Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) members are seeking to have a local developer designate open space land for passive forms of recreation at a site proposed for residential construction at 57 Castle Meadow Road in Hattertown, rather than provide the town with a “fee in lieu of open space.”

The developer is proposing the construction of a nine-lot residential subdivision of single-family houses known as Sunset Ridge at the sloping 29.2-acre site.

Developer Michael D’Amato of Oak Ridge Drive, doing business as MD57 Castle Meadow LLC, is proposing the construction for land lying southeast of Castle Meadow Road. About 15 residents who live on nearby roads attended a September 20 P&Z public hearing on the proposed subdivision.

Civil engineer Larry Edwards, representing the developer, explained the proposal to P&Z members. The property is in a R-2 (Residential) zone, where the minimum lot size for a single-family houses is two acres. The largest proposed lot is 7.6 acres.

A new dead-end roadway, which would be called Maranello Drive, would extend about 720 feet into the site to provide access for the proposed homes. Seven of the building lots would be served by that road. One new house would have frontage on Castle Meadow Road. An existing house with outbuildings now has frontage on that street.

The property holds two wetlands. One is near Castle Meadow Road, and the other is at the southern end of the site. The applicant received a wetlands/watercourses protection permit from the town land use agency on August 22. The proposed houses would be served individual domestic water wells and individual septic systems.

Mr Edwards told P&Z members that a 30,000-gallon underground water storage tank would be installed at the site to provide a water source for firefighting.

Acknowledging that Conservation Commission members have expressed a preference for open space land at the site, Mr Edwards said the developer would prefer to provide the town with a “fee in lieu of open space.” When such an alternative is approved by the P&Z, the fee is held in a special town fund for the eventual acquisition of open space elsewhere.

On September 11, after lengthy discussion, the Conservation Commission unanimously recommended that actual open space be included as part of the Sunset Ridge development project.

Mr Edwards said that such a subdivision could result in about 4.4 acres of open space, of which 3.7 acres would need to be “usable” open space, not hindered by the presence of wetlands or steep slopes. Town subdivision regulations require that a minimum 15 percent of a subdivision site be designated as open space.

Mr Edwards said the developer still considers the donation of a “fee in lieu of open space” to be “a better approach” for the town. Otherwise, the project would be redesigned, possibly resulting in a 10-lot subdivision, which includes actual open space, he said.

P&Z member Roy Meadows noted that directly across the street is Hattertown Pond Preserve, a 120-acre open space preserve owned by the Newtown Forest Association that includes Hattertown Pond.

If the P&Z prefers actual open space to accepting an open space fee, the developer would redesign the project, Mr Edwards responded.

P&Z Chairman Don Mitchell said he would like to review developmental options for the project, including a design that would provide open space on the site that would be linked to the open space preserve across Castle Meadow Road.

After further discussion, Mr Edwards said the P&Z’s consensus favors actual open space rather than a fee, and consequently, the developer would redesign the project. The existing house on the site on Castle Meadow Road would remain in place, he said.

Public Comment

During the public comment section of the public hearing, resident Daniel Cologna of Castle Lane said he was concerned when he had heard that the developer wanted to substitute a fee to the town for actual open space at the property.

Donald Morrissey of Merlins Lane, representing the Newtown Forest Association, said the association opposes providing a fee to the town instead of actual open space. There is land at the site that is worth preserving as open space, he said. Acreage at the site is adjacent to existing open space, he noted. Also, preserving open space supports an area’s rural character, he added.

Mr Morrissey recommended that the land designated as Lot no. 8 and Lot no. 9 on the subdivision map presented to the P&Z on September 20, which are directly across the street from Hattertown Pond Preserve, be designated as open space.

Yolie Moreno of Fern Lane asked where the proposed development would occur in relation to her house. Her residence is in a quiet place, she said, adding that the presence of new houses could negatively affect the area.

Allen Adriani of Castle Meadow Road said he is concerned about the proposed Lot no. 2 at the site in relation to this property in terms of stormwater drainage issues. He suggested that certain changes be made in the development design.

Lindsey Snellman of Jet Brook Road said her residence currently has “peace and quiet,” adding that the proposed development would alter the area.

Mr Edwards said that he would address the various questions raised about Sunset Ridge at the next P&Z session on the development application. Mr Edwards is expected to return with some revised construction proposals that would include open space land.

P&Z members agreed to resume the public hearing on the project on October 18.