Preston — A proposal by the owner of Fleming's Feed and Hardware to build a 44,000-square-foot indoor soccer complex on land adjacent to the store has received local planning and wetlands approval.

The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved the site development plan for the project on Route 165 and 6 Wininger Drive, with minor conditions. Last week, the town Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission also approved the project unanimously after an extensive review of contentious wetlands issues.

Town Planner Kathy Warzecha said the PZC had no major conditions. But because the project would be directly across Wininger Drive from the Preston Veterans' Memorial School, the commission asked the developer to avoid scheduling major events that would bring heavy traffic to the site between 8:30 and 9 a.m. and between 3 and 3:30 p.m. during the school year. Those are peak school bus arrival and departure times.

The project by property owner PAF Commercial Realty LLC calls for constructing a long, metal 30-foot tall building that could accommodate two indoor soccer fields or three youth softball fields, as well as a concessions stand and batting cages.

Developer Peter Fleming, owner of Fleming's Feed and Hardware and a neighboring child care center on Wininger Drive, hopes to attract soccer teams, leagues and tournaments for all ages and indoor youth softball tournaments — with regulation-size infields and slightly shorter outfield walls —

for players up to age 18. He also hopes the site can host high school skills "showcase" events for college recruiting coaches.

A future second phase of the project would include a 200-by-400-foot multiuse outdoor field on the east side of the building and a 150-by-200-foot outdoor soccer field at the Route 165 front of the property.

Fleming was not available for comment Wednesday. This summer, he said he had hoped to open the complex in spring, but the local wetlands permit process was slowed when Henry Bowers, owner of Summit Fitness and Sports in the Norwich Business Park, filed to become an intervener in the wetlands permitting process.

Bowers, who has been active in wetlands preservation efforts, claimed the project would be detrimental to nearby wetlands, especially a bog on the southeast portion of the property.

Bowers declined to comment Wednesday on the town commissions' actions or whether he would appeal the wetlands decision.

Although the project called for no work within the wetlands or even within the 100-foot buffer zone regulated by the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission, the commission hired an outside environmental consultant — the $2,000 fee paid by Fleming —

to review Fleming's plans and the report.

Project soil scientist James Cowen told the commission that the wetland previously called a bog is really a swamp and does not have the plant, soil or water characteristics of a bog. He also reported that no work on the project would be done within 200 feet of any wetland, well outside the commission's regulatory authority. The town's independent reviewer, Robert Russo of CLA Engineers of Norwich, concurred with Cowen's report.

Because of the distances involved, Fleming's application requested the commission issue a "declaratory ruling" that the construction would not involve activities regulated by the commission.

In its three-page motion, the commission listed nine reports, letters and testimony from the May, June, August and September wetlands meetings that members reviewed to reach their conclusion and voted unanimously in favor of the declaratory ruling.

c.bessette@theday.com

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