10 homes proposed on Monroe border get approval
NEWTOWN — A developer that is proposing to convert a 40-acre forest on the Monroe border into a cluster of 10 single-family homes and an open space preserve received environmental approvals from Newtown despite concerns from a trout fishing conservation group.
Newtown's wetlands commission unanimously approved plans on Route 34 for The Residence at Berkshire. That clears the way for the developer to apply to the town Planning and Zoning Commission for permission to change the zone from 2-acre residential to a “cluster-subdivision zone, which allows for the reduction of lot sizes in exchange for open space,” a consultant said.
“The applicant is proposing to change the zone,” the consultant, Jason Edwards, said during a February public hearing before the wetlands commission. “In this case, 60 percent of the land will be donated (to Newtown as open space). There will be a total of 7 acres of disturbance on the site, which leaves 83 percent undisturbed.”
The wooded and hilly land is of a special concern for the Candlewood Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited because the Halfway River is on the eastern border of the property.
“CVTU is concerned that the activities planned for the project may have a significant impact on the Halfway River watershed in the area of our work,” said Mike Fatse, president of the Candlewood Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited, in a letter to Newtown's wetlands commission.
Neil Baldino, vice president of the anglers' conservation group, agreed in a second letter to the town commission.
“The Halfway River is a special resource that deserves special protection,” Baldino said in his letter, calling on the commission to require the developer to “minimize the amount of forest and canopy being cut to maintain shade cover in the valley” and to maintain “the storm water catch basins and rain gardens.”
The seven members of Newtown's Inland Wetlands Commission on March 27 approved plans to develop the property at 296 Berkshire Road, which would not only protect 24 acres nearest Halfway River but would also connect with a separate piece of town-owned open space to the northeast of the property.