Planning & Zoning Commission

Chair Thom Pattavina (’27) Middletown Vice-Chair Vice-Chair Secretary Nicholas SebastianFazzino Giuliano(’21) Thom Pattavina (’23) (’25) Secretary Shanay Fulton (’25) Planning and Zoning Members Members ers Richard Pelletier (’23) Rogers Pylant (’25) Catherine Johnson(’27) (’23) Marcus Fazzino (’21) Elizabeth Emery (’27) Vacant (’21)Spencer (’27) Morgan Monarca Nathaniel Commission Alternates Alternates Kellin Atherton (’23) Tyler Eckstrom (’25) Shanay Fulton (’23) James O’Connell (’21) Alan Cunningham (’27) Emily McEvoy (’26) Ex- Ex- Officio Officio Mayor Mayor Ben Ben Florsheim Florsheim Marek Kozikowski, AICP, Director of Land Use REGULAR MEETING MINUTES WEDNESDAY, March 12, 2025 Council Chambers, City Hall & Virtual on WebEx 7:00 P.M. The meeting was held both virtually and in -person. Members of the public had access via https://webex.com, the WebEx application, and via telephone. Start: 7:03 PM End: 8:36 PM 1. Pledge of Allegiance The Pledge of Allegiance was made. 2. Roll Call Present: Commissioner Thomas Pattavina Commissioner Sebastian Giuliano Commissioner Shanay Fulton Commissioner Rogers Pylant (Remotely) Commissioner Morgan Monarca Commissioner Elizabeth Emery Commissioner Nathaniel Spencer Commissioner Emily McEvoy Commissioner Alan Cunningham Absent: Commissioner Tyler Eckstrom Staff: Marek Kozikowski, Director of Land Use Public: Nine members of the public. 3. Items removed from the Agenda None. 4. Public comment on items on the agenda which are not currently scheduled for a public hearing Page 1 of 6 None. 5. Confirmation that all hearing signs have been properly posted Director Kozikowski stated that all public hearing signs have been properly posted. 6. Public Hearings 6.1 Request for a special exception for a used automobile sales and service facility located at 1003 Newfield Street in the NPC zone. Applicant/Agent: Bashkim Statovci/Newfield Auto Sales. SE2025-1. Laura Beth Corey, accountant for the applicant, explained that they are looking to open a used car sales lot which will be identical to the lot directly across the street from 1003 Newfield Street. Motion to close the public hearing. Moved by Commissioner Emery, seconded by Commissioner Giuliano. Passed unanimously: 7-0. Commissioner Giuliano asked if there are conditions that need to be added to the approval. Director Kozikowski referred to the staff comments and read the recommended conditions which include parking and lighting conditions as well as apply separately for a sign when ready and address any outstanding comments. Commissioner Giuliano asked Ms. Corey if they find the conditions acceptable. Commissioner Pattavina repeated what Ms. Corey answered. Ms. Corey stated that all the conditions have been met. Motion to approve the special exception. Moved by Commissioner Spencer, seconded by Commissioner Emery. Passed unanimously: 7-0. 6.2 Request for a resubdivision to modify subdivision S2022-6 by consolidating several lots and modifying the roadway on property located at 2015 South Main Street in the I-4 zone. Applicant/Agent: Ethan Ignatowski/Eco Waste. S2025-1. Michael Harkin, Harkin Engineering, 78 Wolf Hollow Lane, Killingworth, showed the commission their plan to move the street back three hundred and fifty feet. They will be consolidating lots two, four, five, six, seven and eight into one fifteen point one acre lot. This lot will be use for the proposed Eco Waste contractor’s yard. That application will be presented later in the meeting. Mr. Harkin explained that they do not want to make the road a City road. Mr. Harkin stated for the record that he was well aware that he would have to come back to the commission since they are changing something that has already been approved. Motion to close the public hearing. Moved by Commissioner Emery, seconded by Commissioner Giuliano. Passed unanimously: 7-0. Motion to approve the resubdivision. Moved by Commissioner Spencer, seconded by Commissioner Emery. Page 2 of 6 Passed unanimously: 7-0 Motion to amend the agenda to move item 8.1 as the next piece of business. Moved by Commissioner Giuliano, seconded by Commissioner Fulton. Passed unanimously: 7-0. 