Commission on the City Plan

COMMISSION ON THE CITY PLAN Tuesday, December 14, 2021, 7:00 PM Hybrid Meeting City Hall Room 319 and Zoom NORWICH, CT Assistant City Planner Daniel Daniska read information pertaining to virtual meetings and clearly stated that the meeting, including video, would be recorded. A. CALL TO ORDER: Chair Frank Manfredi called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM. B. ROLL CALL AND SEATING OF ALTERNATES: Present: Chairman Frank Manfredi, Vice Chairman Les King, Kathy Warzecha and Michael Lahan Absent: None Others Present: Director of Planning and Neighborhood Services Deanna Rhodes, Assistant City Planner Dan Daniska, Ellen Bartlett of Green Designs, Larry Sullivan of Norwich Public Utilities and Recording Secretary Katherine Rose C. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Commission on the City Plan (CCP) November 16, 2021 Meeting On a motion by Les King, seconded by Michael Lahan, the CCP unanimously approved the minutes of November 16, 2021, as presented. D. COMMUNICATIONS: Michael Lahan made a motion to modify the agenda to add a request for a bond release and a change for the scheduled January CCP to the agenda. Les King seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. E. NEW BUSINESS: PUBLIC HEARINGS AND POTENTIAL ACTIONS ON THE FOLLOWING APPLICATIONS: 1. SP# 21-03 & CAM#21-03 – 44 Falls Avenue. Request for Special Permit and CAM approval for sewer treatment plant modifications requested by CT DEEP to include eliminating 3 existing digester tanks and digester control building to replace with a vehicle and utility storage building. Application and Property of Norwich Public Utilities. Assessor’s Map 101, Block 4, Lot 1-3, Zone ROS. Frank Manfredi introduced the special permit request. On a motion by Les King, seconded by Kathy Warzecha, the public hearing opened at 7:08 pm. Ellen Bartlett of Greensite Design presented on the proposed project. Norwich Public Utilities received a special permit and CAM approval for upgrades to the water pollution control facility in 2014 but the project was not built at the time. Norwich Public Utilities now has funding in place, and is requesting a modification, as CT DEEP changed their requirements for the project. CT DEEP is requesting that all essential buildings and tanks be raised three feet above the hundred year flood elevation so the finished floors of all of the buildings and the tanks would be constructed above elevation 18.35. Three existing digesters would be removed, and the digester building will also be removed. These are the 1 first three buildings that you see when you approach the site, they be replaced with a vehicle storage building that is much smaller. The new building on the west branch of the Yantic River would be the thickening sludge building that would take the place of the old digesters due to new technologies developed. Remaining improvements are part of the originally approved plan. Norwich Public Utilities is working to improve the water quality of the effluent that discharges into the river. A new headworks building would be constructed next to the thickened sludge storage building where all incoming sewage would first flow and then be distributed to three new secondary treatment tanks. The administration building would be reconstructed and the first floor would be brought up to the 18.35 elevation to prevent flooding. Smaller upgrades would be completed as well including work to the electrical system, transformers, UV disinfection building and major improvements to the effluent coming out of the system. The project would also increase the flood storage volume by 6,865 cubic feet. Kathy Warzecha asked what the new flood elevation would be. Ellen Bartlett stated the new flood elevation as 15.35 and construction would be three feet above that. Larry Sullivan of Norwich Public Utilities stated that Ellen Bartlett explained the project perfectly and that NPU had worked closely with CT DEEP to upgrade the facility to their standards. There were no comments either in favor or in opposition of the special permit. Dan Daniska presented the exhibit list on the screen and asked that the Commission waived the reading of the list. On a motion by Michael Lahan, seconded by Les King, the public hearing closed at 7:16PM. Kathy Warzecha made a motion to approve Special Permit #21-03 with conditions per the assistant planner’s memo as follows: 1. That final revised plan be submitted and reviewed by City Staff. 2. That the site plan for the special permit will expire on June 17, 2028 as per the maximum extension allowed, per ZR Section 7.5.10.2. The extension was approved at a Special Meeting of the Commission on the City Plan on July 1, 2021. 3. That the City’s required signature block (all pages) and letter of approval (cover page preferred) be placed on the final revised plan set, and that all plan sheets include the stamped seal and signature of the licensed professional. 4. That 4 signed and embossed sealed paper copies and 2 mylars of the final revised set of plans be submitted to the Planning Department for endorsement by an officer of the Commission. The mylars must include the red indelible ink certification which includes the name of producer and process used. 5. That the certification of approval for the Special Permit use be filed with the City Clerk’s office before becoming effective. This certification will be provided to the applicant by the City Planning Department post approval after the appeal period has ended. 6. That after filing of the special permit, a zoning permit shall be issued prior to any activities commencing on the site. 7. That any modifications to the approved proposal shall be reviewed by the Zoning Enforcement Officer prior to occurring and may require additional review and approval by the Commission. 