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Host Community Agreement With Legacy Farms Nears Completion Neighbors show up in force to oppose Tetlow project
by Robert Falcione April 14, 2008 — Although Bill Tetlow was not without supporters for his rezoning proposal from Resident Lake to Rural Business for the property he owns at Hayward Street and Old Town Road, the majority of the attendees at Monday's Planning Board meeting were opposed to the proposed change. The Planning Board voted on February 4 to not support passage of an Article at Town Meeting that his partner, Ken Weber, presented. Mr. Tetlow has said recently that Mr. Weber is no longer involved. In the meantime, Mr. Tetlow got a citizen's petition for an Article that will appear at Town Meeting to do the same thing. Mr. Tetlow presented a revised proposal that placed three buildings facing Hayward Street, screening the parking for the planned 20,000 square foot complex from the street. The previous plan showed parking between the street and the buildings, a configuration that is allowed in the Rural Business zone but not in the Downtown Business District. "This revised plan is a significant improvement over the other plan," said Chairman mark Abate, who met individually with Mr. Tetlow, and walked the property. Mr. Tetlow is hoping to gain the approval of the Planning Board at May's Town Meeting. Mr. Tetlow referred to the 1999 Master Plan, saying that this was the type of rezoning the plan called for. He mentioned that he had spoken in the past with medical and optical business as well as UPS, USPS and Whole Foods. "They don't even communicate [until it is rezoned]." One person speaking in favor of the project said that given 12,000 employees at EMC, Mr. Tetlow's project would have little impact on traffic. READ MORE Another speaker said that Mr. Tetlow was an excellent neighbor, especially while Mr. Tetlow was building his last project that now houses Dunkin' Donuts, Milford Bank and Maria's Caffe Italiano. But other speakers, including two former Planning Board Members, Pam Duffy and Jamie Goncalves, spoke about things like quality of life, drainage, neighborhood character, and traffic issues. "You refer to encroachment of the industrial area into the residential," said Ms. Duffy, reading from a handout of Mr. Tetlow. "I remind you there were seven houses removed because of industrial development. Who is encroaching on whom?" she asked. "Mr. Weismantel was misquoted. What he meant was that the wetlands stopped the creep," said Mr. Tetlow, quoting a conversation he said he had with Planning Board member Weismantel.* Peter Oram, President of the Lake Maspenock Preservation Association, spoke for his group in opposing the proposed zoning change. Mr. Goncalves said, "You did a great job," to Mr. Tetlow, referring to his current buildings; but he argued that more development in the area would be too much. "The rural character is getting lost," he said. The Planning Board voted to continue the Public Hearing on April 28 at 9:15 p.m.
Host Community Agreement ~ Legacy Farms The Town's negotiating team of Town Manager Anthony Troiano, Town Planner Elaine Lazarus, and Town Counsel Ray Miyares are close to a final version of the Host Community Agreement [See draft agreement here] with Legacy Farms, LLC, that seeks to memorialize mitigation from the developer for effects from the development of 940 units of housing as well as 450 square feet of commercial/retail space. Town Counsel Ray Miyares updated the Planning Board on recently agreed upon points of the document, including a payment by Legacy Farms of $3,000 for each assisted living unit that becomes occupied. And as previously reported, Legacy has agreed that upon passage of the OSMUD at Town Meeting, they will update and modernize signalization of the traffic lights at Main and Grove, and relocation of the crosswalk at Main and Wood Streets. In addition, Legacy has agreed to identify and set aside 19 acres for recreational fields and 21 acres for municipal uses, as well as creating "a meandering pedestrian connection" to the fields from Ray Street to the fields, Town Counsel Ray Miyares said he hopes the agreement can be finalized next week. NOTE: Please read the Draft Agreement here.
*Editor's note: At the first meeting, Mr. Weismantel identified the zoning change as "zoning creep," in response to a question asking if the proposal was "spot zoning." Mr. Weismantel was not misquoted. We stand behind the report. |
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