Brook St. Development Project Approved After Compacted Hearing Schedule

R.J.D. Development received its long-awaited permit to construct a new housing development on Brook St. after what Planning and Zoning Commission chairman Alan Mordhorst termed "probably the most confusing night this town has seen in ten years."

Project Manager Jim Cassidy began his two-front evening in front of an Open Space Commission hearing, which, to further complicate proceedings, had been moved from the Town Council Chamber to the community center.

Cassidy explained that once he emerged from the first meeting, "hopefully with a positive vote," he would, pending Open Space's approval, walk down the hall to seek a similar result before PZC, which also was also meeting in the center.

PZC Commissioner Commissioner Henry Vasel attempted to clarify the permit approval process. "They need to approve it before we do," he said of Open Space.

Still, the schedule overlap was curious, as Open Space began its session at 6:00 p.m., with PZC following a half-hour later. Not surprisingly, PZC was forced to temporarily table the development agenda item when it came up initially, while it awaited Open Space's verdict.

Despite receiving the go-ahead from both bodies, the developers are not yet free to begin work on the project. The permit still requires final approval by the Town Council.  

The Open Space meeting was surprisingly subdued. Cassidy began the session by presenting the modifications he and his team made to the project plans in response to commissioner concerns about wetlands protection on the property.

Officials offered Cassidy a handful of mild questions, mostly seeking elaboration on the effected changes in the proposal. Residents in attendance were similarly reserved in their queries.

Open Space eventually sanctioned the permit in a unanimous vote. Commissioner Sandi Kelly quasi-apologized to Cassidy, thanking him for his patience, as the approval process in this case had required "many more meetings than usual" for most permits. "This will be a lovely development for the town," she finished.

The Open Space meeting's tranquil tenor stood in stark contrast to the atmosphere during the PZC hearing, where local environmental activist Jaclyn Farnham delivered an impassioned plea for the protection of the ridgeline on the site, as well as several animal species to whom the grounds are a "critical habitat." 

Farnham conceded that Rocky Hill does not presently have a ridgeline protection ordinance. But, she appealed to commissioners to examine the policies enacted by area towns Middlefield and Farmington to preserve their ridgelines.

"We could benefit from them," she declared.

Vasel tried to conciliate, stating, "I agree with almost everything you say," and hinting that the town's forthcoming rewrite of its conservation regulations may include Farnham's desired provisions.

But, he and the other commissioners eventually shut down her testimony because public comments at the hearing were limited to the specific permit application under review and did not extend to how it might be affected by ordinances that do not currently exist. "It's not fair to the applicant," Mordhorst stated.

"It's not fair to us to destroy it either," Farnham shot back.

PZC eventually followed Open Space in granting unanimous approval to the development permit, paving the way for construction of new housing on Brook St.

Farnham is unlikely to sponsor a "welcome to the neighborhood" party.   

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