{"id":1730,"date":"2021-10-13T10:22:10","date_gmt":"2021-10-13T10:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/CBMiWmh0dHBzOi8vY3RleGFtaW5lci5jb20vMjAyMS8xMC8xMy9wYWNrZWQtYWdlbmRhLWxhdGUtbmlnaHQtZm9yLW9sZC1seW1lLXpvbmluZy1jb21taXNzaW9uL9IBAA"},"modified":"2021-10-13T10:22:10","modified_gmt":"2021-10-13T10:22:10","slug":"packed-agenda-late-night-for-old-lyme-zoning-commission-ct-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=1730","title":{"rendered":"Packed Agenda, Late Night for Old Lyme Zoning Commission – CT Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

OLD LYME \u2014 The packed agenda of the Zoning Commission, which stretched beyond four hours Tuesday night, included an application for a convenience store for a gas station on Halls Road, the prohibition of marijuana establishments, an amendment to create the Halls Road Village District, and the installation of a bus shelter in Sound View on Shore Road.<\/p>\n

Continued from the Sept. 14<\/a> public hearing, the convenience store proposed for the gas station at 85 Halls Road drew a number of comments concerning hours of usage, traffic levels, and appropriateness for the town. <\/p>\n

The project, proposed by CPD Energy Corp. of New Paltz, New York, would convert the gas station\u2019s garage bays to retail space and add 227 square feet of storage space to the existing 1,760-square-foot building. <\/p>\n

Kevin Solli, principal of Solli Engineering<\/a> in Monroe, Conn., told the commission that the statement of use included operations 24 hours a day, seven days a week but acknowledged that the commission has the discretion to limit the hours. <\/p>\n

Scott Parker, director of facilities for CPD, said that being open 24 hours would add convenience to the community but was not a requirement. \u201cIf we don\u2019t have customers between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m., then we will shut down during those hours, but we can\u2019t speculate,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Mike Miller, a member of the Zoning Commission, pointed out that the town did not have 24-hour police coverage and relied on state police coverage overnight.<\/p>\n

Solli responded that since the town had no restrictions on operating 24 hours per day, his client wanted to include the option in the statement of use. <\/p>\n

Concerning traffic, Solli said the Connecticut Department of Transportation \u201chad no concerns with our traffic study. But, Paul Orzel, chair of the commission, questioned whether the study had accounted for the weekend and seasonal traffic in Old Lyme. <\/p>\n

\u201cOn the weekends from mid-June through Labor day, coming off I-95 and the Baldwin Bridge, it\u2019s four or five lanes of traffic\u2014 that creates an instant bottleneck that automatically turns Halls Road into solid traffic every Saturday and Sunday. Likewise, there\u2019s also traffic coming southbound. That\u2019s virtually every Saturday and Sunday and numbers are probably not reflected in the study,\u201d said Orzel.<\/p>\n

Solli said his firm did not complete a study for Saturdays and Sundays, adding that the Department of Transportation would not accept a study of those times because it would be comparable to \u201cdesigning a mall for Black Friday.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThat congestion is not caused by this facility and it won\u2019t exacerbate that in any meaningful way,\u201d Solli said. <\/p>\n

Amy Souchuns, an attorney with Hurwitz Sagarin Slossberg & Knuff in Milford, Conn., who represented CPD Energy Corp., said the gas station and convenience store would be more likely to attract local \u201cpass by\u201d customers on Halls Road who are picking up groceries or dry-cleaning, rather than highway traffic. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t likely to be for someone driving from New York to Boston, because if you\u2019re unfamiliar, you\u2019re probably just going to stop at the rest area because it\u2019s easy, it\u2019s convenient,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

Solli said that the convenience store would include improvements to the site including sidewalks with lighting along the street frontage and interior to the site, and improved traffic flow, with entrance-only and exit-only driveways, as well as landscaping. <\/p>\n

However, Jane Marsh, secretary of the Zoning Commission, said that improvements to the site could be done at any time and objected to the idea that approving the application for the convenience store was the only way to bring about those changes. <\/p>\n

During public comment, Joe Kelly, of Old Lyme, said he was opposed to the project because he did not accept the applicant\u2019s analysis of the traffic on Halls Road.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m on Halls road everyday and it\u2019s very unique \u2014 we have an entrance and an exit to I-95 at each end of Halls Road \u2014 and that really changes the traffic here regardless of what the experts find,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Terry Crowley, a resident of Old Lyme, spoke in favor of the project because he said it would improve the location aesthetically. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been here 27 years and there are a lot of dumps around \u2014 no offense \u2014 and here\u2019s one that could be made into a modern [place]. Between the board and the application, you can tweak the hours of operation. I think pushing the excuse of the traffic and bringing in more trips is just not fair to the applicant.\u201d <\/p>\n

