P&Z Commission Continues Hearing

The Granby Planning & Zoning Commission on Tuesday evening continued a public hearing on an application concerning the subdivision of the property at 103 Peterson Road.

The hearing was continued because the application, which was filed by Jeff and Sheryl Bliss and seeks to create an additional building lot, did not contain a letter from the Farmington Valley Health District to move forward.

Ken Kuhl, who represented the Blisses at the hearing, said that a new home would be constructed on the subdivided lot, if approved.

Kuhl said that there is already someone who wants to live at that location.

One neighbor attended the hearing to express her concerns, though not necessarily her objections, to the possible subdivision.

Patricia George, of 107 Peterson Road, said that she was worried about water streaming from 103 Peterson Road onto her property.

“I hope it won’t get worse,” George said.

In addition, George said that she would like to maintain some element of privacy by possibly preserving the tree line between the two properties.

Members of the commission noted, however, that they could not mandate such a request.

“This is the part when I tell you to talk to [the applicants],” P&Z Chairwoman Paula Johnson said.

In other business, the commission discussed guidelines for the Public Works Department to follow concerning the town’s Scenic Road Ordinance.

The discussion centered on saplings, which are not addressed within the scenic road ordinance. The goal of the guideline was to nurture the growth of saplings, defined in the document as no more than 7 inches in diameter and 4-feet tall.

The guideline reads, in part, that “[s]aplings should not be removed from within the Town right of way where they can grow and become part of the street canopy.”

The growth of saplings would be “discouraged,” according to the guideline, when their growth would present a future hazard to motorists, the root system will not sustain a mature tree, the tree will grow directly into electrical power lines, the tree will grow into an unsustainable slope or the local traffic authority recommends removal.

Several commission members voiced their concern over using the term “sapling,” favoring its removal from the guideline altogether to just focus on protecting smaller trees that are no more than 7 inches in diameter and 4 ½ feet tall, which is consistent with federal forestry guidelines.

No official action was taken beyond the discussion.