|
ENFIELD PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING
FEBRUARY 27, 2002
A Special Meeting of the Enfield Planning and Zoning Commission was held on Thursday, February 27, 2002 in the Council Chambers, Enfield Town Hall, 820 Enfield Street, Enfield, Connecticut. Chairman Howard called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
PRESENT: James Howard, Chairman
Anthony DiPace (arrived at 6:58 p.m.)
Charles Duren
Robert Egan
James Hickey, Jr.
Karen Krebs
Nicles Lefakis
Jeffrey Cooper, Alternate
Joseph Jednak, Alternate
ABSENT: Karen Weseliza, Alternate
ALSO PRESENT: Jose Giner, Director of Planning
EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS PENDING LEGAL MATTERS WITH TOWN ATTORNEY
Commissioner Krebs made a motion, seconded by Duren, to go into Executive Session to discuss pending legal matters. The motion was approved by a unanimous vote and the Commission went into Executive Session at 6:32 p.m. Commissioner DiPace was not present for this Executive Session.
Commissioner Duren made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Egan, to come out of Executive Session. Following a unanimous vote, Executive Session ended at 6:58 p.m. Chairman Howard stated there were no votes taken or decisions made during this Executive Session.
WORKSHOP WITH CONSULTANTS ON HAZARDVILLE VILLAGE DISTRICT STUDY
Bruce Hoben from Planimetrics and Rosemary Aldridge appeared before the Commission regarding the Hazardville Village District Study.
Mr. Hoben stated they would like to bring the Commission up to date on what has been completed and the schedule for completing the study for the Hazardville Village District.
Mr. Hoben presented a general outline of what the study area is. Ms. Aldridge described it to those present. They would like to start at the corner of Hazard Avenue, Elm and North. The zone would continue along parallel to Hazard Avenue ending at Park Street. She questioned how far north and south to the surrounding neighborhood the Hazardville Village District should be extended. They are proposing to come along to the north at the end of Fair, Cedar and up to School Street and than along Oak and back down to Park. The reason for this is because of the type of land uses that exist in that neighborhood and because most of the sites along Hazard Avenue are either commercial or multi-family. This is also the back line of the federal historic district with buildings that are on the National Register. On the south side, they would like to continue along the back of the first block which is Ridgefield and then Powder House Road and Southview and then swing along the back of the Powder Hollow Park. There are some newer areas that Ms. Aldridge did not think needed to be in the study area. She requested input from those present as to whether everyone is comfortable with what they are proposing.
Commissioner Duren questioned why they didn't go up into the Scitico area or in the former Springborn section. Ms. Aldridge stated Scitico has its own name place historically.
Commissioner Duren stated for zoning, he would like to see some of that Scitico area protected, especially the old part where the old post office was and the adjoining area. Ms. Aldridge stated when they started the streetscape project, they looked at what would be the beginning and the end and the reason she suggested starting with Park Street is because the majority of the zoning is single-family residential with relatively newer homes. The density and the topography of the area were also considered and this seemed a good place to start.
Commissioner Duren felt they were talking two different things. Ms. Aldridge is talking about a historic area and Commissioner Duren is concerned with allowing certain types of signs for the area that are needed in the zoning regulations and not necessarily beautification. While beautification would be part of it, it is a minor part in his opinion. This is why he brought up the old village of Scitico.
Mr. Giner stated referring to the Plan of Development, the area was based just on Hazardville and did not mention Scitico. Mr. Giner stated this is something they can look at including. Commissioner Duren stated the Commission has gone over this several times and he is talking about zoning regulations for protection of the area and the representatives are discussing the streetscape.
Mr. Hoben stated they are talking about both. They are talking about developing zoning regulations that are appropriate for developing this area. Ms. Aldridge noted the streetscape is done. The project has been awarded and is under construction. Mr. Giner clarified that the sidewalk part of it has been approved and is under construction. None of the other elements have been finalized.
Commissioner DiPace stated there is a need to design regulations to try to preserve the neighborhood.
