The Board of Selectmen at its September 18 meeting unanimously approved the discontinuance of Reservoir Road, a paper road that was bisecting 20-60 Castle Hill Road.

Developer George Trudell said that unless the road is abandoned, he won’t be able to build the amount of units their plan currently calls for on the area of the property they are looking to develop, and would have to develop homes on both sides of the road. This would mean development of the area near the lake, which their plan currently calls for leaving undeveloped and being given to the Borough of Newtown as a conservation easement.

“Having a contiguous 136 acres allows the development to be built on one side of Reservoir Road and not touch the other side,” said Trudell.

The proposed homes will be built on roughly 40 acres of the 132 acre property, with none of the homes located on roughly 75 acres nearest the lake. All 112 homes will be clustered together, with roughly 25 to 50 feet between them.

Trudell noted that the plan to develop the western end of the property in a cluster and leave the area near the lake untouched has been responded to favorably by the neighbors and Borough officials.

Land Use Director Rob Sibley said that the road, like many roads in town, was established in the 1800s, and was adopted by the town in 1952. He said it hasn’t been in use “for at least 100 years,” and that it’s unimproved so it “only exists in maps.”

While actual approval of the housing subdivision is up to the Borough’s Planning & Zoning Commission, the fate of the road is up to the town.

Sibley also noted that the discontinuance of the road allows the property to be developed in a way that’s “more sensitive to the natural resources that exist in the area.”

Trudell said the land held in a conservation easement would have an easement for public access, allowing people to walk a trail along Reservoir Road’s corridor. First Selectman Dan Rosenthal noted that the town would also maintain a utility easement on the former road, and that the “bike and trail folks would be looking to build a loop” trail for bikers and hikers.

“It makes the most sense for the project, for the people in the area, and for the Borough,” said Trudell.

The specific regulation they will be using is 4.05.1, which allows residential open space developments. The homes will be clustered in one area of the development to maximize the open space surrounding it and would be a “multi-generational” development with homes between 1,800 and over 3,000 square feet. There will be large setbacks around the homes from the surrounding roads.

Trudell said the homes would fit the architectural style of the surrounding borough.

The development will have pickleball courts, a pool, a clubhouse, and a one-acre green, among other amenities available to residents.

There are plans for preservation of the barn and bomb shelter on the property, with the former being possibly used for art galleries, or as office space for those who want to work remotely but in a more office-like setting, and the latter for a wine cellar.

Associate Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.