Southington PZC OK's Ski Resort Expansion Project

SOUTHINGTON, CT — The town's zoning board has approved plans for the Mount Southington ski area to expand its site and create a new location for ski fittings and rentals.

The Southington Planning and Zoning Commission voted 7-0 at its last meeting to approve a special permit modification for the Mt Southington Limited Partnership to add a parcel on Mount Vernon Road.

Located at 396 Mount Vernon Road, Mount Southington aims to add 426 Mount Vernon Road nearby to the ski resort's footprint.

That property is a former residence and a sawmill and Mount Southington wants to create a location for seasonal ski rentals and fittings for customers.

Currently, those services are offered at the main facility.

The new parcel is 3.7 acres and the building impacted is 1,800 square feet.

Severino Bovino, vice president of Kratzert, Jones & Associates engineering consulting out of Southington, told the PZC at a public hearing June 20, prior to the vote, that the site would have about 10 people present at a time, including five employees and five clients.

He also said there would be additional parking tied to the new facility, though no significant traffic impacts are expected

The new locations has multiple property abutters on Mount Vernon Road, some of whom expressed some concern at the public hearing June 20.

Much of the worries centered on how development at that parcel would impact drainage and runoff, as the area is frequently wet, especially in spring.

Bovino said those issues will be mitigated and adding more runoff to that area is not allowed per the application.

Town officials, including staffers in the land-use department, signed off on the project.

Southington PZC Chairman Robert Hammarsley said Mount Southington "has been a very good resident of the town" and was confident the facility would work with neighbors.

For the minutes of the June 20 Southington Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, click on this link.