P&Z tables River Woods application another month

NORTH CANAAN — The application for a 20-lot subdivision along the Housatonic River remains in limbo as of the most recent Planning and Zoning Commission meeting Jan. 13.

The commission motioned to table the matter for another month pending a review by the town Inland Wetland and Conservation Commission.

George Johannesen of Allied Engineering, representing applicant and landowner Bruce McEver, updated the commissioners about a recent site walk with the inland wetland commission, the Housatonic River Commission and Housatonic Valley Association — HVA is an intervenor party for this application.

Johannesen reported several agreements were made during the site walk. The developers agreed to prevent further erosion of the riverbank by planting appropriate shrubbery within 20 feet of the water’s edge. Star Childs will be consulted to create a “replanting healthy forest plan to maintain the forest as time passes.” An accounting of endangered plant species and archaeological sites will be carried out, as recommended earlier in the application process.

Tim Abbott, conservation director at HVA and former North Canaan Planning and Zoning chairman, described the site walk as “encouraging.”

Abbott said HVA provided a template to the developers to be used for the conservation easement along the river corridor, but “HVA does not wish to hold the conservation easement.”

Abbott urged the Planning and Zoning Commission to make the agreements that came out of the site walk “conditions of approval” for the application in order to guarantee they are fulfilled.

No action was taken by the commission at the Jan. 13 meeting. The topic will be revisited at the next regular meeting Feb. 10 at 7 p.m in Town Hall.