Commission approves plans for new building

FARMINGTON — The newest commercial building in Farmington will be a center called Bristol Commons on 2 acres along Southwinds Drive.

The Planning Commission approved the development plan for Bristol Commons at its April 6 meeting. The building has 21,800 square feet, with space for possibly four to five tenants.

The property is owned by Brad Smith with Cedar Mountain Properties. Smith and his engineer, Geoffrey Bates of Bates & Associates, discussed the development during the commission’s meeting, held through the Zoom video platform because of covid-19 concerns.

As part of the plan, Smith first asked for a parking space variance, from the required 109 spaces to 93 spaces.

In an email to commission members about the variance request, Mayor Ernie Penn said he supported the variance because it seemed to be a good compromise for the parking. The city requires more parking spaces for commercial establishments, as compared to space required for offices.

At the meeting, Penn told commissioners if one-half of the building is used for commercial and one-half used for office space, the variance would be acceptable according to the city’s requirements.

The city’s engineer, Chris Brackett with Olsson Associates, reminded commissioners no one knows what businesses will eventually lease space at the center at this time.

“In my opinion, you assume the highest use possible,” Brackett said. “It may start out all office and in 10 years it may be all retail. If you don’t get the parking spaces now, you’ll never have them.”

City Attorney Steve Tennant gave his support to the variance.

“You have to look at the location of this development,” Tennant said. “It is not something I would ever see as a location for a restaurant. I think it would be an excellent location for offices.”

Tennant said the developer was asking for a 15% variance and he would be in agreement with the request.

The commission approved the variance and the development plan for the project.

Brackett said storm water from the site would drain into the creek behind the building.

The plan shows the parking lot for Bristol Commons would connect to the adjacent parking lot. However, Smith said they hadn’t received official permission yet for that.

Commissioners wanted to make sure the parking lots would be connected.

Brackett said the commission could go ahead and approve the plan, which shows the connection. If this didn’t happen, the developer would have to come back to the Planning Commission. Brackett said he wouldn’t sign off on the project unless the parking lots were connected.