P&Z to audit plans for Pope property

SALISBURY — The Pope Land Design Committee is preparing plans for the proposed Pope Land affordable housing development for a state-mandated review by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

The 8-24 review, in which P&Z determines if a proposal is in alignment with the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development, is required for any proposed sale, lease, or major use alteration of municipally owned land.

Jocelyn Ayer, director of the Litchfield County Center for Housing Opportunity, presented a plan for next steps for the project at the Committee’s May 1 regular meeting. She said the P&Z audit is an important step to take before expending resources in developing a full permitting application.

The review will examine the general proposed usage of the land, which in the case of the Pope Property is a combination of affordable housing — leased, owned, or a combination of both — recreation and conservation.

Once P&Z issues its report, the Board of Selectmen will call a Town Meeting for residents to vote on whether to allow the sale or lease of the land for the proposed usage.

Committee Chair Ray McGuire cautioned that voters may be wary of voting on a proposal with such limited detail, but Ayer reassured that this process is not without precedent in Salisbury — both the Undermountain Road affordable homes site and Dresser Woods development have undergone the 8-24 referral.

“The detail will come,” said Ayer, explaining that the full permitting applications before P&Z and the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commissions will follow the 8-24 process, outlining the site and proposal specifics. She emphasized that the referral and initial town vote are preliminary steps, and the public will have many more opportunities to provide input throughout the process.

The Committee is awaiting the results of a study — commissioned by the LCCHO and conducted by wildlife biologist Michael Klemens, who also chairs Salisbury’s P&Z — on the state-listed wood turtle habitat before it finalizes the usage proposal to present to the selectmen.

Ayer said the turtle study is set to be completed in June. She suggested the Committee present its usage recommendation to selectmen over the summer, so it can then refer the project proposal to P&Z for 8-24 review by the fall.

First Selectman Curtis Rand said he would relay the updates to his board so that it is ready to act when the time comes.