6.3 Petition for a zoning text amendment to amend Section 5.5 Site Plans to modify expiration dates for site plans to make it consistent with state statutes and Section 2.27 PSUZ-Public Service Utility Zone to correct an error in a code reference. Applicant/Agent: City of Middletown/Department of Land Use. Z2025-1. Director Kozikowski explained that the time limitations in the zoning code states that construction permits must be applied for within a year after receiving site plan approval. The Land Use Department doesn’t track when the applicant goes to the Building Department to apply for permits. Director Kozikowski proposes to reference Connecticut State Statute Section 8-3 in regards to site plan approval expirations. The Statute states that Site Plans approved on or after October 10, 1989, is good for five years. If the project isn’t complete in five years, the site plan becomes null and void. The exception to this rule relates to changes made in the time period related to the economic downturn during the covid pandemic. Director Kozikowski then explained the code error reference that needs to be corrected in the Zoning Code. David Winkel asked if this zoning amendment will apply to Inland Wetlands applications. Director Kozikowski answered that this amendment does not apply to Inland Wetlands applications. Motion to close the public hearing. Moved by Commissioner Spencer, seconded by Commissioner Fulton Passed unanimously: 7-0. Motion to approve the petition. Moved by Commissioner Spencer, seconded by Commission Fulton. Passed unanimously: 7-0. 7. Old Business None. 8. New Business 8.1. Request for a site plan approval for a new contractors yard for processing landscaping debris and sales of processed materials on property located at 2015 South Main Street (Trigo Drive) in the I-4 zone. Applicant/Agent: Ethan Ignatowski/Eco Waste. SPR2025-30. Michael Harkin, Harkin Engineering, 78 Wolf Hollow Lane, Killingworth. This is a green recycling facility. They will be taking in trees, brush, and tree stumps and grind them into mulch. They will be selling the mulch to landscaping yards in bulk. Mr. Harkin showed the commission their land management plan. Eco Waste will not be open to the general public. It’s a place for big tree companies. Mr. Harkin stated that they will be handling all the storm drainage themselves. The site plans depicted future plans for the site including a garage, office building, a composting building and an area for septic. There are five phases to this project. Phase one is to adjust the road and get the firewood building erected. Phase two consists of constructing a large garage. Phase three will be adding the office building to the garage. Phase four will be creating the composting site. Phase five will be dry storage. This is a multi-year project. All the machines onsite will be stored in the large garage to contain any oil or diesel leaks. There will be an oil grid separator in the garage. Page 3 of 6 Commissioner Emery asked the applicant to talk about the level of noise the site will make and will it project into the surrounding neighborhoods. Mr. Harkin answered that this property is located away from the general public and it’s surrounded by State and City land. There won’t be any noise in which the decibel level will be high. Commissioner Giuliano asked about the future phases of the project. Will they submit more specific plans? Mr. Harkin answered yes, they will be submitting detailed site plans with each phase. Commissioner Pattavina asked the applicant to speak to the hours of operation. Mr. Harkin answered 6:30am until dusk. They don’t want to be working at night. They would also like to be open on Saturdays. Mr. Harkin added that they would like to take twenty to forty yard dumpsters that landscapers fill from a job site and then Eco Waste will go and pick it up. They don’t want rock or asphalt. Commissioner Cunningham asked the applicant what they would do with waste they don’t take in. Mr. Harkin answered they will take it to the landfill or a scrap yard. There will be no dumpsite onsite for unwanted material to accumulate. Commissioner Fulton asked how long it will take to complete phase one. Mr. Harkin answered immediately. They would like to open April 1, 2025. Phase two will start next year. The timeline to complete all five phases depends on their financial situation. Director Kozikowski asked the applicant to talk about customer parking and employee parking. Mr. Harkin stated for the record that they agree to all the staff comments. Mr. Harking continued to explain the parking. There will be five employee spaces near the Scale House. In the future, employee parking will be in the new lot with the main office and new garage. Director Kozikowski asked Mr. Harkin about the outdoor lighting. Mr. Harkin answered in phase one there will be outdoor lighting near the Scale House. In later phases there may be floodlights put in. Before that happens, they will submit a photometric plan. Director Kozikowski explained