! IMPORTANT !
Planning and Zoning Meeting
Thursday, 10/5, at 7 PM, Shepardson Auditorium
🔺Wear Red🔺
Thursday night’s Planning and Zoning meeting at 7pm in the Shepardson Center auditorium will be quite the meeting. In addition to the public hearings for the three Southford Park, LLC applications, there are two other public hearings for subdivisions off Washington Drive and Nick Road, plus several new applications for other subdivision modifications, a Zone Text Change to add Section 28 Planned Rental Housing Development Overlay District, and a Zone Map Change to change LI-80/R-40/PRD to Section 28 Planned Rental Housing Development Overlay District. The meeting will be available via Zoom from the agenda posted on the town website: https://www.middlebury-ct.org/.../10052023_agenda_pz.pdf
Metro Realty has been before P&Z a number of times this year, seeking guidance on a proposed luxury rental project on the roughly 77 acres off Straits Turnpike just south of the existing medical building. The project is intended to appeal to those who specifically want to rent: single or married-without-children career-oriented professionals or empty nesters who don’t want to own a home anymore but who also want to stay in Middlebury. The project proposes 200 units, 1 or 2-bedroom only, with a projected total of 17 new children added to the Region 15 school district and a potential net tax benefit to the town of Middlebury of more than $500,000 (estimated property taxes and car taxes). The text amendment to create a new Planned Rental Housing Development Overlay District and the zone map change appears to be how Metro Realty hopes to proceed with the project. Additional details will be made available at the meeting.
Southford Park, LLC submitted an architectural review to the Economic Development Commission (EDC) on Monday evening (October 2nd), with tough questions from EDC members and public comment focused on the unknown use of the building. The architect commented that “there is a lot of baggage associated with the term warehouse or distribution facility, so that is why we have used industrial flex space terminology,” with a follow-up comment from SLR that “distribution facilities would not be a permitted use.” Attorney Fitzpatrick also commented that this would not be a trucking terminal because that’s not allowed in Middlebury, but then also insisted that the “warehousing” listed as a permitted use in Section 42 had nothing to do with the definition of a warehouse listed in Section 9 Definitions. The Economic Development Commission asked for additional renderings from all sides of the project, to see the written statement of compliance with the zoning regulations, and commented that it has never been asked to consider a project where the use of the building was unknown. Members of the public commented on all kinds of issues:
🔺While the traffic study claims trucks won’t be able to turn left onto Southford Rd, there will be no physical barrier that enforces this pronouncement
🔺If the exterior of the building is metal, that surface will bounce truck sound right at the new homes that are supposed to be built on the east side of N. Benson Rd
🔺If the building is going to have solar panels on it, those should have been included in the renderings
🔺The renderings should have been done in winter and from all perspectives, not just Southford Rd in the summer, so an accurate view of the building is perceived
🔺How loud are the HVAC units going to be on the roof and will they be seen?
Many of the questions asked on Monday night were deflected by the applicant's representatives as relevant for the Planning and Zoning Commission and not the EDC, though Attorney Fitzpatrick took all kinds of notes and will likely have responses once the project is presented to P&Z. Members of the public will be able to comment on all three Southford Park applications, though it’s not clear how much time the public will have to comment on Thursday night given the very full agenda and the many applicants who will likely speak first. Written comments can be emailed to pandz@middlebury-ct.org if you want to be sure to get your comments in the record. If you plan to speak during the public hearing, it’s very helpful to hand in a copy of your remarks afterwards. All concerns regarding this project are fair game for P&Z to consider: traffic, noise, quality of life issues, pollution, impact to surrounding property values, whether or not this project aligns with Middlebury’s Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), concern for students attending LMES and PHS, concern over Middlebury accepting a heavily compromised Conservation Easement, whether or not our Fire/Police Departments have the proper resources to handle this kind of development, and so on!
See you Thursday at 7pm!
