Stonington ― The Inlands Wetlands Commission has scheduled a Jan. 5 public hearing on a new permit application to conduct work within a wetlands review area at 16 Smith St. in Old Mystic.

Coast Development Group of Newport, R.I. is proposing ecological improvements to the property by removing invasive trees and plants from within the 100-foot buffer outside the wetlands. The work is proposed in preparation for construction of a house.

The commission determined that a public hearing should be held in light of the intense public interest generated by a previous application to build the home. The commission denied that application in September.

The initial application proposed raising the elevation of the future home by 10 to 11 feet so it would sit above the flood plain and constructing a 26,000 square foot “compensatory flood storage area” comprised of an artificially created terrace, or berm.

Neighbors testified, during a public hearing on the initial application, that Old Mystic contains an inland, freshwater marsh that is the largest in southeastern Connecticut and is crucial in preventing widespread flooding in the village. They said it also filters groundwater that drains into the Mystic River and provides habitat for birds and wildlife. They maintained the project would harm the wetlands.

The northern part of the wetland extends up to properties on the south side of Smith Street, where 16 Smith St. is located.

The new proposal repositions the future home to increase the distance between the proposed home and garage and the wetlands, as well as keeps both the structure and the required flood storage area outside of the upland review area.

Additionally, only the proposed garage will be elevated, and the new design will reduce the amount of fill for the project and minimize the size of the flood storage, which will be seeded as a lawn.

The commission a scheduled a site walk of the property for Dec. 17.