the commission that since this is a watershed protection area, their stormwater management plan will need to be reviewed and approved by the Public Works Department and the Water Pollution Control Authority. Mr. Harkin stated for the record that either he or someone from his office will write an erosion control report at least once a week. Commissioner Emery asked the applicant to describe the size and weight of the trucks that will be coming and going to the site and how will they affect the City’s roads. Commissioner Emery also expressed her concerns about Asian jumping worms in top soil and if the applicant can assure that there won’t be any further transfer of Asian jumping worms. Mr. Harkin answered that the truck traffic that will be using this facility are already using the City roads. There will be no increase in traffic. In regards to the second half of Commissioner Emery’s question, they will try their best to prevent the transfer of Asian jumping worms. Motion to approve the site plan. Moved by Commissioner Spencer, seconded by Commissioner Emery. Passed unanimously: 7-0. Page 4 of 6  8.2. Discussion: Zoning Requirements for Bus Shelters. Director Kozikowski explained that River Valley Transit has been working with the State of Connecticut on a pilot program to construct bus shelters. There are a number of challenges to overcome in the zoning code to allow for bus shelters such as setback requirements and if they’ll be on private property. Is this something we want to regulate through zoning? Commissioner Giuliano commented that if a bus shelter is constructed next to someone’s property, it would be good to have the commission involved so that landowners would be notified of such projects and will have the opportunity to speak before the commission. Commissioner Spencer asked if bus shelters are allowed in any zone. Director Kozikowski answered they’re allowed by special exception in every zone that allows it except in the mixed-use zones where they are permitted uses. Commissioner Spencer commented that he would like to know what other towns do. He also stated that he would like to see bus shelters as an allowed uses in certain zones. Commissioner Emery asked why we don’t already have bus shelters when we have buses in town. Commissioner Emery added that she would like to see bus shelters allowed in some zones that don’t require special exception approval. Commissioner Cunningham commented that the commission should still approve where bus shelters will go in town. Commissioner McEvoy asked if the commission doesn’t regulate bus shelters, who would. Director Kozikowski answered Public Works for town roads and DOT for state roads. 9. Public comment on topics which are not or have not been subject of a public hearing None. 10. Minutes, Staff Reports and Commission Affairs 10.1. Minutes Motion to approve the January 22, 2025 regular meeting minutes. Moved by Commissioner Spencer, seconded by Commissioner Fulton. Passed unanimously: 7-0. 10.2. RiverCOG Report Commissioner Spencer reported that the majority of the discussion was on the extension of the Air Line trail with the Farmington Loop Trail. Page 5 of 6 Commissioner Emery added that then next step would be asking for funding for this project. During the meeting that occurred on February 24th, most of the discussion was on the State Parcel Improvement Grant. This grant will provide money to towns with State parcels so that the land can be surveyed and represented on a map. The second discussion was on the State Document Digitization update so that meeting minutes across regions can be accessed so that towns can see what other cities and towns are doing. They also discuss the 2025 Legislation. 10.3. Staff Report Director Kozikowski reported that he would like to see the Planning and Zoning Commission review the plan for the Connecticut Central Loop Trail and possibly endorse it. Director Kozikowski then informed the commission that he put together a working group with representatives from Meriden and Berlin to discuss Lamentation Mountain and the impact the fire last year had on the tri-town area. They are looking to solicit funds to correct some of the impacts of the fire. They are also looking to create a master plan for Lamentation Mountain. Lastly, Director Kozikowski provided the commission with the public hearing notice for the March 26th meeting. 10.4. Commission Affairs None. 11. Adjournment Motion to adjourn. Moved by Commissioner Spencer, seconded by Commissioner Emery. Passed Unanimously: 7-0. Submitted, Marek Kozikowski, AICP Director of Land Use Page 6 of 6