Commissioner Egan stated he feels the Plan of Conservation and Development should be used since there were recommendations included to protect certain areas. Commissioner Egan does not see where those areas have been included. If this project is to come back and make recommendations for zoning regulations, these areas that have been included in the Plan of Conservation and Development should also be considered. There should be a plan to accomplish the objectives included in that Plan.
Commissioner Egan stated regarding Powder Hollow, the Plan of Conservation and Development is looking at protecting some of the remains of the historic structures. There is a powder mill that was crucial to Hazardville and there should be ongoing review to protect the historic elements.
Commissioner Duren stated beautification is one thing but this Commission is talking the Master Plan and zoning regulations to protect what is existing. Ms. Aldridge confirmed that is part of the study.
Commissioner Duren questioned if the Hazardville streetscape is included in the letter from the Town Attorney which stated some projects should have come to this Commission but did not but it was presently a moot point since the Town Council is handling it all now. Regarding sidewalks, Mr. Giner stated there is nothing in zoning about them. The only time this Commission would have jurisdiction over sidewalks would be if a commercial center wanted to change them. Items in the public way are part of the subdivision standards. For new development, there could be a point made that this Commission should have received an 8-24. If they were going to install lights, benches and new structures, these things would have to come back to the Commission before proceeding. Mr. Giner stated he does not think the Town Council has made that decision on the balance of the Hazardville project.
In response to a question from Commissioner Cooper, Mr. Giner stated the Village District is purely a Planning and Zoning Commission section. State statutes spell out the process. It has to be adopted as part of the Plan of Conservation and Development as a detailed amendment. Mr. Giner stated the maps in the Plan of Conservation and Development do show this area going down to Powder Hollow. The Commission has to discuss with the consultant if there is a need to go beyond that. Mr. Giner stated the Commission may want to identify a larger neighborhood in Hazardville because of residential. He suggested going up to North Street in the area of the residential homes.
Commissioner DiPace noted the difference between Thompsonville, which has no traffic, and Hazardville which has approximately 18,000 - 20,000 cars traveling through it daily. There is a significant amount of traffic along with the existing businesses. He suggested that if the Commission is going to do something, that they do not burden the existing businesses and put them out of business. He saw a need to preserve the neighborhood and allow for some changes.
Mr. Giner stated there is the concept of having different areas for different parts of the village district. Over the next month or so, there would be an attempt to define whether more flexible regulations are needed for this village district.
Commissioner DiPace stated if someone is going to bring their residence or business more into compliance, that should be acceptable. He saw a need for this to occur one step at a time and not everything at once. He discussed Lee, Massachusetts and other small towns that have preserved the center of their town.
Mr. Giner stated the Commission should consider as part of the study the BL and BG areas and the fact that many areas are still zoned residential. The law requires a study prior to adopting the regulations. There is a need to look at the area and see what is appropriate.
Commissioner DiPace stated there are a couple of gas stations in the center of Hazardville. He owns a business there and he has probably one of the oldest freestanding signs in this town. Rather than tear it down, a couple of years ago he had the sign renovated and reinstalled. Commissioner DiPace noted under the current regulations, that sign is not permitted because it is an old lollipop sign. He stated there are companies that will duplicate older antique signs. If a business wants to install such a sign, there is a need to be flexible in the signage regulations to permit this.
Bill Lee from the Revitalization Strategy Committee felt Commissioner DiPace's comments were worth considering. Designating this area as a village brings along certain protections that can only be enacted by zoning regulations. Whether they are specific regulations that are in place throughout the community now or very specific design types of regulations, this is what the crux of the study is about. As far as the area, the Revitalization Committee was expecting this area designated by the consultant. He would have extended the area to include the barn.
Commissioner Duren stated it is not just the barn. It is that whole road that goes into Powder Hollow. There are other old powder buildings that were in there that were used by the powder company. Mr. Lee agreed but he felt there are measures to protect them through the Historic Register and other historic protections. Commissioner Duren stated until these buildings are on the register, there could be facade improvements that could be addressed similar to the architectural changes just passed for Enfield Street.
