Expansion of Rural Shopping District Dropped After Opposition

By Jack Kramer, Correspondent

MADISON, CT – A plan to expand the rural shopping district on parts of route 79 and 80 has been withdrawn after the town received many letters of opposition to the proposal.

Director of Planning and Economic Development David Anderson said that the intentions of the zone designation was to expand the boundaries to include parts of Old Toll Road and Durham Road to add private veterinary hospitals and landscaping and earth care services to uses that require special exception review, and to require additional requirements for those uses.

In addition, the proposal was suggesting requiring a 30-foot butter on each side and rear lot line abutting property outside the Rural Shopping District.

Anderson said it was thought it was best to have a public hearing on the proposal, even though there was no regulation requiring such a hearing.

He said the idea was to create a zone that allows greater control over the types of uses that would be allowed in the area.

The letters the town received from residents who were opposed, Anderson said, almost all stated the town wanted the change to favor two existing businesses – Essex Savings Bank and Madison Earth Care.

Anderson said that simply wasn’t true.

Those opposed said they were worried that expanding the rural shopping district would allow for more retail outlets and that would make it difficult to sell their homes; others said they were concerned about the rural serenity of the area being preserved.

Anderson told planners that they had two options: hold a public hearing; or, withdraw the application and bring it back at a later date, perhaps having a workshop session with residents interested to collect more input.

The Planning and Zoning Commission decided, by unanimous vote, to withdraw the application from consideration.