Windsor Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting – July 8, 2025

The Windsor Town Planning and Zoning Commission held its hybrid regular meeting on 2025-07-08 12:00:00+00:00 (agenda time 7:00 p.m.) in Council Chambers, 275 Broad Street, Windsor, CT. Four commissioners were present; with a quorum of three, all votes were 4-0. The meeting included an 8-24 referral, two 3.9 site plan revisions, minutes approval, a planner’s report, application acceptances, and public hearings on the continued Targeting Centre/Bloomfield Avenue mixed-use concept plan, several special uses, and a zoning text amendment.

Consent Calendar

• Approved a C.G.S. §8-24 referral recommending the Town Council accept Addison Road public improvements, rights-of-way, and easements as shown on the F.A. Hesketh & Associates subdivision/right-of-way plans (sheets SUB-1 and SUB-2, dated May 2, 2023, revised July 1, 2025). Passed 4-0.
• Acknowledged a 3.9 Site Plan Revision for 92 Deerfield Road (19.76 acres, I Zone, IRG/Realty) for site modifications.
• Acknowledged a 3.9 Site Plan Revision for 550 Marshall Phelps Road (I Zone, Bodum USA, Inc.) to add an outdoor patio and freestanding sign.
• Approved the June 10, 2025 meeting minutes as corrected (strike of ‘in’ in page six paragraph five; correction to Commissioner Mipps’ question on page seven). Passed 4-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Donna Chapman (50 Somerset Drive) presented a petition with 440 Windsor residents, including 94% of the abutters, opposing the commercial/retail components and preferring senior living, assisted living, or condominiums. She argued the traffic study understated impacts because the site is currently vacant: combined proposed traffic is 318 AM peak trips and 300 PM peak trips, not the 92/105 net increases stated in the report; she cited the Starbucks alone generating 206 AM trips and a Dunfey Lane level-of-service D-to-E concern. She also said approved apartment complexes represent a 36% increase and this project would make it 54%.
• A Mountain Road-area resident reported observing 243 red-light cycles and 82 red-light violations (33.7%), including 11 by tractor trailers, and urged rejection of the commercial plan in favor of lower-traffic residential use.
• Mark Greenberg, owner/contract vendee, supported the plan, cited a recent burglary with about $1.5 million damage at 10 Targeting Centre, and advocated for condominiums as an ownership opportunity.
• Marie Benzans (343 Dunfey Lane), Karen Monty (14 Brookview Road), Alan Ferry (570 Bloomfield Avenue), Mark Bloomquist (85 Sheffield Drive), Jim McGuire (10 Oxford Lane), and Paul Penos (48 Brookview Road) expressed opposition or serious concern about traffic, safety, trucks, red-light running, and the cumulative impact of additional apartments and retail. Several favored senior housing or other uses with lower peak-hour traffic.
• Blaine East (City Corps Development Group), representing the applicant, said retail would be a sustainable neighborhood-scale use and not a major traffic generator, and pledged to work with neighbors.
• Staff read written comments from Beverly Coker, Pam Garzone, and a long-time resident opposing more apartments and requesting senior/elderly housing options.
• In rebuttal, Donna Chapman disputed the claim that Starbucks afternoon traffic would be minimal, noting the study shows 94 coffee-shop trips in the PM peak and afternoon retail traffic equal to 71% of the morning peak.

