River Woods developers resubmit 20-lot design

NORTH CANAAN — Landowner Bruce McEver and the team working to develop a subdivision along the Housatonic River withdrew its previous 33-lot loop road design and reapplied with a 20-lot cul-de-sac proposal Dec. 9.

The Planning and Zoning Commission heard from Allied Engineering’s George Johanssen at its regular meeting later that evening.

The newly filed application is actually one that was already the subject of several public hearings earlier in 2024. It was withdrawn once before due to existing limitations on the length and lot-maximum of dead-end streets in North Canaan.

After numerous hearings on potential changes to the dead-end regulations, and the resignation of the previous P&Z chairman, the original 20-lot design with a 3,750-foot cul-de-sac is now in line with zoning regs.

Johannesen explained there will be an emergency access road for first responders to reach the rear of the cul-de-sac in the event of a road blockage. The emergency road will be maintained by the homeowner’s association.

A conservation easement will be in place extending 300 feet from the river’s edge. Johanssen said he expects Northwest CT Land Conservancy to receive the easement.

Johannesen said, due to the previous proceedings on this project, a public hearing was “not required by state statute.”

Johannesen requested that the town waive fees for the newly filed application.

“We’ve submitted more than $10,000 in application fees already,” Johannesen said.

Commissioner Mike O’Connor made a motion to waive the fee and forego the public hearing. The motion passed unanimously.

Vice Chair Peter Brown said since the application was filed earlier that day, P&Z was unprepared to decide on the application itself.

“I think we want to have a month to look at this,” Brown said, adding that it will be discussed at the next meeting Jan. 13.

During public comment, Neil Marcus, attorney representing Housatonic Valley Association, said a notice of intervention will be filed for the 20-lot application. He urged P&Z to hold a public hearing on the newly submitted application.

“If this application is similar to the prior applications, both of them, then they didn’t address a number of issues that were raised by the state DEEP and the state historian as well,” Marcus said. “You’re obviously fast-tracking this, but you have 65 days to determine if you’re going to have a public hearing and to do it in less than 65 minutes is a little unusual.”

New P&Z officers

Following the resignation of Chairman Tim Abbott in November, P&Z voted in new officers at the Dec. 9 meeting.

Mike O’Connor was elected to be the new chairman.

Dalton Jacquier was elected to be the new vice chairman.

Cooper Brown was elected to be the new secretary.