Mr. Lee stated all the existing remaining powder buildings are all part of the federal register of historic places as a district and not individually and this also includes the center of Hazardville. What the Revitalization Committee was expecting was some zoning or zoning guidelines to protect the commercial and historic district.
Mr. Giner stated the intent also is to enhance the area and make it more friendly for people to stop by if there are commercial or mixed uses. Presently there is just conventional zoning and he stated there may be a lot of residentially zoned property in the Hazardville center area. He saw a need to come up with something that would give the Commission more flexibility or allow for mixed uses which is more typical in a village type district. It may also include bumping up the density of residential to bring back some street life such as the addition of café uses.
Commissioner Duren stated there was a request for a pizza restaurant in the center of Hazardville and the Commission agreed that there could be a picnic table out front. Mr. Giner stated presently under BL and BG there is very little flexibility. He elaborated on other areas similarly zoned. Mr. Giner stated the intent is to start out with the appropriate study area to look at and then start to come up with some ideas for that identified area. He stated the Plan of Conservation and Development does not show the northern area and suggested it would be useful to get some of those residential homes on the side streets and up to the south side of North Street as part of the neighborhood. Streets would include School Street and North Maple Street up to North.
Commissioner Duren pointed out an area on the map that includes all duplexes which were old mill houses. Mr. Giner stated he felt Park Street would have been more logical to include.
Commissioner DiPace stated across from Park Street on an angle there is a white house. To the left of that home is a large concrete slab and this used to be an old ice house.
Commissioner Duren stated the streetscapes do not have to go down there but he asked that the consultant and Mr. Giner take a look at including this area.
Chairman Howard stated if the areas that Commission members desire to include are put in the village district and something comes to the Commission for zoning, they can then look at the special regulations for the area.
Mr. Hoben stated everyone recognizes that the current zoning is not going to do the job for this Hazardville area. What they have to do is go out and pick up the flavor of the area and make sure they can translate that into standards for future development. This would include what density will prompt people to meet those standards and where the area should start and stop. That is the beauty of the village district and their challenge is to put this together for the Commission.
Mr. Hoben stated the first two elements of the plan are more streetscape items. However, in the third element, they begin talking about the character of the area in terms of signs, building elements, the lighting and other aspects. They have to start thinking about how regulations will help the town to go in the direction they want to in the Hazardville area. They will be spending most of their time now on the last three elements with the final element being the zoning regulations.
Mr. Hoben stated they have to review, in addition to the zoning regulations, whether there are other approaches that need to be taken for areas that should have special treatment. He presented a schedule of the items to be undertaken in the Hazardville Study. Mr. Hoben stated the overall schedule assumes that by March they will have this plan finalized with the regulations pretty much in place and an anticipated public hearing to be held in late June.
Mr. Hoben stated the other question was the process the Commission wants to follow. He asked if they will be acting as a committee of the whole. He questioned how should they deal with some of the design committees that are in place and asked for guidance. Chairman Howard noted the need to work together and stated this Commission has the final say as far as zoning. He would like to be briefed with members of the Revitalization Committee present at every meeting. Mr. Giner asked if the Commission would like to appoint a subcommittee or would the Commission as a whole review the proposals. He also asked if the Commission would like to have special meetings. Chairman Howard would like the entire Commission involved and Commission members were in agreement to hold special meetings.
Commissioner DiPace requested that as the consultant gets further along in the process, that Mr. Giner provide copies of any materials to the Enfield Revitalization Committee with a request for any suggestions.
Mr. Lee discussed the Enfield Revitalization Committee's role and stated in their current charge, it doesn't really pick up until the regulations have been adopted. Their part was to help promote what this Commission creates as the village district guidelines. They would promote those to the businesses and make sure they do not become a hardship but a way to improve the business climate of the area. The second part of their charge is to work on creating a process for a historical designation for the area. Although that is not part of the village guidelines because of the amount of properties in Hazardville and other areas of town, it will be a priority for their committee. Mr. Lee added they do appreciate the intent to keep communications open.
