New Officers, A Warehouse And Housing Plans Keep Southington PZC Busy

SOUTHINGTON, CT — Charged with overseeing everything from housing subdivision applications to massive commercial developments, the zoning board has had a lot to do in recent months.

And, following the Southington Planning and Zoning Commission's most recent meeting, the leadership on the town's top land-use board will not change at the top.

With an easy, 7-0 vote Nov. 21, Robert Hammersley was re-elected to a new stint as chairman of the PZC.

Meanwhile, the PZC also unanimously selected Steve Walowski to be vice chairman and Todd Chaplinsky to be the commission's secretary.

The leadership votes come after the commission had an especially active last term, one highlighted by the approval of a massive warehouse project that could add significant tax dollars to Southington's revenue stream.

Warehouse Approved

Perhaps the highlight leading up to the new term was the unanimous Aug. 23 votes to approve an earth excavation permit, site plan, and special permit for a massive warehouse project in town.

Johnson Development Associates, a national development firm out of Spartanburg, S.C., will build a 283,000-square-foot industrial warehouse building on industrial-zoned property it owns at 99 Smoron Drive.

Lou Perillo, Southington's economic development coordinator, said the site is zoned for such use and it will, eventually, be a major taxpayer for the town, estimating revenue at $300,000 after tax abatements encouraging such development expire.

“It’s a large site. They’re going to build it out to its full potential," Perillo said. “They’ll rent space out for businesses to store their inventory there and pull it out as needed.”

While residential neighbors in that area did express reservations about traffic, noise and negative impacts on property values, zoning board members easily approved all resolutions tied to the warehouse.

Zoning boards cannot reject applications based on resident opposition if a development is being pitched on appropriately zoned property.

Subdivision issues

With the warehouse situation finalized, the PZC's biggest application before it now appears to be a controversial housing subdivision proposal that has neighbors alarmed.

The PZC still has yet to take action on a plan by Evergreen of Southington LLC, to build an 18-lot residential subdivision that would go on 567 Woodruff St., Southington.

Technically, the PZC has two different applications from Evergreen for the project: one being a special permit for the site, which is zoned residential, and the other being a subdivision application.

At the Nov. 21 PZC meeting, the commission continued a public hearing that started in October to a special meeting originally slated for Tuesday, Dec. 5.

That meeting, however, was canceled and rescheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m. at the John Weichsel Municipal Center.

Last month, at the PZC's first meeting with the newest members and latest officers, no one spoke in favor of the subdivision, but several spoke against it.

At issue were concerns that more homes in that area and more people living there would negatively impact everything from traffic safety to the property values of others.

Opponents also said that the parcel of land, which formerly was the Evergreen Nursery retail garden center, should remain as an open space.

For the minutes of the Aug. 23 Southington Planning and Zoning Commission, click on this link.

For the minutes of the Nov. 21 Southington Planning and Zoning Commission, click on this link.

(Editor's Note: The above meeting was Nov. 21 not the date stated on the video file.)