P&Z Approves Berkshire Woods

Off Route 34

By Andrew Gorosko

In the continuing residential development of Sandy Hook, Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members have approved an eight-lot subdivision, known as Berkshire Woods, for a 24-acre site on the north side of Route 34, near Stone Bridge Trail.

P&Z members approved the home construction project at a November 6 session. The approval takes effect November 17. The land use agency conducted two public hearings on the project in October.

At those hearings, nearby property owners raised a number of concerns about the project. They included the development’s potential effect on existing domestic water wells, stormwater runoff, the presence of wetlands, tree removal, open space, privacy, and visual buffers. 

The subdivided property has frontages on Route 34 and on Stone Bridge Trail. A new 1,506-foot-long dead-end road, to be known as Nighthawk Lane, will enter the property from Route 34, near the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company’s fire substation. The development site is near Lower Paugussett State Forest.

The project’s applicant is Cor-Mack, LLC, of Monroe, whose principals include Alvaro Cortina and Edward Mackie. Larry Edwards Associates of Easton performed the land engineering.

The site is located in R-1 and R-2 (Residential) zones, requiring that building lots be at least one acre and two acres, respectively. Approximately five acres of the site have been designated as open space for passive recreation. About 2.7 acres of that area have been deemed “useable open space.” The open space area abuts Stone Bridge Trail.

The P&Z is requiring that all septic waste disposal systems in the subdivision be designed by an engineer. Also, all home heating fuel tanks must be located within buildings, not buried underground.

 

Conditions Of Approval

In approving the subdivision, P&Z members placed a number of conditions on the project, some of which stem from the concerns that were raised by nearby property owners.

The P&Z is requiring Cor-Mack to post a $266,475 performance bond to guarantee that certain planned improvements for the site are completed. Most of that bond would cover road construction costs, plus the installation of a 30,000-gallon underground tank to hold water for firefighting.

Also, the applicant must obtain permits from the state Department of Transportation (DOT) allowing it to connect the planned Nighthawk Lane to Route 34.

Among other conditions, a gravel accessway on Lot 8 will serve as a public entry point to the open space on the site.

The P&Z is requiring Cor-Mack to install a six-foot-tall, 120-foot-long fence on the site to keep vehicle headlights from shining onto an adjacent residential property. The planned fence would replace a previously proposed stand of white pine trees, which would have served as a headlight barrier.

 The P&Z also is requiring Cor-Mack to permanently mark open space land and conservation easements throughout the site before any home building permits are issued. Such markings are intended to make obvious to potential homebuyers and to the general public the location of the open space and conservation easements.