Town Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting – October 13, 2026

The Windsor Town Planning and Zoning Commission held a hybrid regular meeting on October 13, 2026, at 7:00 PM in the Town Hall Council Chambers. The commission took up several public hearings, including a complex land swap and access modification on Bloomfield Avenue, a special use reapproval for a downtown restaurant, an amendment to the Great Pond Form-Based Code concept plan, a new special use for a private event facility, and a town-initiated text amendment to encourage infill development in Windsor Center.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes: The minutes from the September 9, 2026 meeting were approved (5-0) with minor corrections.
• 4 Batchelder Road: A site plan revision for a stairway replacement on the Loomis campus was approved.

Public Comments & Testimony

• 777/801 Bloomfield Ave (Letters): Kristen De Luca (prospective owner, 773 Bloomfield Ave) supported the easement realignment for safety reasons involving her horse trailer and mail delivery. James Meyerhans and Marlene Pouliat (owners, 771 Bloomfield Ave) voiced strong support, citing dangerous traffic conditions at the current exit, and stated they prioritized the safety improvement over retaining their Bloomfield Avenue address.
• 777/801 Bloomfield Ave (Oral): Steven Mitchell (VP, Mitchell Auto Group) spoke in favor of the plan, emphasizing public safety and five years of collaboration on the solution.
• Other Hearings: No members of the public spoke for or against the remaining applications.

Discussion Items

• Planner’s Report (Todd Seely): Mr. Seely offered congratulations to retiring Public Relations and Social Services Director Anita Jubri (37 years of service). He announced that the Plan of Conservation and Development’s (POCD) public engagement campaign earned an APA-CT Education and Outreach Award and two 3CMA Silver Awards. He reported that the Boston Pickle Club at 20 Day Hill Road received a certificate of occupancy and opened. He noted a significant shift in development activity, with only 26,000 square feet of commercial projects completed in the last fiscal year compared to roughly 600,000 in the prior two years, indicating a trend toward commercial infill and residential projects.
• A, B, C: Zone Changes & Subdivision (777 & 801 Bloomfield Ave): Applicant Phil Doyle (LADA PC) presented a plan to resolve a decades-old safety issue by eliminating an easement through the Mitchell Ford dealership. The proposal involves a land swap of equal-sized parcels (11,303 sq ft) to adjust zoning boundaries (AG to I, I to AG) and construct a new, safer driveway connecting the three residential parcels to Addison Road extension. Commission discussion covered driveway maintenance liability, fire access, snow plowing responsibilities, wetland impacts, and mandatory address changes.
• D: Special Use Re-approval (20 Union Street / Tony’s Grill): Owner Richard Schuler requested an indefinite renewal for the full-service restaurant, confirming no material changes to the operation. Commissioners discussed that the indefinite approval runs with the property (the Fire District) and any future material change in use would require a new application.
• E: Text Amendment (Great Pond Form-Based Code): Mr. Lewis (CPL Northeast Architecture Corp.) presented a concept plan revision for the T4 zone. The key changes are the removal of a segment of Concord Road to create a larger development parcel and the relocation of the planned park to the end of Newport Avenue. Pedestrian access would be maintained via a private street with a public sidewalk and an enhanced multi-use path. Commissioners questioned parking provisions for future buildings and the potential for an assisted living facility on the site.
• F: Special Use (555 Day Hill Road / Event Center): Applicants Elaine and Ro Rowe proposed a private event facility with a commercial kitchen for their existing food truck business. They outlined hours (10 AM to midnight), event volume (2-4 per week), and stated that amplified music would be indoors. A traffic memo from Scott Heskett & Associates found no significant impacts. Commissioners expressed strong concern over noise, and the applicants agreed to a condition prohibiting outdoor music.
• G: Text Amendment (Windsor Center Infill Development): Town Planner Todd Seely presented a town-initiated amendment to lower the minimum project acreage for the Center Design Development Overlay from 1 acre to 0.5 acres to encourage infill on arterials like Broad Street. Commissioners discussed filling vacant storefronts and the importance of commercial frontage, citing parking design issues at Founders Plaza as a lesson learned.

Key Outcomes

• 777 & 801 Bloomfield Avenue: All three applications approved in separate votes. Zone Change (AG to I) passed 5-0. Zone Change (I to AG) passed 5-0. Subdivision Revision with a waiver of subdivision regulations passed 5-0. The applicant must secure a maintenance and indemnity agreement from the Town Council for the portion of the driveway over the town right-of-way.
• 20 Union Street (Tony’s Grill): The special use permit was renewed for an indefinite period. Vote: 5-0.
• Great Pond Concept Plan: The amendment to the form-based code concept plan was approved. Vote: 3-0-1 (Commissioner Anita Mipps abstained, citing her role on the Great Pond Improvement District Board).
• 555 Day Hill Road (Event Center): A special use permit was approved for a term of one year, with an explicit condition prohibiting outdoor music. Vote: 5-0.
• Windsor Center Infill Text Amendment: The amendment reducing the minimum acreage for Design Development from 1 acre to 0.5 acres was approved. Vote: 5-0.