Town Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting - June 10, 2025
Town Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting - June 10, 2025
The Town Planning and Zoning Commission of Windsor, Connecticut, held a hybrid regular meeting on June 10, 2025, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers, Town Hall. The meeting addressed several site plans, special use permits, a subdivision, a public hearing continuation, and administrative items. Key actions included approvals for commercial and industrial projects, a five-year renewal for a seasonal Halloween drive-through, and continuation of a mixed-use development public hearing to July 2025.
Consent Calendar
- Re-approvals/Revisions:
- 3.9 Site Plan Revision – 100 Helmsford Way (EV charging stations, I Zone, applicant: Naska) – noted and accepted.
- 3.9 Site Plan Revision – 330 Windsor Avenue (14' x 20' pavilion, B2 Zone, applicant: Town of Windsor) – noted and accepted.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Targeting Centre Mixed-Use Development (1 & 10 Targeting Centre, 465 Bloomfield Avenue): Several residents voiced strong opposition, citing severe traffic congestion, dangerous driving behavior (e.g., trucks running red lights), inadequate traffic signal timing, and concerns about cumulative impact from other nearby developments. Speakers included:
- Estelle Barr (116 Mountain Road): Expressed frustration over the last-minute continuation, referencing past similar tactics; reiterated traffic concerns.
- Ulysses Perez (15 Sylvie Lane): Described daily difficulty exiting Mountain Road onto Bloomfield Avenue and called the intersection dangerous.
- Tracy Young (2 Sylvia Lane): Reported near-accidents and frequent red-light running; noted that 200 new apartments across the street will add more traffic.
- Tracy Rothwitz (65 Sheffield Drive): Recalled a 2015 head-on collision near the Mountain Road intersection; worried about power outages causing traffic chaos.
- Karen LaClaire (Millbrook Circle): Stated there are 13 traffic lights in 5.1 miles from Mountain Road to Blue Hills Avenue Extension; questioned demand for new apartments given vacant units elsewhere.
- Suzette Brown (60 Sheffield Drive): Witnessed a crash at Mountain Avenue when a van ran a red light; opposed adding more traffic.
Discussion Items
- Site Plan – 29 Windsor Avenue (Phase II, Keeney Crossing): Applicant (Dijon LLC) proposed two 12,500 sq ft retail buildings and a 20-stall EV charging canopy on 11.98 acres in the B2 Zone. Engineer John Furman detailed stormwater management (peak flow reduction of more than 50% for a 2-year storm), fire truck routing, and landscaping. Outstanding comments included resolution of EV-ready infrastructure (infrastructure in place vs. installed chargers), a phase-one facade landscaping treatment, and monument sign location. The Commission expressed confidence in staff to resolve these.
- Subdivision – 175 & 176 Addison Road: Applicant (175 Addison Property Owner, LLC) proposed creating a 60-foot public right-of-way for Addison Road, which currently exists as an easement. No physical changes to the road were proposed. The Commission clarified that the town would own both the road and underlying land after acceptance by Town Council (8-24 process).
- Site Plan – 176 Addison Road: Applicant proposed two one-story flex/light manufacturing buildings (150,000 sq ft each) on the 35.74-acre I Zone parcel, currently a 1,200-car parking lot. Plan includes 313 parking spaces, landscaping, crosswalks, and a reserved 150-car lot for the adjacent building. Noise studies concluded that ambient highway noise (I-91) exceeds projected site noise; fencing will be added near a residential neighbor. The Commission approved subject to staff review.
- Special Use – 550 Marshall Phelps Road (Freestanding Sign): Applicant (Bodum USA) requested a second monument sign for truck navigation on a 226,000 sq ft building with 750 ft frontage. The sign will be illuminated with opaque background on a concrete base. Approved as a special use per Section 3.7.2H.
- Special Use – 550 Marshall Phelps Road (Limited Retail Sales): Applicant (Lori DiBattisto) proposed a 9,600 sq ft roastery, café, and outlet area (within the 15% allowance of 33,900 sq ft). Operating hours 7 AM–4 PM, initially Monday–Friday, potentially expanding to Saturdays. Staff noted alignment with Day Hill Corridor recommendations for mixed-use vibrancy. Approved.
- Special Use Renewal – 67 Rainbow Road / 1911 Poquonock Avenue: Applicant (Frank Campiti) sought renewal of a temporary Halloween drive-through event (Thursdays through Sundays in October). Last year attracted visitors from Boston and New York with no traffic issues; the queue never extended beyond halfway of the 1,400-foot driveway. The Commission voted to approve for a five-year term.
