Decision on Propane Facility in North Branford Tabled Till Next P&Z Meeting

The Planning and Zoning Commission voted to table further discussion on the installation of a 60,000 gallon propane facility until its Nov. 6 meeting as some commissioners expressed concerns with safety, the New Haven Register reports.

The meeting was held to give commissioners the chance to approve a site plan for the propane facility proposed by J.J. Sullivan Fuel Oil and did not include a public hearing for residents to comment.

However residents approached the commissioners after the meeting to express their opinions, the paper reports. Residents are concerned about the safety issues that would arise as a result of the installation of the facility at Ciro Road.

The safety features of the facility would include security cameras and a 6-foot chain link fence around the perimeter of the facility, the paper reports. Fire Chief Bill Seward said the department’s volunteer firefighters were mandated under National Fire Protection Association standards to be trained in handling liquid propane gas fires.

The tanks would be located 65-feet away from property lines and there is a fire hydrant located near the driveway.

North Branford residents have already gotten the required number of signatures on a petition to prevent the construction of the storage facility. According to the Register, the residents plan on taking the petition to the town council at Tuesday night’s meeting.

Residents have also questioned town councilman Donald Fucci’s involvement in the proposal as he owns the property at Ciro Road where the facility would be built.

Commissioner William Galdenzi told the paper he realized the residents wanted to speak at the meeting but a public hearing on the issue had already been held in August.

Read the full story at the New Haven Register.

Image via Chesmont-Engineering.com

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