P&Z Hears Plan For Subdivision In Riverside

By Andrew Gorosko

Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members are considering a proposal from a developer to create an eight-lot residential subdivision known as Old Wagon Estates on land adjacent to Alpine Circle in the Riverside section of Sandy Hook.

As part of the development application, the applicant, Excelsior, Inc, seeks to convert Alpine Circle from a private road to a town road.

But the town zoning regulation, which limits the number of house lots on a town dead-end street to 15, is an issue facing the applicant.

 In one version of the plan, the applicant proposes extending a dead-end street off the dead-end Alpine Circle to create Old Wagon Estates. However, when the 8 lots of Old Wagon Estates are added to the 14 lots on Alpine Circle, it produces a total of 22 lots on a dead end street, exceeding the town limit of 15 lots on a dead-end street.

To resolve that problem, Alan Shepard, an engineer representing the developer, presented drawings to P&Z members January 6 proposing the connection of Alpine Circle to Stonegate Drive, a move which would eliminate the dead-end street issue. Stonegate Drive is a dead end street extending off Jeremiah Road.   

At the January 6 P&Z public hearing on Old Wagon Estates, Alpine Circle area residents expressed concerns about drainage, water runoff, parking, traffic, the devaluation of their homes and the specific effects that added residential development would have on their properties, according to P&Z records.

Resident Robert Sapienza of 6 Stonegate Drive said he decided to live there because Stonegate Drive is a dead end street. Regarding children who play on Stonegate Drive, Mr Sapienza expressed concerns about increased traffic there if it is connected to Alpine Circle and becomes a through-street.

In response to the concerns raised, Mr Shepard said paving, curbing and drainage structures would solve many of the problems mentioned.

Mr Shepard asked P&Z members to extend the time period during which they will consider the Old Wagon Estates application so that applicant Louis Segneri can address issues raised by the town engineer and the director of community development.

The public hearing on Old Wagon Estates is scheduled to resume February 17.