Windsor Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting - January 14, 2025

The Windsor Town Planning and Zoning Commission met in regular hybrid session on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers, Town Hall, 275 Broad Street, Windsor, CT. No public speakers addressed the commission during the initial non-hearing public communications item, and staff reported no zoning enforcement, C.G.S. §8-24 referral, or pre-application scrutiny items. The commission acted on a solar array site plan continuance, approved a four-lot subdivision at 853 Stone Road, approved minutes from December 10, 2024, and received updates from the Town Planner.

Re-Approvals / Revisions / Extensions

• The commission reviewed two 3.9 special permit revisions: 30 Baker Hollow Road (building addition, I Zone, applicant DJB Building) and 99 Lamberton Road (storage container, I Zone, applicant Peltier). No votes or objections were recorded.

Site Plan - 89 and 99 Lamberton Road Solar Array

• Bradley Parsons, Director of Design and Permitting for Verin, presented the proposal for a behind-the-meter solar array serving the Travelers Claim University. The project as described includes approximately 2,470 ground-mounted panels, cited as 101.45 megawatts DC and 990 kilowatts AC, sited at the rear of the property with all required setbacks.
• Parsons stated that, based on fire marshal input, gravel under the array was no longer required, allowing the array to be pulled out of the upland review area. He described an underground interconnection to the existing electrical room and identified inverter locations about 350 feet from the nearest southern residential property line. He said existing vegetation, including trees up to roughly 60 feet tall along the south, would remain and screen neighboring homes.
• In response to a commissioner's question, Parsons said the solar panels themselves emit no noise; the inverters have a rating of about 68 dB, and a sound engineer is preparing an analysis. His preliminary estimate was that sound would dissipate to under 50 dB at the property line, below the town standard. He acknowledged the sound study was not yet complete.
• Town Planner Todd Seely explained that the application was initially filed as a 3.9 staff approval but staff felt it exceeded that limit and brought it to the commission. He said staff was waiting on the sound study and visual impact analysis, and noted that the commission had not yet acted on the applicant's revised wetlands submission. A motion to continue the site plan to the February 2025 meeting passed 5-0.

Minutes of December 10, 2024

• Commissioners offered several corrections to the draft minutes, including removing the word 'every' from a sentence about firearms purchases, correcting attribution of a response about amplified music at Dudley Town, correcting a commissioner's name spelling, and fixing a missing conditional phrase in a sentence about an approval.
• A motion to approve the minutes as amended was made, seconded, and approved.

Planner's Report

• Todd Seely reported that the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) kickoff was held at the Winter Wonderland Festival, with the website plan.windsorct.com and a community survey now live. A second POCD advisory committee meeting reviewed community-wide statistics; a logo has been chosen; library displays and ads in the Windsor Journal and Wind TV are planned. Public workshop dates will be brought back.
• Economic development updates: Lickle Patty Shop relocated from Poquonick Avenue to Broad Street in the former Subway space; Noble Gas opened with a Dunkin' Donuts; and staff is finalizing architecture for recent approvals.
• Seely said he is drafting a text amendment addressing federal firearms licenses as a home-based business. He reported struggling with whether limited retail sales should be permitted, how to differentiate gunsmithing from manufacturing, and whether the use should be by right, special use, or not permitted. He expected to bring options to the commission in February or March, after further staff review.

Application Acceptance

• The commission was advised that two applications, and potentially a third, will be on the February agenda, in addition to the continued Lamberton Road site plan. The chair reminded everyone that items not reached by 11:00 p.m. would be postponed rather than considered after that time.

Public Hearing - 853 Stone Road Subdivision

• The public hearing, recessed from December 10, 2024, was reopened for a proposed four-lot subdivision on 6.3 acres in the AA and AG Zones. Wilson Alford Jr., a professional engineer and land surveyor with Alford Associates, appeared with applicant Dan Fateau. Alford said the town attorney had not yet responded to questions about the split-zone property, but he maintained that commission precedent is to zone frontage and rear agricultural land separately, with lots developed according to the frontage zone. He stated engineering comments had been addressed and the items could be incorporated with approval.
• Public comment: Robert Wallach of 782 Stone Road questioned the origin of a '0.65 dwelling units per acre' density figure and argued the split between AG and AA zones creates a conflict that should be answered by following the more restrictive regulation, changing the regulation, or adjusting lot layout. A letter from Robert and Deborah Bologna of 933 Stone Road was read into the record; they stated they were not for or against the subdivision but asked whether protections or a conservation easement could be placed on the rear tree line to preserve noise buffering, wildlife habitat, and the rural character of the community.
• Town Planner Seely responded that the wetland referenced in the letter is off-site to the rear and there are no wetlands on the property. He said staff examined possible open-space dedication but concluded fee in lieu was appropriate because the wooded area provides no public access or connection to a larger open-space network. He noted a conservation easement would be at the applicant's discretion and that the plans do not show tree clearing; the double A lot is mostly open field.
• One commissioner expressed concern about the unresolved interpretation and said they would abstain. A motion to approve the subdivision with the condition that all outstanding staff issues be resolved was seconded. The public hearing was closed, and the motion passed 4-0-1 (four in favor, zero opposed, one abstention).

Key Outcomes

• Site plan for 89 and 99 Lamberton Road solar array continued to February 2025 (5-0).
• December 10, 2024 meeting minutes approved as amended.
• 853 Stone Road four-lot subdivision approved 4-0-1 with staff conditions.
• Commission will receive an updated POCD schedule and a future draft FFL text amendment.