Commercial Design Review Board Backed By Selectmen

By Jan Howard

The Board of Selectmen on Wednesday voted unanimously to recommend to the Legislative Council an ordinance requested by the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) that would create a design review board for commercial development.

The proposed board would review the appearance of proposed new commercial buildings and major modifications to existing commercial buildings in regard to architectural and site aesthetics. The board would function as an advisor to the P&Z.

P&Z Chairman William O’Neil presented the request, noting his commission needs help from people with architectural and landscaping background to work with developers before they present their plans to the P&Z.

Mr O’Neil said design guidelines that would be established would not be mandatory. “We cannot force this on builders,” he said. However, he added, “Most builders are anxious to work with the town.” He said that would be most likely to happen if builders could meet first with a design review board before their plans have been finalized.

“We can make it so builders will work with us. They would have a much more constructive conversation with a design review board,” he said.

In response to a question from Selectman Joe Bojnowski, Mr O’Neil said that design review boards have been created in other towns.

In a recent memorandum to First Selectman Herbert Rosenthal, Mr O’Neil noted that the 2004 Town Plan of Conservation and development calls for P&Z to create several local “design districts,” with guidelines for appearance of commercial development.

Two design districts already exist — the Sandy Hook Design District (SHDD) for the intersection of Church Hill Road, Washington Avenue, Riverside Road, and Glen Road and the Hawleyville Center Design District-East (HCDD-E) for Hawleyville Road. SHDD zoning was created in 1995 and HCDD-E zoning in 2000. However, the two districts do not as yet have design guidelines for new commercial development.

According to the P&Z request, the proposed ordinance would create a design review board of three volunteer members who would have backgrounds in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, and urban planning. Board members would be appointed by the first selectman and endorsed by the Board of Selectmen for two-year terms.

In other business, the Board of Selectmen heard comments from residents of Maltbie, Hundred Acres, and Dug Hill roads regarding concerns about road and drainage work related to the Fox View Subdivision.

The Board of Selectmen is currently discussing a road and drainage work agreement with the developers of the subdivision.

Mr Rosenthal told the residents that a maintenance agreement would be drawn up in regard to drainage at the site. He noted the developer has been asked to make a donation to fix some of the problems on Hundred Acres Road. No terms have been finalized.

He noted there is no current plan to improve Maltbie or Dug Hill roads.

The selectmen also voted to accept Clapboard Ridge Road and a portion and extension of Canterbury Road into the town road system.

The Board of Selectmen also unanimously approved the following appointments to town agencies: Thomas Dwyer, Jr, Commission on Aging; William Lavery, Richard Sturdevant, and Andrew Willie, Ad Hoc Fairfield Hills Management Committee; and A. Winthrop Ballard, Parks and Recreation Commission. They also approved unanimously the reappointment of Kelly Urso to the Library Board of Trustees.

Sharon Bowman was also unanimously appointed as the acting interim assessor until an assessor is appointed.

The selectmen also unanimously approved the appointment of state Rep Julia Wasserman as a senior advisor and ex officio member of the Ad Hoc Fairfield Hills Management Committee.