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Zoners Continue Public Hearing on Cluster Subdivision Proposal

Voices - 5/16/2018

SOUTHBURY - Most of the town's boards and commissions meet at 7 p.m. An exception is the Zoning Commission which meets at 7:30 p.m. as it did on Wednesday, May 9, with two applications on the table.

The first was continuation of the public hearing on a PDD that would permit a history-making, seven-lot, cluster subdivision of single-family units between Roxbury and South Britain roads.

The application fits the Plan of Conservation and Development criteria for cluster development supported by the Planning Commission

The second application was a humble modification of existing detailed plans for a proposed café addition at 80 Heritage Rd., Pomperaug Woods.

As could happen to anyone, Zoning Chairman Gary Giroux ran a bit late, so, under a hastily voted interim chair, the café project was moved to the top of the agenda and architect Hugh Sullivan, Bennett Sullivan Architects, presented his professional parcel of detailed scale drawings and site plans, copies to every board member and the press, and described the project scope. No issues, no problem, exit Mr. Sullivan smiling.

Mr. Giroux arrived and the public hearing on the PDD application continued from the last meeting.

Transylvania Brook Estates is an 18.46-acre property sitting in an R-60 zone with frontage on both South Britain and Roxbury Roads. Transylvania Brook runs through the property.

The listed property owner, Andrew French, was represented by Charles Spath from the Stuart Somers Company. Mr. Spath gave an adequate overview of the project considering that the permitting process had been ongoing for some time and commission members were very familiar with the issues and details.

All this was jogging along very nicely and the expectation clearly was to close the hearing and close out the application at the June meeting.

Suddenly a gentleman sitting far back among the rows of empty chairs came forward and began to speak without mike support in very clear tones. After all, the hearing was still open and he had every right.

His property on the South Britain Road side marches with Mr. French's. His name was Theodore J. Hunyadi and he was not happy with how the discussion was trending.

Based on impressive research, Mr. Hunyadi presented a case of illegalities on the part of practically everyone, including taking down a barn without a license, no filed record of the property purchase and other such basic paperwork. He noted the presence of telephone poles on the landscape.

Mr. French came forward and denied wrongdoing, although on the face of it, he had, maybe, skipped a few steps in the process.

Ultimately, Mr. Spath undertook to catch up with the paperwork and tidy up the issues noted by Mr. Hunyadi. As to the poles, he said that the power lines would be underground and that Eversource would remove the poles.

The application will continue at the June meeting.