Town Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting - July 9, 2024
Town Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting - July 9, 2024
[Introductory paragraph summarizing the overall meeting.] The meeting covered the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for FY 2025–2030, pre-application scrutiny for two proposals (temporary classroom trailers at Medina Academy and a home-based firearms license), approval of site plan revisions, and a text amendment correction. Several public hearings were postponed due to notification errors.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Members of the public asked questions about the CIP, including the availability of road assessment data, sidewalk locations along Marshall Phelps Road and Day Hill Road, street lighting on residential roads, and pedestrian safety at the intersection near Price Chopper and Riverbend condos. Town Engineer Ms. Choate responded, took suggestions for reflective road striping, and noted that state roads require Connecticut DOT action.
Discussion Items
- Capital Improvements Program (CIP) FY 2025–2030: Ms. Choate presented the proposed $122 million six-year CIP, including $9.4 million for street resurfacing and $28.1 million for major road reconstruction. Commissioners discussed the road prioritization process based on a consultant’s rating system and physical inspections, and whether specific projects would return for future 8-24 review. The commission voted to recommend approval to the Town Council.
- Pre-Application Scrutiny – Medina Academy (temporary classrooms): Representatives from Medina Academy (145 Addison Road) proposed installing temporary classroom trailers to accommodate a waiting list of 100+ students. Two paths were discussed: a site plan revision (faster, no time limit) or a text amendment with a special use public hearing (slower, allows time limits). The commission favored the special use route to set a timeline, and staff will research whether existing special use provisions apply. A tentative public hearing date of July 30 or August 6 was considered.
- Pre-Application Scrutiny – Home-Based FFL (Firearms License): Kyle Metzler (36 Warham Street) proposed a home-based business for firearm transfers, with no inventory, sales, or signage. He stated that transfers would be limited to students who completed his safety course. The commission expressed concerns about the nature of the business and the need for a public hearing. Staff will research FFL license requirements and present options for a special use or text amendment at a future regular meeting.
- Planner’s Report: Staff reported on new commission members (Dominic DeCarlo, regular; Sophia Teto, alternate), the assistant town planner position posting, and preparation of an RFQ for the POCD (Plan of Conservation and Development), expected to be issued in the fall.
Consent Calendar
- Site Plan Revisions: Approved 3.9 SP revisions for 145 Addison Road (cement pad) and 808 Bloomfield Avenue (electrical service).
- Minutes: Approved the June 11, 2024 meeting minutes as amended (corrected spacing and grammatical errors).
Key Outcomes
- CIP Recommendation: Motion to recommend approval of the Town of Windsor and Board of Education proposed capital improvements program for fiscal years 2025 to 2030, pursuant to C.G.S. §8-24, passed 5-0.
- Text Amendment Recodification: Motion to approve renumbering of Section 7.6.4 to 7.6.5 (racket sports facilities/clubs) passed 5-0. No text was changed; this corrected a numbering error from the June 11, 2024 adoption.
- Postponements: Special use reapproval for 564 Park Avenue (religious institution) was postponed to September due to late abutter notice. Special use for 1911 Poquonock Avenue (temporary amusements) was postponed to September because the application incorrectly referenced the property address, omitting the actual parcel at 67 Rainbow Road. Special use for 851 Marshall Phelps Road (group daycare) was postponed at the applicant’s request to September.
- Next Steps for Pre-Applications: Staff will research and report back on the appropriate application path for both Medina Academy and the home-based FFL. The commission will schedule public hearings once options are clarified.
Meeting Transcript
To call the regular town uh planning and zoning commission meeting of July ninth to order. Uh first order of business is public communications and petitions from uh anyone in the audience that wants to speak to an item that is not a public hearing item. If there's no one in the audience, we will ask uh Ms. Thompson to uh let the audience know how to proceed if there's anyone from the public who would like to um speak or address the commission uh regarding an application or during public comment scrutiny. We ask that um if you're on if your device has microphone capability, please raise your hand. You'll be prompted that you are now on muted. Um we ask that you do not uh that you turn off your volume so that the there's no background noise. And if you're dialing in by phone, please press star nine and it'll raise your hand and we will give you prompt that you're uh prompted that you will be on muted. Um do we have any on anyone online? There's no one online. All right. Anyone here in the audience that wishes to speak to uh anything that is not a public hearing item communications from the planning and zoning commission. Anyone attend meetings that need to report? No, okay. No ZEO, we've got the CGIS 824, the CIP. Ms. Cho. Good evening. Um here just to um mostly answer questions if you have any about the CIP. It is um in it's proposed at this time, it's a six-year look ahead at the projects and allows for uh us to balance town priorities with the fine town's financial capacity capability to pay for identified projects. The total proposed six-year CIP is 122 million dollars. Uh of that 9.4 million is for street resurfacing, reclamation milling, curb replacement, drainage improvements, other um maintenance type of repair. Again, of that 28.1 million is for major street reconstruction or rehabilitation projects. Many other projects are um in the CIP for instance uh Windsor High School HVAC system replacement, roof replacement at the high school, Paquanic School Ventilation Ugrade, Veterans Pool Improvements, Windsor High School Field House Renovation, Broad Street Road Diet, and Milo Peck HVAC, and those uh ones that I just did mention will require or anticipated to require a referendum when we do get to them. Um the Capital Improvement Committee re completed their review of the proposed CIP on June 20th. Town council has since referred it to the town improvement committee, which meets on July 24th before going back to council. I'm happy to answer any questions that I have the capability of answering for you. Does anyone have any questions? Go ahead. The the road um we have a program. We have hired a consultant to basically give a score to every road in town, which they completed 2022 and into 23. They did with the entire town was um rated, and the program calculates a grade. It's just like uh it's like one through a hundred. So um we prioritize based on that, and then we also do physical um inspection ourselves to prioritize which roads are up for, whether it's milling and overlaying or umplilitation. So that depends on the degree of degradation in the road itself. Um but we do have a we do have a program that helps us and a process. We can we see that data. I'm sorry, the data for for what you just told me. Um when do you do that assessment? Can the public see that data? It is not currently online, no. Well, I think it's a good idea to put that online because uh if I don't see my if my road is not done for the past 30 years and I see other roads being done every 15 years, you know. I do have some concerns. Uh I'll definitely look into the possibility of that, and I encourage anyone who does have a direct question to call us anytime. We can um address concerns directly as well. The engineering department. Thank you. Anyone else? I do. I have um on page 11 of 27.
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