Windsor Planning & Zoning Commission Regular Meeting – December 9, 2025
Windsor Town Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting – December 9, 2025
The meeting covered pre‑application scrutiny for converting a hotel into micro‑studio apartments, re‑approvals and revisions, two public hearings, a planner’s report on state housing legislation and local projects, and a presentation on the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) adoption timeline.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes of November 12, 2025 – Approved with minor corrections (addition of “do” and punctuation fix).
- Subdivision Revision – 77 Lincoln Way (driveway modification, A Zone) – Approved without objection.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Pre‑Application Scrutiny – 19 Maple Street (Windsor Towne House) – Applicant Richard Brown proposed converting the existing hotel into micro‑studio apartments (250–330 sq. ft., targeting $1,400/month rent inclusive of utilities). He noted 20 current long‑term residents, plans for energy‑efficient upgrades, and parking challenges (14 existing spots vs. 27 required). Commissioners expressed support for affordable housing but raised concerns about setting a precedent for unit size and hotel conversions. The discussion was informational; no vote was taken.
- Public Hearing – 740 Prospect Hill Road (Newgate Farms permanent farm stand) – Applicant Judith Seador requested a special use to operate a year‑round farm stand from a two‑car garage attached to the house. Commissioners clarified that seasonal agricultural products are allowed outside May–November and that 50% of products must be grown on site. No public comments were received. The hearing was closed.
- Public Hearing – 231 Dudley Town Road (special use renewal for commercial vehicle storage) – Not heard; a postponement to January 13, 2026 was requested and acknowledged.
Discussion Items
- Planner’s Report – Town Planner Mitchell Vye discussed House Bill 8002 (housing growth act, effective Jan. 1, 2026), including provisions for optional regional housing plans, reduced parking requirements for developments under 16 units, and streamlined commercial‑to‑residential conversions. He also reported on Founders Square Phase I ribbon cutting (70 apartments), Beaufield Green interior progress, and a pickleball facility design update.
- POCD Overview – Planner presented the draft Plan of Conservation and Development adoption process: submission to Town Council and CRCOG by Dec. 15, 2025, 65‑day review period, and possible adoption at a special meeting on Feb. 24, 2026. Commissioners reviewed a sample chapter and asked to read the full document before a formal presentation.
Key Outcomes
- Re‑Approval Extension – 895 Day Hill Road (extended‑stay hotel, I Zone) – Approved unanimously (5‑0) for an additional 18‑month special use extension. The project, originally approved Jan. 14, 2020, was delayed due to COVID and office market changes.
- Extension Denial – 445 Pequonic Avenue (three‑lot subdivision, AA Zone) – Denied unanimously (5‑0). The applicant (a church) had previously stated they did not intend to file the subdivision; the extension request was seen as inconsistent with that representation.
- Special Use Approval – 740 Prospect Hill Road (permanent farm stand, AG Zone) – Approved unanimously (5‑0) for a five‑year term, subject to compliance with the 50% on‑site product requirement and seasonal product rules.
- POCD Timeline – Draft to be submitted to Town Council and CRCOG by Dec. 15, 2025; public hearing and potential adoption targeted for Feb. 24, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Regular meeting of the uh planning and zoning commission order. Larry's not here. Oh, okay. And uh while we're waiting, uh Mitchell, is there anyone online or could you explain to people how they will get the be part of this meeting? 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 night on your phone. When you were called on, you'll be prompted that you were 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 first order of business is public communications and petitions for anyone in the audience that wishes to speak to an item that is not a public hearing item this evening. All right. Uh communications and petitions from the planning commission. Anyone have a meeting they've attended or do anything to report? I um I attended the Krog Regional Planning Meeting uh as I usually do. Um it was on November fifth. And they had actually had a very interesting presentation on um third places. What kind of places? Third places. This was a new term to me too, but it's um first places are homes, second places are work, and third places are social spaces where you can relax, gather, socialize. Um and there's a lot of data showing that they're very valuable places um to sort of combat the epidemic of loneliness that exists. Um it was a presentation about these kinds of spaces and what towns can do to help sort of encourage more of them. I think we've been we're ahead of them with that we do corridor of visit of uh Yeah, so they're play you know they can be outdoor places like just parks or they can be community centers and pubs and like coffee shops. Coffee shops and everything in between. Oh, I think we've uh covered that pretty good. We've got a couple of new coffee shops coming in. We've got Northwest Park, we've got uh the town readily town, we've got the uh soft pitch and everything up through there. Yep. We've done walkways. Oh that's good. So that we're we're gonna be right there for always looking to add more. We're always looking to add more third spaces and places for community. Great. Okay. Um next is no no zoning enforcement, no CGS pre-app scrutiny 13 Maple Street. So as Mr. Brown uh gets up to the table, I just want to state that this is a pre-application scrutiny. Uh we are looking to you for our guidance and next steps. Uh if this proposal were to move forward, there are some regulatory changes that would need to occur and probably additional public hearings. Um I would advise you to avoid preemptive statements, uh avoid strong negative or positive statements or opinions on the proposal itself. Uh, do encourage you to ask questions about the current or proposed uses uh or any questions that are regulatory in nature. Um also encourage you to kind of bring your planning and zoning hats and as we look at these kind of concepts. Um which to me in my mind are kind of too big zoning questions to be answered. So hi, good afternoon. Uh commission. My name is Richard Brown. Thank you for having me this evening. Um I am here talking about uh 19 Maple Ave, which is um the town the Windsor Town and Country uh town hotel. Um I am one of the principals who is a new owner of that hotel. Uh we purchased it in October of this year, uh October 10th or so. And to make my day really exciting.
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