East Lyme Planning Commission begins review of Landmark application
East Lyme — The Planning Commission on Tuesday began reviewing Landmark Development's latest application to rezone acreage within the Oswegatchie Hills near the Niantic River as an affordable housing district.
The Middletown-based company, under developer Glenn Russo, wants to turn 123 undeveloped acres it owns in the hills from a rural area into an affordable housing district. The proposal sets aside 36 acres for development and 87 acres for open space.
The Planning Commission is considering if the rezoning request is consistent with the town's Plan of Conservation and Development. The commission is expected to make a referral to the Zoning Commission over its next couple of meetings, in time for the Zoning Commission's May 21 public hearing on the application.
Landmark's preliminary site plan calls for 840 residential units within 24 buildings and 1,767 parking spaces. Landmark stated in its application that it is defining "the parameters" of its plan, following a 2011 decision from Superior Court Judge Stephen F. Frazzini. The decision was part of an appeal case brought by the developer against the Zoning Commission over the commission's decision on Landmark's 2005 application.
On Tuesday, the Planning Commission began examining maps of the area proposed for development, a parcel of land Chairman Brian Schuch pointed out as near Latimer Brook and overlooking the headwaters of the Niantic River.
Some commission members raised questions regarding the plan's consideration for traffic on the rural roads that residents exiting the proposed residence would travel on to reach Route 1.
The developer proposes building a new traffic signal at Route 1 and River Road, widening Route 1 to encompass a westbound left turn lane and widening River Road to have a two-lane approach, according to a traffic letter that updates a 2005 traffic report for the proposed development.
Town Planning Director Gary Goeschel said there are discussions among himself and zoning staff that the town may hire a traffic engineer to review the document and the development's traffic impact.
At an upcoming meeting, the commission is expected to review a map of the town, with an overlay of the proposed development, as it considers the affordable housing, environmental and traffic sections of the Plan of Conservation and Development.
Timothy Hollister, the developer's attorney, had requested by email that the commission hold off on discussions and a decision until a meeting he would be able to attend, Goeschel said.
Schuch, the commission's chairman, acknowledged Hollister's request, but said he felt it was fair to begin the review, particularly since there is a substantial amount of material and the meeting was not a public hearing.
Landmark Development has submitted several applications to develop the hills for more than a decade.
As part of the 2011 court decision in the appeals case, the Zoning Commission revised two years ago some of its regulations governing affordable housing districts. The Zoning Commission will use the revised regulations as it later reviews the application and decides whether to approve or deny it.
Meanwhile, Landmark is appealing in court the Water and Sewer Commission's decision to allocate 14,434 gallons per day for the proposed development.
Twitter: @KimberlyDrelich
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