told P&Z members.

Hawleyville Road’s existing width would accommodate the paint striping needed to create a bypass lane for the development site, he said.

Attorney Peter Scalzo, who represents Covered Bridge Newtown LLC and also represents Grace Family Church, asked that the P&Z keep open its public hearing on the mixed-use development project until the Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) completes its environmental review of the project.

Public Comment

At the September 3 P&Z public hearing, Janet McKeown of 10 Hillcrest Drive said the proposed construction of the mixed-use complex would result in huge changes in her neighborhood that would strongly affect the area.

Vern Gaudet of 1 Hillcrest Drive said the development would result in much traffic traveling to and from the site.

Patrick Napolitano of 13 Whippoorwill Hill Road predicted there would be much traffic congestion in the area.

Jennifer Ballard of 9 Whippoorwill Hill Road said her greatest concern is the sheer amount of activity that would be occur in the developed area.

“The location of it is not appropriate … It’s a hot mess,” she said. Ms Ballard predicted that problems would stem from intensified activity in the area. “It doesn’t seem like the right place for this proposal,” she said.

Mary Wilson of 12 Whippoorwill Hill Road asked whether as many as 180 dwellings need to be built at the site.

The people who now live in the Hillcrest/Covered Bridge neighborhood are devastated by the prospect of so many dwellings being built there, Ms Wilson said. She suggested reducing the number of dwellings proposed.

Mr Lucera told P&Z members that the proposed locations for the access road to the apartment complex and its emergency accessway would be flagged to show P&Z members where those features would be constructed.

P&Z Chairman Robert Mulholland asked about the types of apartments that would be built at the 180-unit complex.

As currently planned, the complex would hold 108 one-bedroom, 54 two-bedroom, and 18 three-bedroom apartments.

The mix of apartment types is determined by market forces, Mr Lucera said. At least 50 percent of the units would have one bedroom, providing housing for young people, he said. Such one-bedroom apartments would have lower rents than two- and three-bedroom apartments, he said.

As currently estimated, one-bedroom apartments designated as “affordable housing” for low- and moderate-income people might rent for $1,200 per month, while market-rate one-bedroom apartments might rent for $1,500 to $1,600 per month.

Mr Mulholland said the P&Z’s dual public hearings on the apartment/diner application and the church application would resume on September 17.

Wetlands Hearing

On September 9 the Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) started a public hearing on the environmental protection aspects of the Covered Bridge Newtown LLC application for the apartment complex and diner.

The developer is seeking a wetlands/watercourses protection permit from the IWC.

Notably, Pond Brook traverses the site. Pond Brook conveys water from Taunton Lake to the Lake Lillinonah section of the Housatonic River, near the state boat launch on Hanover Road.

During the public comment section of the IWC hearing, Ms McKeown said she is familiar with the area proposed for development. “There’s such an abundance of wildlife… It will be dislocated” by the construction, she said.

Linda Nobes of 2 Covered Bridge Road said that many beautiful trees would be cut down to make space for the proposed development. She noted that there would be much activity occurring in a relatively small area. That activity would result in pollution, she said.

Ed Adams of 6 Hillcrest Drive said, “It’s just so much [development] that’s going to go into a small space.” He termed the area where he lives “a beautiful neighborhood.”

 One Hillcrest Drive resident asked why the developer plans to replace the existing covered bridge in the neighborhood with a new covered bridge, instead of physically restoring the existing bridge.

Also, noting the extensive amount of wildlife in the area, she asked, “Where are these animals going to go?”

Amy Cox of Pond Brook Road urged that the water quality of Pond Brook be protected amid the proposed development. She expressed concerns about the construction of many impervious surfaces in the area. Such surfaces, including pavement and roofs, convey stormwater drainage to nearby streams.

IWC members plan to resume the public hearing on the apartment complex/diner application on September 23. The IWC also plans to start a public hearing on the Grace Family Church application on September 23.