A proposal to convert a South Main Street (State Route 25) site from its R-1 (residential) zoning designation to a South Main Village Design District (SMVDD) zoning designation, with the goal of constructing a 19,097-square-foot store and adjacent outdoor sales area there, has drawn stiff opposition from some nearby property owners.

The Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) conducted a public hearing on September 17 on NERP Holdings and Acquisitions Company, LLC’s, request to create SMVDD overlay zoning for the site at 116 South Main Street.

New England Retail Properties (NERP) would construct a building that would be occupied by a Tractor Supply Company store. Tractor Supply, which is a major retail chain, sells merchandise including home improvement goods, livestock/pet-related products, hardware, tools, lawn-and-garden maintenance items, clothing, and footwear, among others.

The site is on the west side of South Main Street, lying generally southwest of South Main Street’s intersection with Simm Lane.

Under the proposal, NERP would buy the land from current owners John Mead and Nicole Buxton. An existing circa 1810 house and other structures on the site would be demolished to make way for the retail development.

If all required town approvals are received, NERP would then construct a concrete-block store for Tractor Supply, which would be NERP’s tenant. The site would have a 77-space parking lot.

SMVDD zoning provides for flexible zoning regulations, allowing the applicant and the P&Z to create mutually agreeable zoning rules, which apply only to the site proposed for development under the terms of the SMVDD’s Special Design District (SDD) provisions.

The P&Z created SMVDD zoning in 2007 in seeking to preserve the “New England character” of the 4.2-mile-long South Main Street corridor.

Zoning Proposal

Engineer James Cassidy of Hallisey, Pearson & Cassidy Engineering Associates, Inc, of Rocky Hill, represented NERP at the September 17 public hearing.

Mr Cassidy presented P&Z members with detailed proposed zoning regulations which would specifically govern the development of the site, which would be known as Special Design District-4 (SDD-4).

Approximately 6.2 acres would be covered by those regulations, he said. NERP would need at least three acres to construct the facilities required by Tractor Supply, he said.

The lot has 505 feet of frontage on South Main Street, he said. The site has access to a public water supply and a natural gas supply. Wastewater disposal would be provided by a septic system.

Physically larger items sold by the store would be kept outdoors at an outdoor sales area, he said.

Kevin Solli of Solli Engineering LLC of Monroe, representing the applicant, provided P&Z members with the results of a traffic/access study on the project.

Tractor Supply stores tend to be relatively low traffic generators, when considering the retail nature of the business, Mr Solli said. The traffic generated by the business would not have adverse effects on the area, he said.

The project would provide business growth in the South Main corridor, Mr Cassidy said.

George Benson, town planning director, said converting the zoning designation at the site from R-1 to SMVDD would be the first phase of the town land use review process.

Such development also would require a wetlands/watercourses protection permit from the Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) and a special zoning permit from the P&Z.

Stiff Opposition

During the public comment section of the hearing, attorney Raymond Rizio, representing the owner of 111 South Main Street, strongly opposed the SMVDD zoning proposal.

A firm known as 111 South Main Street, LLC, owns a one-acre lot and commercial building at that address. The building houses Newtown Florist and also Fair Auto Supply of Newtown. That property lies across the street from 116 South Main Street.

Mr Rizio told P&Z members that the Tractor Supply proposal is not consistent with the terms of the 2014 Town Plan of Conservation and Development.

Also, Mr Rizio charged that the proposed Tractor Supply building does not fit the underlying concept of SMVDD zoning. Additionally, constructing a store on the site would mean that a historic house and garage would need to be demolished to make way for the project, he said.

Mr Rizio said the zoning proposal effectively amounts to creating B-2 (Business) zoning at a residential site that holds a historic house.

“This is not an appropriate use for the site,” he stressed. “This is a horrible regulation,” he said of NERP’s proposed SMVDD zoning regulations for the site.

The Tractor Supply store, which would be made of concrete blocks, would not be in keeping with New England’s architectural character, as is required by the SMVDD rules, Mr Rizio said.

Brian Nadro of 112 South Main Street told P&Z members he had not received mailed notification of the public hearing, as is required for such public hearings.

Mr Nadro said he is concerned about issues including stormwater runoff and septic waste disposal.

 “I just don’t think it belongs there … I oppose it strongly,” Mr Nadro said. His property abuts the 116 South Main Street site.

Betsy Paynter, town economic development coordinator, termed the Tractor Supply proposal “a great opportunity for Newtown.”

“Route 25 is the right location for it, “ she said.

Such development could result in 25 jobs being created and increased local tax revenue, she said.

Oscar Sampaio of 120 South Main Street, which abuts 116 South Main Street, objected to the Tractor Supply proposal, saying that people at the store would be able to see into his yard.  

Mr Sampaio also took issue with the findings of the traffic study,

Newtown is experiencing too much development, he said.

Bryan Atherton of Black Walnut Drive, who is a realtor, said he likes the products sold by Tractor Supply.

SMVDD zoning has not been used as much as it should have been used, Mr Atherton said. The Tractor Supply proposal meets the terms of the SMVDD rules, he said.

Past projects that have been created under SMVDD zoning include Walgreens Pharmacy at 49 South Main Street, Highland Plaza at 123 South Main Street, and LMT Communications at 84 South Main Street.

P&Z Chairman Robert Mulholland said of the issues raised at the public hearing, “I think it’s quite obvious we’ve got a lot of homework to do.”

P&Z members agreed to resume the SMVDD public hearing on October 15.