P&Z Seeks Members For Design Advisory Board
P&Z Seeks Members For Design Advisory Board
By Andrew Gorosko
Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) Chairman William OâNeil said the town is seeking three residents to become members of the Design Advisory Board, a newly created agency that will aid the P&Z in its review of the architectural and landscaping aspects of commercial construction proposed for the townâs design districts.
 The P&Z is seeking two architects and one landscape architect to serve on the appointed panel, Mr OâNeil said. The residents being sought as members of the board should have a familiarity with commercial construction, Mr OâNeil said.
At a September 1 session, the Legislative Council approved formation of a Design Advisory Board.
The board would review commercial development proposed for the Hawleyville Center Design District-East (HCDD-E), which generally lies along the east side of Hawleyville Road in Hawleyville Center. The panel also would review proposed construction for the Sandy Hook Design District (SHDD) in Sandy Hook Center.
The P&Z created HCDD-E zoning in 1999, and enacted SHDD zoning in 1995.
The town is seeking panel members with backgrounds in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, and urban planning. Members will be appointed to two-year terms by the first selectman, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen. When the board is formed, one of the three members would serve an initial three-year term.
The advisory boardâs role would be explaining to property owners, design professionals, and others the specific design elements that the P&Z desires within given design districts. The panel would review the appearance of proposed new commercial buildings and review major modifications to existing commercial buildings, with an eye toward architectural and site aesthetics.
In July, the P&Z approved a set of architectural and landscaping design guidelines for the design district in Hawleyville.
Those guidelinesâ purpose is promote the P&Zâs preferred architectural and site-design elements intended to create a âNew England village themeâ with visual harmony and cohesiveness. âCommunity character and appearances will serve to preserve property values and create a âsense of placeâ for the neighborhood commercial district,â according to the P&Z.
The P&Z is now formulating design guidelines for the design district in Sandy Hook Center.
Mr OâNeil said the advisory board would meet on an as-needed basis, perhaps several times a year, to address commercial development proposals for the design districts.
The panelâs initial work likely would include reviewing the design guidelines that the P&Z recently approved for Hawleyville, he said.
After it approves commercial design guidelines for Sandy Hook Center, the P&Z plans to form a commercial design district for the section of South Main Street lying between its intersection with Borough Lane and the Monroe town line, Mr OâNeil said. After that, the P&Z would form a commercial design district for Route 302, he said.
Mr OâNeil said people who are interested in serving on the Design Advisory Board may contact him by telephone at 426-2607, or contact the selectmenâs office in Edmond Town hall at 270-4201.