8. That all proposed improvements associated with this application are to be completed according 2  to the approved plan prior to the issuance of the required Certificate of Zoning Compliance or a performance bond will be required in accordance with Sections 7.5.7.3 and 8.9 of the Zoning Regulations. REASON: The proposal conforms to Chapter 7.7 of the Zoning Regulations. Michael Lahan seconded the motion which passed unanimously. Kathy Warzecha made a motion to approve CAM #21-03 with conditions per the DEEP Coastal Site Plan Review comments addressed as follows: 1. That adequate erosion and sedimentation controls are installed and maintained. 2. That a new Flood Management Certification appears to be needed since the proposed activities have changed since the issuance of the related 201400451-FM. REASON: The proposal is consistent with all applicable policies and standards of the Connecticut Coastal Management Act. Michael Lahan seconded the motion which passed unanimously. A list of exhibits will be included with the minutes. H. OLD BUSINESS: None. I. BOND REDUCTION / RELEASE REQUESTS: Deanna Rhodes stated that bond for Site Development Plan #921-A and #921-B, the Ponemah Mills North Project, was requested to be released. The last bond reduction occurred in January 2019 when it was lowered from $229,147.35 to $66,552.10 for all the activity happening at the north mill. A CO was issued for the north mill which is completely finished aside from two light posts. The City Engineer and Zoning Enforcement Officer feel all was completed per the site plan so it is requested that the bond for Site Development Plan #921-A and #921-B be reduced to zero dollars for the north mill. Les King made a motion to approve the bond release. Michael Lahan seconded the motion which passed unanimously. J. OTHER BUSINESS: 1. January Special Meeting - Deanna Rhodes noted that the January CCP meeting would conflict with the January city council meeting due to holiday schedules. Deanna Rhodes suggested hosting a special meeting on January 25th. Discussion ensued regarding commission members availability. Kathy Warzecha made a motion to cancel the regularly scheduled January meeting and schedule a special meeting on January 27th, 2021 at 7:00PM. Les King seconded the motion which was passed unanimously. 2. DRAFT - Open Space Fee Language – Subdivision Regulations - Tabled from 07/20/2021; 08/17/2021; 11/16/2021 Deanna Rhodes took the language that Kathy Warzecha sent over from Preston and, after receiving comments from Michael Lahan, returned to the subdivision regulations and removed massive 3  changes that were made. Instead smaller changes were made to item 1 and added other criteria including fair market value and the information on a fraction of the payment, which came from data from Kathy Warzecha and the statutes. Michael Lahan worked on changing item C and D, which covered extensions. Deanna Rhodes asked that the Open Space Fee Language be put on the February agenda to be voted on prior to submitting to council for consideration. The decision was agreed upon amongst the commission. K. EXTENSION REQUESTS: None. L. STAFF REPORT: Deanna Rhodes reported that the deadline for the YMCA proposal requests was the day before Thanksgiving. The city hoped to receive several responses but only got one from Matten Construction who the city would be negotiating with. Mattern Construction is proposing to relocate their headquarters into the building and allow use for two other businesses on either side of them, such as a brewery and a coffeehouse. Discussion ensued on marking options for the tenant space and tenant uses that go beyond 9-5 business hours in order to increase downtown vibrancy. Deanna Rhodes stated that a boutique hotel is moving in across the street from the property and the city wants to ensure whatever ends up in the YMCA property compliments the other businesses on the street. The city has applied for an EPA grant of $650,000 and a DECD grant for $850,000 to assist with remediation and cleanup of the property. Kathy Warzecha asked that the site plans be made available for the CCP to review. Michael Lahan asked the status of the municipal lot and Deanna responded it would be included in the parcel with the YMCA. Discussion ensued regarding the car wash to be constructed at the New London Turnpike intersection on West Main Street. A new blight housing enforcement officer and a combined zoning and blight officer assistant were being hired for the city. Debbie Delaporta would be retiring on Friday and her position would be taken over by an internal staff member from the tax office. The new hires would total three Spanish speaking employees for the planning and neighborhood services division. M. ADJOURNMENT: On a motion to adjourn by Michael Lahan, seconded by Les King, the CCP meeting unanimously adjourned at 7:40 PM. Respectfully submitted, Katherine Rose, Recording Secretary 4 SP #21-03 Exhibit List # List of Exhibits Date Received On 1 Special Permit Application 10/26/2021 11/5/2021 2 Engineering Report 11/5/2021 11/5/2021 3 CAM Application 10/26/2021 11/5/2021 4 List of Abutters 11/5/2021 11/5/2021 5 Site Plan November 2021 11/5/2021 6 CAM Building Plan October 2021 11/5/2021 7 Transmittal for Project Review 11/5/2021 8 CP Email to DEEP RE: CAM Application 11/8/2021 9 CP Email to GSD 11/8/2021 10 CP Email to State Archeologist 11/8/2021 11 DEEP - NDDB Response 11/17/2021 11/17/2021 12 Harbor Management Commission - LOS 11/19/2021 11/19/2021 13 City Engineer Comments 11/29/2021 11/29/2021 14 Plan Review - Assistant City Planner 12/8/2021 15 GSD Response to CE Comments 12/13/2021 12/13/2021 16 CE Response to GSD 12/13/2021 12/13/2021 17 REVISED Engineering Report 12/13/2021 12/13/2021 18 REVISED Site Plan 12/10/2021 12/13/2021 19 Email Response from Thayer 12/10/2021 12/10/2021 5