Design Development Concept Plan – 1 & 10 Targeting Centre and 465 Bloomfield Avenue

• Applicant Skip Alford Jr. (professional engineer) and Scott Hesketh (traffic engineer) presented the continued application, with Mark Greenberg and Blaine East. The proposal would convert two existing three-story office buildings to residential, add a new residential building, build a Starbucks and a separate retail building, and add drive-through windows and shared/reduced parking.
• The applicant stated traffic at the Mountain Road/Bloomfield Avenue intersection would increase about 2% in the AM peak and 1.5% in the PM peak; the site would provide 345 parking spaces versus 371 required under zoning, with an ITE-based shared-parking requirement of about 310 spaces.
• Hesketh said the traffic study was reviewed by town staff and BL Companies, a third-party reviewer; a previously noted D-to-E approach was revised and remained at D in the updated report. He characterized Starbucks as a ‘trip accommodator,’ with about 70% pass-by traffic, and said red-light running is an enforcement issue rather than a capacity deficiency.
• Town Planner Todd Seely explained the two-step design development process, noted the property was on Windsor’s priority redevelopment list since November 2024, and said Day Hill Corridor study recommendations support adaptive reuse and mixed-use. Staff recommended approval with minor remaining comments.
• Commissioner discussion included concerns about congestion at the retail entrance, the number of retail buildings, buffering for Mountain Road neighbors, and a possible right-turn exit lane to I-91. The applicant said a privacy fence with landscaping could be provided, with abutter permission needed in some areas because of slope conditions, and said they would study the exit-lane suggestion.

Other Public Hearings

• 144 (150) Broad Street – Moneta Moments, LLC: Co-owners Veronica Martins and Diane Smith requested a limited-service restaurant special use. No public speakers; staff recommended approval. Approved 4-0.
• 27 Sinclair Street – Myers: The applicant did not appear. The commission continued the group home special use to the September meeting, within the 65-day timeline.
• 200 Rainbow Road – Enders: Lisa Trung Enders requested an accessory building size increase (88 square feet over the allowed amount) for a detached two-car garage. Approved 4-0 pending final staff sign-off and health department septic review.
• 63 Lighthouse Hill Road – Bramucci: Angela Bramucci requested an accessory building size increase for a detached 24-by-24-foot garage after converting the attached garage to a first-floor bedroom suite for medical necessity. Approved 4-0 pending final staff sign-off.
• Text Amendment – Section 8.6E, I Zone: Bill Donegan (Pinball Valley) requested adding commercial recreational and cultural buildings/facilities as a special use in the I Zone to allow a retro pinball/classic arcade at 1001 Day Hill Road. The CRCOG referral under CGS §8-3b was read. Approved 4-0 pending resolution of staff issues, including a fire marshal comment.

Planner’s Report and New Business

• Planner Todd Seely announced a special meeting on August 12, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. to workshop an adaptive reuse text amendment and Day Hill Corridor draft regulations.
• He also announced the Wilson Gateway Park ribbon cutting on the upcoming Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• The commission accepted three new applications: Special Use for 494 (578) Windsor Avenue; Special Use re-approval for 6 Spring Street; and Site Plan for 60 Ezra Silva Lane (a new 100-foot by 330-foot warehouse in the I Zone). Scheduling was noted for August/September meetings.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the Addison Road 8-24 referral (4-0).
• Approved the June 10, 2025 minutes as corrected (4-0).
• Approved the Design Development Concept Plan for 1 & 10 Targeting Centre and 465 Bloomfield Avenue (4-0) with conditions: (1) consider reducing the size of the larger retail building; (2) develop a privacy/noise buffer with Mountain Road neighbors; (3) research the possibility of a right-turn exit lane from the complex; and (4) resolve all outstanding staff memorandum issues.
• Approved the related special uses (4-0) for the 465 Bloomfield Avenue drive-through, the 1 Targeting Centre drive-through, and shared/reduced parking at 1 & 10 Targeting Centre and 465 Bloomfield Avenue.
• Approved special uses for Moneta Moments at 144 (150) Broad Street, Enders at 200 Rainbow Road, and Bramucci at 63 Lighthouse Hill Road (all 4-0, the latter two pending staff sign-off).
• Approved the Section 8.6E text amendment for commercial recreational/cultural uses in the I Zone (4-0), pending staff issue resolution.
• Continued the 27 Sinclair Street special use to September because the applicant was absent.
• Adjourned.