Public Hearing
proposed 68 attached housing units
on Mary Hall and Greenhaven roads
has been continued.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011.
Mystic Middle School
7:30pm
The meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission tonight is the last opportunity to present public comments.
The meeting will open with Cherenzia explaining changes dropped off at the Planning office on Friday, September 2. Since the applicant is presenting new information, the public will be allowed to comment -- even speakers who have spoken before.
I will present the following letter to the Planning and Zoning Commission this evening.
Planning and Zoning Commission
Stonington Town Hall
152 Elm Street
Stonington, CT 06378
ATT: PZ1112SD & SUP Richard C. Panciera Remainder Trust II
Commissioners,
I will be brief. I want to bring only three points to your attention.
First, you have no Environmental Assessment on the proposed site. The site is currently ledge rock and “swamp,” as one of my neighbors described it. It is currently wooded.
Ledge blasting and filling will totally alter the current topography. Water that has flowed in natural patterns through the site for centuries will be disrupted and replaced by an intricate, difficult to manage ... and as currently designed, dangerous .... storm water system
Currently, you have no detailed, critical, independent review or analysis of the environmental situation. You have only a description, by the developer in their Environmental Impact Statement, of what the site will look like and how it will function after the project is complete. Currently, you have no way to connect the dots between before and after.
Second, You have no Archeological Study, a document that is required in an application for a Special Use Permit. A document that should have been presented during the public hearing for your review ... and for review and comments by interested residents.
Instead of a full and complete study, you have a three page letter from a very reputable firm, Archeological and Historical Services, Inc. In the letter, the company designates approximately 6 acres (of the 25 acres to be developed) to be “of interest” for both Colonial and Native American presence. One mid-18th century artifact has already been found.
And you have a stipulation by the developer that essentially says “we’ll take care of everything.”
My final point is the Traffic Analysis. Mary Hall, Greenhaven and River roads are narrow, have minimal shoulders and no sidewalks. The neighbors call it “The Loop.” It is an area of much higher than normal pedestrian and bicycle activity. Yet the Traffic Analysis, concentrates on car traffic alone. There is no mention of pedestrians and their safety.
I ask you to reject this application because the Commission does not have sufficient information to make an informed decision on behalf of the citizens of Stonington.