Attorney Howard Gould, who represented the Enman family that owns Treasures at 95 Halls Road, said that the project had been rejected on two previous occasions and that the location was simply inappropriate for a convenience store. <\/p>\n

\u201cPeople rely on the commissions to be consistent. If you were a business in Old Lyme, how many times does the commission have to turn down this project?\u201d Gould asked. <\/p>\n

Souchums told the commission that if the project cannot be accepted with the 227-square-foot addition, that her client would like to ask for approval without the expansion. <\/p>\n

In support of the application, Souchuns provided a petition \u201csigned by 187 individuals, some of whom are not Old Lyme residents but the majority are Old Lyme residents.\u201d <\/p>\n

The commission closed the public hearing and will deliberate at the Nov. 8 meeting. <\/p>\n

Resolution to prohibit marijuana<\/strong> business<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The commission voted unanimously to amend the town\u2019s zoning regulations to prohibit all marijuana establishments \u201cto prevent negative unintended consequences of its sale, production, or distribution.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Stratton, a resident of Old Lyme, spoke in opposition to the resolution, citing the potential positive effects of marijuana businesses, including the economic effect of cannabis production and the jobs connected with the industry, as well the social aspects. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think that the commission should investigate aspects of the public good, when it considers the positive effect of legal sales as opposed to the unknown quantity of illegal sales \u2014 what is the overall effect? But in terms of social good that you could do for the town, some economic and social positive things should be considered before we enact a categorical prohibition,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Mary Siedner, executive director of Lymes Youth Service Bureau, supported the ban because of the \u201cnumerous health and public safety risks for youth\u201d associated with marijuana. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container { background: #fff; border: 3px solid #91a6bf; -webkit-border-radius: 5px; -moz-border-radius: 5px; border-radius: 5px; margin: 10px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; padding: 20px 30px; color: #555; -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-miniText { font-size: 1em; line-height: 28px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #1c2c60; font-weight: bold; font-family: Lora, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-heading { font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-caption { margin-top: 12px; font-style: italic; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container .columbine-form { overflow: hidden; margin-top: 20px; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-three-col1 { float: left; width: 33.333%; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-three-col2 { float: left; width: 33.333%; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-three-col3 { float: left; width: 33.333%; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-two-col1 { float: left; width: 66.333%; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-two-col2 { float: right; width: 33.333%; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input.columbine-input, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input.mo-optin-form-custom-field.date-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input.mo-optin-form-custom-field.text-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input.mo-optin-form-custom-field.password-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container select.mo-optin-form-custom-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container textarea.mo-optin-form-custom-field { background-color: #ffffff; width: 100%; display: block; -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-border-radius: 0; -moz-border-radius: 0; border-radius: 0; padding: 11px 17px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left; border: 1px solid #ccc; color: #555; outline: none; margin: 0; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input.columbine-input, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input.mo-optin-form-custom-field.date-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input.mo-optin-form-custom-field.text-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input.mo-optin-form-custom-field.password-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container textarea.mo-optin-form-custom-field.textarea-field { -webkit-appearance: none; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input.columbine-submit, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input[type=”submit”].mo-optin-form-cta-button { display: block; -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-appearance: none; border: 0; background: #54C3A5; padding: 13px 10px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; color: #fff; outline: none; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 700; width: 100%; margin: 0; border-radius: 0; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-note { margin-top: 10px; line-height: normal; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.mo-optin-error { display: none; background: #FF0000; color: white; text-align: center; padding: .2em; margin: 0; width: 100%; font-size: 16px; -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1px solid #FF0000; } @media only screen and (max-width: 650px) { html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.mo-optin-error { margin-bottom: -10px; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-two-col1, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-two-col2, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-three-col1, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-three-col2, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-three-col3 { float: none; width: 100%; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 10px; } } html div#FYFzjzCwGM.mo-optin-has-custom-field div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-column, html div#FYFzjzCwGM.mo-optin-has-custom-field div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-two-col1, html div#FYFzjzCwGM.mo-optin-has-custom-field div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-two-col2, html div#FYFzjzCwGM.mo-optin-has-custom-field div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-three-col1, html div#FYFzjzCwGM.mo-optin-has-custom-field div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-three-col2, html div#FYFzjzCwGM.mo-optin-has-custom-field div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-three-col3 { float: none; width: 100%; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 10px; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM.mo-optin-has-custom-field div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-column textarea.mo-optin-form-custom-field.textarea-field { min-height: 80px; }div#FYFzjzCwGM *, div#FYFzjzCwGM *:before, div#FYFzjzCwGM *:after {box-sizing: border-box;-webkit-box-sizing: border-box;-moz-box-sizing: border-box;}div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost_container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-field:focus {outline:0}div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost_container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-submit-button:focus {outline:0}div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost_container div.mo-optin-powered-by{margin:5px auto 2px;text-align:center;}div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost_container div.mo-optin-powered-by a {font-size:16px !important; text-decoration: none !important;box-shadow:none !important;border-bottom-width:0px !important;cursor:pointer !important;}div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost_container .mo-acceptance-checkbox {background-color: #fff;line-height: 0;border: 1px solid #bbb;width: 16px;min-width: 16px;height: 16px;margin: 0 5px 0 0 !important;outline: 0;text-align: center;vertical-align: middle;clear: none;cursor: pointer;}div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost_container .mo-acceptance-label {cursor:pointer}div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost_container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost p {padding:0px !important;margin:0px !important;color:inherit;}div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-wrapper label {color:inherit;font-weight: normal;margin: 0;padding:0;}div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost_container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost input[type=submit] {-webkit-appearance: none;}div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost_container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost input {z-index: auto;}div#FYFzjzCwGM.mo-cta-button-flag .mo-optin-form-note .mo-acceptance-label {display:none;}div#FYFzjzCwGM .mailoptin-video-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; } div#FYFzjzCwGM .mailoptin-video-container iframe, div#FYFzjzCwGM .mailoptin-video-container object, div#FYFzjzCwGM .mailoptin-video-container embed, div#FYFzjzCwGM .mailoptin-video-container video { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.mo-optin-form-wrapper {max-width:66% !important}div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost #mo-optin-form-name-field {display: none !important;}#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-spinner { border-radius: inherit; position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; background: #fff url(https:\/\/ctexaminer.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/mailoptin\/src\/core\/src\/assets\/images\/spinner.gif) 50% 50% no-repeat; left: 0; top: 0; opacity: 0.99; filter: alpha(opacity=80); } #FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-success-close { font-size: 32px !important; font-family: “HelveticaNeue – Light”, “Helvetica Neue Light”, “Helvetica Neue”, Helvetica, Arial, “Lucida Grande”, sans-serif !important; color: #282828 !important; font-weight: 300 !important; position: absolute !important; top: 0 !important; right: 10px !important; background: none !important; text-decoration: none !important; width: auto !important; height: auto !important; display: block !important; line-height: 32px !important; padding: 0 !important; -moz-box-shadow: none !important; -webkit-box-shadow: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; } #FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-success-msg { font-size: 21px; font-family: “HelveticaNeue – Light”, “Helvetica Neue Light”, “Helvetica Neue”, Helvetica, Arial, “Lucida Grande”, sans-serif; color: #282828 !important; font-weight: 300; text-align: center; margin: 0 auto; width: 100%; position: absolute !important; left: 50%; top: 50%; -webkit-transform: translate(-50%, -50%); -moz-transform: translate(-50%, -50%); -o-transform: translate(-50%, -50%); -ms-transform: translate(-50%, -50%); transform: translate(-50%, -50%); } #FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-success-msg a { color: #0000EE; text-decoration: underline; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .list_subscription-field:not(select), html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .checkbox-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .radio-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .select-field { margin-top: 6px; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .checkbox-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .radio-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .select-field { text-align: left; padding: 6px; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .checkbox-field label, html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .radio-field label { display: block; text-align: left; margin-top: 6px; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .checkbox-field label input, html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .radio-field label input { margin-right: 5px; vertical-align: middle; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .select-field select { width: 100%; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .list_subscription-field:not(select), html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .mo-optin-form-custom-field.checkbox-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .mo-optin-form-custom-field.radio-field { padding: 0 !important; border: 0 !important; background: transparent !important; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .list_subscription-field label { display: block !important; margin: 5px 0 !important; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .list_subscription-field label:last-child { margin: 0; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .list_subscription-field input[type=checkbox] { cursor: pointer; } .mailoptin-content-lock { color: transparent!important; text-shadow: rgba(0,0,0,.5) 0 0 10px; -moz-user-select: none; -ms-user-select: none; user-select: none; pointer-events: none; filter: url(“data:image\/svg+xml;utf9,#blur”); -webkit-filter: blur(10px); -ms-filter: blur(10px); -o-filter: blur(10px); filter: blur(10px); } div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-headline, div#FYFzjzCwGM div.mo-optin-form-container h2, div#FYFzjzCwGM div.mo-optin-form-container h1 { font-size: 32px !important; }div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-description, div#FYFzjzCwGM div.mo-optin-form-container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost p { font-size: 21px !important; }div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-note { font-size: 14px !important; }@media screen and (max-width: 768px) { div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-headline, div#FYFzjzCwGM div.mo-optin-form-container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost h2, div#FYFzjzCwGM div.mo-optin-form-container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost h1 { font-size: 30px !important; } div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-description, div#FYFzjzCwGM div.mo-optin-form-container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost p { font-size: 18px !important; } div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-note { font-size: 14px !important; } }@media screen and (max-width: 480px) { div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-headline, div#FYFzjzCwGM div.mo-optin-form-container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost h2, div#FYFzjzCwGM div.mo-optin-form-container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost h1 { font-size: 25px !important; } div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-description, div#FYFzjzCwGM div.mo-optin-form-container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost p { font-size: 16px !important; } div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-note, div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-note * { font-size: 12px !important; } } #FYFzjzCwGM #FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-field.mo-optin-form-name-field::-webkit-input-placeholder { color: #555555 !important; } #FYFzjzCwGM #FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-field.mo-optin-form-name-field:-ms-input-placeholder { color: #555555 !important; } #FYFzjzCwGM #FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-field.mo-optin-form-name-field::placeholder { color: #555555 !important; } #FYFzjzCwGM #FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-field.mo-optin-form-email-field::-webkit-input-placeholder { color: #555555 !important; } #FYFzjzCwGM #FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-field.mo-optin-form-email-field:-ms-input-placeholder { color: #555555 !important; } #FYFzjzCwGM #FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-field.mo-optin-form-email-field::placeholder { color: #555555 !important; } div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-mailchimp-interest-container { margin: 0 10px 2px; } div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-mailchimp-interest-label { font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 0 2px; } div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-mailchimp-interest-category-label { font-size: 14px; margin: 5px 0 2px; } div#FYFzjzCwGM input.mo-mailchimp-interest-choice { line-height: normal; border: 0; margin: 0 5px; } div#FYFzjzCwGM span.mo-mailchimp-choice-label { vertical-align: middle; font-size: 14px; } div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-mailchimp-interest-choice-container { margin: 5px 0; }<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know from our data that there are clear correlations between access to a substance and use rates. If access increases, use increases. We believe that cannabis establishment in our community would increase access for Old Lyme youth, it would decrease the perception of harm of marijuana, and it would normalize the use of marijuana,\u201d she said. \u201cMarijuana establishments in our community would bring marketing, signage and social media to infiltrate in children\u2019s lives every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seidner said that a Youth Services Bureau survey suggests the average age of first use of marijuana at 14 years old and the resolution will help to keep the number from going even lower. <\/p>\n

