East Lyme — The Zoning Commission moved Thursday in the likely direction of approving both a rezoning proposal and preliminary site plan for an affordable housing development in the Oswegatchie Hills, with several modifications. 

Many of the proposed modifications would require the developer to provide specific information while or before filing a final site plan application for the property.   

The commission is expected to finalize its decision next week.

Landmark Development, under Glenn Russo, has applied to rezone 123 acres in the hills as an affordable housing district, with 87 acres for open space and 36 acres for development. 

Landmark also submitted a preliminary site plan for 840 housing units, some of them affordable.

The application follows a 2011 remand order from the state Superior Court. The order is part of an appeal case from Landmark over the commission's denial of parts of a 2005 application.

On Thursday, the commission discussed several potential modifications for Landmark Development's proposal. Some of the modifications are for only the rezoning application or the preliminary site plan, while some are for both.

The commission proposed the requested zone change apply only to the parts of Landmark Development's property within the town's sewer service district.

Among the other modifications proposed on Thursday, the commission stipulated that the developer should apply for a permit from the town's Inland Wetlands Agency before or while applying for a final site plan.

The developer should also submit an application for a coastal site plan review and provide information to assess the development's potential environmental and coastal impacts. 

On Thursday, commission members raised specific modifications related to environmental matters.

They said a report by Trinkaus Engineering summarizes many of their environmental concerns about the proposed development, including its potential effect on nearby wetlands.

During public hearings on the application, Trinkaus Engineering had submitted the report on behalf of the Friends of the Oswegatchie Hills and Save the River-Save the Hills, groups that are intervening in the application.

The commission directed the town attorney to draft a final resolution, which would incorporate the additional environmental concerns, for next Thursday's meeting. The commission is expected to vote then. 

k.drelich@theday.com

Twitter: @KimberlyDrelich