P&Z Reviews Sandy Hook Center Redevelopment Proposal

By Andrew Gorosko

Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members are reviewing plans for the proposed redevelopment of a section of Sandy Hook Center with a variety of commercial uses, including the construction of a Newtown Savings Bank branch office on the prominent corner of Riverside Road and Washington Avenue.

P&Z members conducted a public hearing on a request for a special permit for the redevelopment project from developer Verdat Kala at a June 3 session. Mr Kala is the proprietor of The Villa Restaurant & Pizza at 4 Riverside Road. The hearing is slated to resume on July 15.

The project would redevelop the 3.2-acre site which consists of #2, #4, #6 and #8 Riverside Road. The western end of the property is situated on the corner of Riverside Road and Washington Avenue.

Mr Kala also has applications pending before the Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) concerning wetlands protection and aquifer protection. The project would involve the demolition of three existing buildings and the construction of four new commercial buildings, plus the expansion of the restaurant.

The project would be built in two phases, with the first phase including construction of the bank and a child daycare center.

During the public comment session of the hearing, resident Gerald Finnegan of Driftway Drive spoke in favor of the project, saying that the redevelopment effort would help create a “satellite business district” in Sandy Hook Center, which would be a worthwhile addition to the town’s commercial landscape.

Sandy Hook builder-developer Michael Burton, representing the Sandy Hook Organization for Prosperity (SHOP), supported the redevelopment project. The proposal meets the criteria of the Sandy Hook Design District (SHDD) zoning regulations, he said.

SHDD zoning regulations are intended to encourage a diversity of compatible uses in Sandy Hook Center to enforce the district as a historic, mixed-use hamlet functioning as a neighborhood commercial hub, which is also attractive to visitors.

Local merchants and residents have long wanted a bank to be located in Sandy Hook Center, Mr Burton said. The bank would have a drive-through service window.

Robert Rau, chairman of the town’s Economic Development Commission (EDC), said the EDC supports the project. The proposal makes for a an attractive redevelopment project that would benefit the local business community, he said. Mr Rau urged that the P&Z approve the project.

P&Z member Michael Porco, who is a Sandy Hook builder-developer, complimented Mr Kala for his efforts to redevelop the area, but questioned the aesthetics of the proposed architecture. Mr Porco said he does not consider the architectural designs to be in character with existing Sandy Hook Center architecture.

Mr Porco also said that the additional traffic that would be created in the area would create travel problems. It would be a mistake to construct the project without improving the traffic signals at the hazardous intersection of Riverside Road, Washington Avenue, Church Hill Road, and Glen Road, he said.

P&Z member Dennis Bloom said the project would be good for Sandy Hook, but “my only concern is the traffic.”

P&Z member Robert Poulin said the proposed bank’s design should be more in character with the existing architecture in the area.

George Benson, town director of planning and land use, said the redevelopment plan is a good one, adding that new construction always raises the issue of traffic problems.

P&Z Chairman Lilla Dean said she likes the architectural design of the proposed bank, noting that “It’s different.”

“If [architecture] gets too ‘New Englandy,’ it starts to look like a fake town,” she said.