Chairman Howard stated if the Revitalization Committee is not present for the formation of the zoning regulations, it may have a negative effect in their planning.
Commissioner Egan noted another recommendation that was made in the Plan of Conservation and Development was to seek local historical designations for the Hazardville area. It is designated on the Federal Register. In the state plan of conservation and development, it carries a conservation neighborhood designation. Commissioner Egan stated one of the recommendations of the town's plan was to get the historic designation. He suggested gettomg the historical people involved in this before the final plan to get their input.
Mr. Lee stated his knowledge of the process is there would be the creation of a completely new body in addition to what they currently have in the Enfield Historic District. It would also be separate from the Enfield Historical Society. The current committees would have no purview in the Hazardville area.
Mr. Giner stated such a district that Mr. Lee is referring to has to have the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the residents in the area. The Village District act is a lot more flexible and a lot easier to implement. It does talk about using the guidelines of the Connecticut Historic Commission as a basis for forming or the uniqueness of an area. As part of the study, the intent is to find out what elements they can actually get their hands on and, hopefully, enhance the area through regulations. The regulations in the statutes allow a lot more flexibility. These can be adopted without a two-thirds vote of the property owners. However, if the residents do not approve of the plan, there will not be the voluntary cooperation.
Commissioner DiPace stated spring is coming. He advised Commission members to come out on North Street and head east toward Hazard Avenue, drive slowly and take in what is right in this town.
Commissioner Jednak asked how far west the zone is proposed. Ms. Aldridge stated to the intersection of Hazard Avenue, Elm and North. Commissioner Jednak would like to see the area come back further.
Commissioner Duren stated when this process began, the Commission discussed starting at the entrance to the condominiums so that they did not creep business zoning further into the village district. They stopped at Oldfield Farms and set that as sort of the last stop to end commercial or business expansion. Commissioner Duren stated that is where the medical buildings are and the Business Professional zone area. As far as the zoning, it was to protect this area from large commercial buildings or large business complexes.
Mr. Giner stated what is proposed is where the Plan of Conservation and Development stopped and he questioned if the Commission would like to go beyond that. Some discussion followed of the areas that should be included. Mr. Giner stated the Commission can expand the scope. Whatever is done in the first part will become an amendment to the Plan of Conservation and Development. By state statute, it will have to be incorporated into the town's Plan.
Commissioner DiPace stated the Hazardville center, which is the core, is mainly business and multi-family homes. From that core line to North Street, there are basically residential homes. That could be the outer part of the core like they have in Thompsonville and could have a different set of regulations to preserve those homes and keep them in character with the district.
Mr. Hoben agreed that the edges of the district need special attention.
Chairman Howard questioned the necessity of another set of regulations. He would like to have the Village District regulations and the regular zoning regulations. Commissioner Cooper agreed and stated otherwise the town will be bogged down with too many regulations.
Chairman Howard would like to include the area Commissioner Duren mentioned and Commissioners were in agreement. Commissioner Duren stated not Oldefield Farms but just the development along Hazard Avenue from South George Washington Street. Commissioner DiPace agreed the Commission should consider the frontage on both sides of Hazard Avenue.
Ms. Aldridge asked if something should be included at the corner in the area of the cemetery. She stated what she would like from the Commission this evening is what area is going to be the study area. This does not mean that when it comes to writing regulations, that all of this area has to be in the village district zone. It would give them an idea of what to look at. They would like to make sure they are looking at a big enough scope and that they will be able to look at all the issues that may arise.
Ms. Aldridge stated the National Register line goes up and down in several areas. To her, that does not make much sense. They should show that area and include it in the study area. She stated the nice thing about the village district is that you are looking at a place that is a good place to work and live and not everything has to be historic. Ms. Aldridge suggested the Commission may want to include enough of the new areas so that there is a continuation of the flavor of Hazardville.
