EAST WINDSOR, CT — A developer already approved to build 189 homes near the Enfield line is moving ahead with plans for another 180 apartments along the same stretch of North Road.
North Winkler EW LLC is seeking wetlands approval for a mixed-use development at 120 North Road. Plans call for all 180 apartments to be housed in one building, along with a separate 7,000-square-foot medical office.
The application also includes parking, driveways and stormwater improvements, some of which would be located within wetlands or the town's upland review area, according to a Sept. 2 Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency agenda.
The wetlands agency received the application during its Sept. 2 meeting but did not hold a public hearing or vote on it that night.
The project is separate from the developer's previously approved residential development at 173 North Road.
That plan, approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission in February, includes 152 apartments and 37 townhomes. Together, the two projects could bring 369 new homes to the North Road corridor.
The commission unanimously approved a zone change and preliminary concept for the 120 North Road property in July. That decision changed a portion of the property from business zoning to the town's Planned Commercial Development District.
The approval did not give the developer permission to begin construction. A final site plan and special use permit must be approved within 12 months or the zone change will become void, according to the commission's July 14 meeting minutes.
Plans presented in July showed the apartments in an F-shaped building, with the medical office positioned closer to North Road. Another section of the property could eventually be used for an additional commercial building, although that portion remains conceptual.
The residential portion would include a dog park, sidewalks and landscaped areas. The development would connect to public water and sewer.
Traffic was among the issues raised during the July hearing. Representatives for the developer said the project would undergo review by the state Office of State Traffic Administration, along with the previously approved development at 173 North Road.
Commissioners and residents also questioned the size and appearance of the apartment building. Several said they wanted the final design to have more of a residential appearance and avoid looking like a large box.
The plans include filling a small wetlands area, which requires approval from the wetlands agency before the development can return to the Planning and Zoning Commission for final consideration.
A date for the wetlands review was not included in the Sept. 2 agenda.
For more Northern Connecticut news, follow Patch editor Jay Kenney.
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