- Minutes Approval – May 20, 2025: Minutes were approved with minor corrections (word change on page 6, 'Silva' to 'Sylvia' on page 7, 'them' to 'it' on page 6).
- Planner’s Report: Planner announced completion of focus group meetings for the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), with ~800 survey responses received; a public workshop on draft POCD vision is planned for fall. Staff is working on Day Hill Corridor regulations and proposed a commission workshop in August (later adjusted to September pending commissioner review of the final study). Planner also noted achieving AICP certification.
- Business Meeting – Application Acceptance: Five new applications were accepted for future public hearings:
- Special Use – 27 Sinclair Street (Group Home, R8 Zone)
- Special Use – 144 (150) Broad Street (Limited-service restaurant, B2 Zone)
- Special Use – 200 Rainbow Road (Increase accessory building size, R11 Zone)
- Special Use – 1 & 10 Targeting Centre and 465 Bloomfield Avenue (Drive-through windows, shared parking, reduced parking) – continued to July
- Site Plan – 176 Addison Road (handled earlier)
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Site Plan for 29 Windsor Avenue (Phase II) – pending resolution of outstanding staff comments from June 4 and June 9 memos.
- Approved: Subdivision for 175 & 176 Addison Road (60-foot right-of-way creation).
- Approved: Site Plan for 176 Addison Road (two flex buildings) – pending resolution of outstanding staff comments.
- Approved: Special Use for freestanding sign at 550 Marshall Phelps Road.
- Approved: Special Use for limited retail sales at 550 Marshall Phelps Road.
- Approved: Five-year renewal of special use for Halloween drive-through at 67 Rainbow Road / 1911 Poquonock Avenue.
- Continued to July 2025: Public hearings for the mixed-use development and related special uses at 1 & 10 Targeting Centre and 465 Bloomfield Avenue (Alford Associates). Public comment period was held; written comments will be read at the next meeting.
- Approved: Minutes of May 20, 2025, with amendments.
- Accepted: Five new applications for future public hearings as listed.
- Adjourned: Meeting adjourned at approximately 9:15 PM.
Meeting Transcript
The uh town committee town planning and zoning commission meeting of June 10th to order. And uh we'll start the meeting now. And uh Mitchell, will you inform the audience? If there's anyone from the public who would like to address the commission, you may do so by raising your hand on your computer if your device has a microphone capability by selecting the participants icon on the zoom menu bar and then clicking raise hand or by dialing star nine on your phone. When you were called on, you will be prompted that you're now on muted. Please state your name and address for clear communication. We ask that you do not place the call on speaker phone. Thank you. Uh public communications and petitions for anyone that wishes to speak any item that is not a public hearing item. Is there anyone online? Uh no, ma'am. Okay. Uh communications from the commission. Anyone attend meeting that needs to report? No. Okay. No zoning, no CGS. Reapprovals and revisions. Uh Mr. Seely. Uh yes, ma'am. Before I get into the reapprovals and revisions, I just want to state for the benefit of the public that the application for one and 10 targeting center uh has requested an additional extension. Um we've been working with the applicants on uh addressing some of the comments and concerns that came up from the commission and the public. Uh we have the ability to extend it out to the July hearing. Um so we've uh the applicant has requested an additional extension. Um state statutes say that you have 65 days in total uh to extend an application. So like I said, that'll get us to July. Um the public hearing is open tonight, so we can take public comment if anyone wishes to say and speak to that application, but the um it will be continued to the July hearing. Um the applications for reapproval and re-extension. Uh there was a three point nine site plan revision for 100 Helms for Way for EV charging stations, the I zone, uh NAS NOSCO was the applicant. Uh the second application was for a 330 Windsor Ave to add a 14 by 20 pavilion in the B2 zone. And that was the Town of Windsor application. Okay, thank you. Um is the targeting center apply to all of their special use correct, yes, sir. All four of them. Yes, sir. Okay. For special uses as well. Correct. Thank you. Uh there would there was one make sure everybody notices the um uh to share from the planning uh state planning with the sh shit programs coming up in case we need to have that. Uh from there we'll go to site plan for 29 Windsor Avenue. Uh good evening. For the record, my name's Meghan Hope. I'm an attorney with Alter Pearson and Hope in Glastonbury. Um I'm here tonight with John Furman, a professional engineer with VHB, and we represent Dijon LLC, the property owner of 29 Windsor Avenue. Um we filed a site plan application for for our proposed commercial development on the site. This will be phase two of our project um known as uh Keeney Crossing Development. Phase one was approved uh by the commission in uh August of 2023, and that was a special use permit with a site plan approval for a convenience store and car wash um on a two-acre site. Um the plan also involved uh a new signal at uh the site drive and at windsor avenue across from Violet Street.
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