Mystic - Stonington Planning and Zoning Commission members expressed concerns during Tuesday's public hearing about the number and type of special events that the Denison Pequot sepos Nature Center could hold at its newly opened Coogan Farm Nature and Heritage Center on Route 27.

The nature center is seeking approval from the commission to make various improvements to the site.

The commission continued the hearing to Feb. 3 because the center also needs to obtain two variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals, in addition to seeking support for its driveway plan from the Board of Police Commissioners and addressing recommendations from the town engineer.

Landscape architect Chad Frost outlined the plan to the commission and answered numerous questions from members.

Chairman Ben Tamsky and member Curtis Lynch expressed concerns about the number of special events that could be held on the site. Frost said there may be occasional special events and accommodations are being made with the adjacent Precious Memories Preschool, Mystic Seaport and other nearby properties to allow overflow parking and use of a shuttle service to the site.

Tamsky said he was concerned not about public events sponsored by the nature center but private events such as large weddings, which he would like to see limited.

Frost said the center could suggest a number of these events that could be held each year.

"It's the nature center. We're not looking at doing any large events on a regular basis," center Executive Director Maggie Jones assured the commission. "We're not looking to use it for mega events."

Several residents, some of whom are involved with adjacent properties, supported the plan during the hearing. Frost outlined various aspects of the plan Tuesday, including drainage and parking, and the extensive steps to not only make these improvements environmentally sensitive but educational as well.

The Board of Police Commissioners has expressed concerns about the project's proposed traffic and parking plan, and have recommended to the Planning and Zoning Commission that it restrict the north entrance of the site to cars entering the property, while allowing the south entrance to serve as both an entrance and exit.

Frost said the nature center will appear before the Board of Police Commissioners at its Thursday meeting to again discuss the access issue and get the board's support.

The nature center plans to renovate the Coogan farmhouse into a welcome center/retail shop on the ground level, classrooms and meeting spaces on the first floor and offices on the top floor. The small, white barn across the driveway from the farmhouse will be turned into classroom and exhibit space.

A 41-space parking lot will be constructed in the lower field next to the farmhouse and the farm's original driveway will be widened for use as a secondary entrance.

A gathering plaza will be constructed between the farmhouse and the white barn.

The second portion of the project involves redesigning the 2-acre Giving Garden and creating an adjacent outdoor classroom in an area that was once a quarry.

In addition, a post-and-beam pavilion called the Hamm Pavilion and Outdoor Classroom will be constructed next to the stone foundation known as the Paddock, while the Greenmanville Trail will take visitors from Route 27 to the Hamm Pavilion.

The third part of the project involves the construction of a bicycle/pedestrian trail from Clara Drive through the property to Route 27. Three parking spaces are proposed for the Clara Drive entrance.

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