\u201cAdoption of an Old Lyme zoning regulation will send a clear message to Old Lyme parents in the news that marijuana is a significant health risk for kids,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

Miller also supported the prohibition and said that he had seen the problems Seidner talked about in his 20 years working in criminal and juvenile law.  <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen it  in our criminal courts, in our juvenile courts and our jails. I firmly believe marijuana is a gateway drug. I haven\u2019t had a single client get into heroin who started off with heroin. I believe the CBD industry is going to be targeted to children, just like Joe Camel with edibles and gummy bears,\u201d he said. \u201cI believe the state legislature made a decision based on money without any care, and a disregard for the youth of America. If we\u2019re wrong, we can always amend this later, but for now I think the most prudent course is to adopt this prohibition on cannabis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zoning amendment for a Halls Road Village District<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Jef Fasser, director of planning and landscape architecture at BSC Group, presented a series of slides to the commission to support an amendment that would replace the Halls Road commercial zone with a village district to allow for mixed use residential construction and provide design guidelines patterned on the architecture of Lyme Street.<\/p>\n

The new zoning would allow for mixed-use three-story buildings fronting on Halls Road and four-story buildings on side streets, with up to 16 units per acre, Fasser said. <\/p>\n

Dan Bourret, land use coordinator for Old Lyme, told the commission that the maximum units would be determined by septic capacity.<\/p>\n

Edie Twining, chair of the Halls Road Improvements Committee, said that it was possible that septic systems could be shared between property owners. <\/p>\n

According to Howard Margules, a member of the Halls Road Improvements Committee and former co-chair of the Economic Development Commission, the village district will help Old Lyme build its retail capacity in conjunction with the town\u2019s arts community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to be an off-shoot of I-95. This gives us the opportunity to attract what we want,\u201d Margules said. <\/p>\n

Twining said developers had already expressed interest in building residential buildings in the Halls Road area.<\/p>\n

Sally Woitowitz, Old Lyme resident, questioned why septic systems would be allowed for high-density residential housing on Halls road when sewers were required in Sound View. <\/p>\n

\u201cNow, that\u2019s close proximity to water. I live on Swan Ave. extension and we\u2019re being forced to put in sewers, because, I was told, we\u2019re in a densely populated area. There\u2019s three houses on my street, I have a third of an acre, and they said that\u2019s not big enough for my 800-square-foot house with one bathroom,\u201d she said. \u201cSo I don\u2019t see how it\u2019s 12 units on one acre with one shared septic.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that she did not understand why the town would be opposed to a convenience store when the retail included in the Halls Road plan would also attract traffic from the highway.  <\/p>\n

Alex Twining, a part-time resident of Old Lyme, said the economic benefit of the Halls Road plan, with its dense housing and retail, would be far greater than the town building single family homes, which require spending money on road construction and maintenance. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you go over to Old Saybrook, the new housing, whether you like it or not, by the train station, is about 18 acres \u2014 about the size of the shopping center. The tax revenue for that housing in Old Saybrook is three times what the shopping center delivers to the town of Old Lyme. So think about that metric \u2014 it has the potential for huge positive impact on this town to increase taxes and lower the cost to produce new development.\u201d <\/p>\n

The commission voted to continue the public hearing open to its Nov. 8 meeting. <\/p>\n

Bus Shelter on Shore Road<\/strong><\/h3>\n

With conditions, the Zoning Commission approved a bus shelter \u201ctransit hub\u201d at 290 Shore Road, which will be funded by the $400,000 Community Connectivity Grant that has been used to build sidewalks along Hartford Ave. and Shore Road. <\/p>\n

Kurt Prochorena, a vice president at BSC Engineering, said the project was being built under the purview of the Connecticut Department of Transportation on a .55-acre parcel located between Swan Ave. and Old Colony Road. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe will use gravel for the surface \u2014 it\u2019s fairly inexpensive and it\u2019s pervious. We want to minimize the impervious surfaces. The two-layer gravel road will be part of the stormwater management system,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Prochorena said the site will have a \u201cpark-like feel\u201d with benches and trees. The premanufactured shelter will be provided by Nine Town Transit and the entire project will probably take about four weeks to construct, Prochorena said. <\/p>\n

Frank Pappalardo, a member of the Community Connectivity Grant Committee, said that there were two bus stops on Shore Road that required the bus to stop in the travel lane. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a dangerous situation \u2014 this will be a dramatic safety improvement to get the buses off the road,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Woitowitz, who lives on Swan Ave. Extension, said she was concerned about the gravel surface because when the town plows, the gravel will be pushed into the road. <\/p>\n

Robert Sheffield, who lives on Old Colony Road, said that the town\u2019s fence on the bus site, which abuts his property, had fallen down and rotted. He asked that some of the trees on the transit hub site be planted as buffers along his property line. <\/p>\n

As a condition of the project approval, the commission agreed to distribute some of the trees along Sheffield\u2019s property border. <\/p>\n

\n
\n

Share this:<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OLD LYME \u2014 The packed agenda of the Zoning Commission, which stretched beyond four hours Tuesday night, included an application for a convenience store for a gas station on Halls Road, the prohibition of marijuana establishments, an amendment to create the Halls Road Village District, and the installation of a bus shelter in Sound View on Shore Road. Continued from the Sept. 14 public hearing, the convenience store proposed for the gas station at 85 Halls Road drew a number of comments concerning hours of usage, traffic levels, and appropriateness for the town.  The project, proposed by CPD Energy Corp. of… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-connecticut-cbd-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1730"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1730\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}