Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members are continuing their review of an engineering firm’s proposal to create new land use regulations for a “design district” near the Exit 10 interchange of Interstate 84.

Creating such an “overlay zone” would add flexibility to the commercial/industrial zoning regulations for an area that currently has B-2 (Business) and M-4 (Industrial) zoning.

The land affected by the zoning proposal is situated along both sides of Church Hill Road (US Route 6) in the area lying between the eastbound lanes of I-84 and the Housatonic Railroad overpass. The proposal also would affect land alongside Edmond Road extending roughly 2,000 feet northward from Church Hill Road, based on the applicant’s map sketch of the proposal.

Solli Engineering, LLC, of Monroe is proposing the creation of the Exit 10 Commercial Design District (CDD).

P&Z members discussed the zoning proposal at a September 17 public hearing. They initially discussed the matter at an August 20 hearing.

Engineer Kevin Solli said that based on P&Z members’ comments at the August 20 session, he has removed from his zoning proposal a provision to permit hotels and conference centers with up to 250 guest rooms as an allowed land use.

New land uses which he lists for the proposed overlay zone are: restaurants; restaurants with outdoor service and drive-throughs but excluding outdoor entertainment; and financial institutions with or without drive-through facilities.

Under the terms of the current zoning proposal: facilities with drive-throughs would have a minimum lot size of two acres; only one restaurant with a drive-through would be allowed per lot; and restaurants with a drive-through would have a maximum size of 2,500 square feet.

If drive-through restaurants were to be allowed, it is expected that they would be located on the north side of Church Hill Road in the area lying between I-84 and the recently opened Wheels gas station/convenience store at 67 Church Hill Road.

Starting in 2016, the state Department of Transportation (DOT) plans to make a variety of road improvements along Church Hill Road, west of the Exit 10 interchange. That area has the town’s highest accident rate.

The $4 million project would include shifting the southern end of Edmond Road westward so that Edmond Road is part of a signalized four-way intersection with Church Hill Road and Commerce Road. The existing southern section of Edmond Road would then be demolished.

The southern end of Edmond Road currently lies east of Wheels. When the intersection reconfiguration is complete, the southern end of Edmond Road will lie west of Wheels.

At the September 17 hearing, P&Z member Jim Swift noted that P&Z members had just received Mr Solli’s revisions to the proposed zoning regulations.

In response to a question from a P&Z member, Mr Solli said he does not know the acreage of the proposed Exit 10 design district.

P&Z Chairman Robert Mulholland said he wants Mr Solli to provide mapping which indicates each lot that would be included in the proposed overlay zone.

 “I want to see a lot-line breakdown,” Mr Mulholland said. All properties which would be affected by such zoning must be reviewed by P&Z members, he said.

P&Z members do not want to make regulatory changes that would result in traffic congestion, he said.

P&Z members will be reviewing Mr Solli’s revisions to the zoning proposal, the chairman added.

 Betsy Paynter, the town’s economic development coordinator, said the zoning proposal represents a “great opportunity” to provide amenities in that area.

 Having new facilities on Church Hill Road near I-84 would benefit I-84 travelers stopping in Newtown, she said.

“There’s quite a few benefits here economically for the town,” Ms Paynter said of the zoning proposal.

Mr Solli has said the proposed zoning rules would provide flexibility to encourage economic development. The rules are intended to allow applicants to develop or redevelop underutilized properties in the area, he has said. Such development proposals would be subject to a design review process conducted by the town’s Design Advisory Board.

Besides the land uses that would be allowed in the overlay zone, the land uses permitted in the underlying B-2 and M-4 zones also would be allowed in the area.

The P&Z already has several design districts, including the Sandy Hook Design District (SHDD) in Sandy Hook Center, the Hawleyville Center Design District (HCDD) in Hawleyville Center, and the South Main Village Design District (SMVDD) along South Main Street.

Such design districts generally allow more design flexibility in projects than allowed by conventional zoning regulations.

The design districts previously approved by the P&Z were based on sets of zoning regulations that town land use officials had formulated themselves, rather than being proposed by a private firm.

P&Z members are scheduled to resume the public hearing on the Exit 10 design district proposal on October 1.