Commissioner Lefakis stated this Commission has talked about in the past, especially on certain major routes and in Thompsonville, preserving a New England style of architecture. If a building were to undergo substantial renovation or is removed or replaced, the replacement structure will have New England characteristics with clapboard siding, a pitched roof and other such elements. Commissioner Lefakis would like to see the area go at least from Oldefield Farms all the way to Somers on Route 190.
Commissioner Lefakis asked if this body should decide to adopt that type of standard, does it have to be part of this study. Chairman Howard stated that could be done any time. Mr. Hoben stated the town will need a study to back up that kind of scope.
Mr. Giner stated there are other items in the Plan of Conservation and Development and part of the Plan is looking at expanding the Hazardville Village.
Commissioner Duren asked if there could be something done for protection regarding demolition. If someone wanted to demolish a building in Hazardville, Commissioner Duren asked if there is something that could be included about that demolition. If it should occur, the site has to be replaced with New England style architecture. Mr. Giner stated it could be a lot more specific than the overlay district by doing the village district. There can be specific recommendations and a provision that before any building is demolished, they must come before this Commission and show there is no other alternative. Presently, in the Thompsonville Village District, there is a requirement for that to happen.
Commissioner Cooper expressed a concern about special regulations for every area. He did not feel this Commission should get that specific.
Commissioner Duren asked if anyone has talked with Tony Secondo who lives in this area regarding what is historic in the area. Mr. Lee stated they have talked to both Mr. Secondo and Edward Allen.
Chairman Howard saw a need to go the extra mile to get the necessary study done.
Mr. Giner stated he is not sure that the Scitico area will have the same standards or meets the same criteria for having this unified district that the law stipulates. It could be an additional part of it which will bring it all the way to the Somers line.
Commissioner Duren stated he would like to see the demolition aspects included along with the architectural standards. He also felt street tables should be allowed for outside dining.
Commissioner Egan stated he sees the analysis of the regulations from the consultant on the schedule for May. They will come back and this Commission will have an opportunity for input.
Chairman Howard stated he concurs with Commissioner Cooper's feelings about keeping the regulations simplified.
Mr. Giner discussed current zoning trends which are mainly for undeveloped parcels.
Commissioner Egan stated he does not think the Commission is discussing what this Commission wants as far as revised regulations but it is what the people want. A considerable amount of time and money has been spent on a study during the town's Plan and the people said they want to protect the rural character and the historic areas.
Mr. Hoben stated they now have a sense of where the expansion of the study area should occur. They will talk to Mr. Giner about any other areas that should be included.
Chairman Howard asked that future presentations include a powerpoint presentation. Mr. Giner stated even if it is not powerpoint, they have a computer projector which can be used.
Mr. Lee stated there was a desire at some point to have a discussion with the businesses in the area prior to any final approval just to ensure that the town is not placing any undue burden before the regulations are completed. He asked that that be added to the process. Mr. Hoben stated they did that with the zoning regulations and they can do the same for Hazardville. Mr. Giner stated that would be element three. The proposed scope states conduct initial public information meeting and invite property owners, business owners and town officials to inform the public of the ongoing study and advise the public of the initial findings.
Commissioner Duren stated it would be a good idea if such a meeting is held in the Hazardville area.
Mr. Lee discussed the protections the DOT puts on the village district. Mr. Lee had read how the DOT paid particular credence when a village district has been implemented. The town can dictate more to the DOT if that district is in place. Mr. Giner discussed the history of the statute.
Chairman Howard ended the discussion and thanked members of the Enfield Revitalization Committee for being present this evening.
Commissioner DiPace made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Krebs, to adjourn. Following a unanimous vote, the Commission adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
_______________________
Karen Krebs, Secretary
Enfield Planning and Zoning Commission
jmr
| |
|
Last Modified: 11/5/2004 4:41:53 AM
|
|
|