Danbury Planning Commission Virtual Meeting - March 24, 2026
Danbury Planning Commission Virtual Meeting - March 24, 2026
Note: The meeting date provided for this summary is March 24, 2026, but the transcript repeatedly states the meeting occurred on March 18, 2026. This summary uses the date supplied by the request, with the discrepancy noted.
The Danbury Planning Commission held a virtual meeting on March 24, 2026, with Chairman Finaldi presiding. Roll call established a quorum with members Kyokio, Hofstetter, Nazario, and Finaldi present. The mayor appointed a new alternate, Eva Vega, but she did not attend. The commission approved the minutes of the March 4, 2026 meeting by unanimous vote. No public hearings were held; one continuation was tabled, and three draft resolutions were approved under old business. A single referral for a sewer extension received a positive recommendation. The next regular meeting is scheduled for April 1, 2026.
Consent Calendar
No consent calendar was used; all agenda items were addressed individually.
Public Comments & Testimony
No public comments were made or read during the meeting.
Discussion Items
- Continuation of Public Hearing – Danbury Mill Plain Realty LLC (Special Exception 805): Application for a special exception and site plan for an automobile service station, service garage, and convenience market at 85 Mill Plain Road (CA80 zone). The applicant’s attorney requested a continuance to April 1, 2026, to ensure both the environmental professional and traffic engineer could attend. No testimony was taken. The commission unanimously voted to continue the hearing to April 1, 2026, with an additional backup hearing on April 15 if needed.
- Old Business – Western Connecticut Council on Alcoholism Inc. (Special Exception 799): Draft resolution for interior renovations to an existing dependency treatment center at 38 Old Ridgebury Road. Staff noted the applicant submitted revised plans per the February 19 staff report. The commission unanimously approved the resolution of approval with conditions.
- Old Business – BRT Sconset LLC (Special Exception 589): Revised special exception and site plan for the Ridgetop cluster development at 10 Damia Drive (RA40 zone). Conditions included filing of HOA declaration, council approval for water/sewer extension, a construction sequencing plan, and fire marshal verification of a minimum 20-foot unobstructed roadway width on the new looped private road. The commission unanimously approved the resolution with conditions.
- Old Business – GR GPR Owner LP (Special Exception 754): Floodplain permit for expansion of outdoor storage at 2 Great Pasture Road. The property lies in the AE flood zone (base flood elevation 355.4 ft). No changes to the existing building; total cut of 334 cubic yards results in no net fill below the 100-year floodplain, increasing flood storage. The commission unanimously approved the floodplain permit with administrative requirements.
- Referral – 824 Referral for Sewer Extension at 72 Liberty Street: Request from City Council for a sewer extension to serve a 12-unit garden apartment development (site plan approved December 2025). The existing sewer main terminates about 200 feet from the property. Staff had no objections. The commission unanimously voted for a positive referral, noting the project supports downtown residential development and is transit-friendly near the train station.
Key Outcomes
- Approved minutes of March 4, 2026 (unanimous).
- Continued public hearing for Danbury Mill Plain Realty LLC to April 1, 2026 (unanimous).
- Approved resolution for Western Connecticut Council on Alcoholism Inc. (unanimous).
- Approved resolution for BRT Sconset LLC (unanimous).
- Approved floodplain permit for GR GPR Owner LP (unanimous).
- Issued positive referral for sewer extension at 72 Liberty Street (unanimous).
- The next scheduled meeting is April 1, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Everybody to the March 18th, 2026 meeting of the Danbury Planning Commission. We will open with a roll call. Mr. Kyokio. Here. Ms. Hofstetter. Here. Mr. Nazario. Here. And that Chairman Finaldi is here. We do have a quorum. Commission members, I received a uh a letter that the mayor had appointed uh an alternate um uh to the planning commission. Eva Vega, three Crane Street, Danbury, Connecticut. Um, I believe uh she was sworn in, and uh I think the intent was to have her attend tonight, but I don't see her here on the Zoom meeting. But um but good. I uh Joe, I can't remember the last time we had an alternate, Joanne. When did we have an alternate last time? I I can't remember. Unless it was uh uh Hallis, he was wasn't it come out. Um Kevin Kevin Hoss. Yeah, and then he became a member. I that's the list I remember. Yeah, what year was that? I don't know, 1929. And um, and then we had Cheryl Wallace, uh Cheryl Wallace Smith, but she came in and out very quickly. So anyway, the good news is we have an alternate sworn in. The bad news is she's not here tonight. We're not sure when she's gonna attend her first meeting, but that's still movement in the right direction. Anyway, um, I'll read the Zoom intro. This meeting of the Danbury Planning Commission is being held on Zoom as a virtual meeting. Even though this meeting is a virtual meeting, members of the public and interested parties continue to have an opportunity to participate in the meeting in a couple of different ways. You can participate via Zoom and see the audio and the video, or you can call in by phone and participate via audio only. Please be aware that we may have to mute your microphone or telephone to avoid an echo or some other background noise. Instructions on how to participate in the meeting appear on the City of Danbury website and all of the documents and materials that apply to the meeting to be matters to be discussed during this meeting, including the agenda, are also available on the City of Danbury website. As always, if you have any questions regarding how to participate in the meeting, please contact the City of Danbury Planning and Zoning Department. As a reminder, the entire meeting will be posted on and can be seen on the City of Danbury website. We will follow the posted agenda as per standard practice. If prior to the meeting any questions or comments on agenda items were submitted via email to the planning and zoning department, those comments will be read during the appropriate portion of the meeting. Finally, please remember the technology glitches do sometimes occur. Please be patient if that happens. Our next meeting is April 1st, 2026. Please note your calendars. Um, the minutes of the March 4th, 2026 meeting were distributed. And unless there's any comments or corrections, I'll entertain a motion to accept those minutes. Mr. Chairman, so moved. Thank you. Do I hear a second?
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