Thanks to seven Planning & Zoning Commissioners (PZC), the public will be given an opportunity at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 4 to weigh in on a site plan application to relocate CVS to the corner of Hull and Main streets. Site plan applications don’t require a public hearing, which is held at the discretion of PZC.

The then-PZC chairman Gary Bousquet went to extraordinary lengths to force approval of this application, enlisting the PZC attorney to narrowly define PZC’s legal options. PZC deserves to get additional opinions and insights on this application from the public, which came out in force against this applicant’s previous failed attempt to land a floating zone for this purpose in this location.

The plan includes a very ugly block-box building that the Clinton Design Review Board unanimously rejected. Violations of Clinton zoning regulations in Section 32 Design Standards are too numerous to list here.

There are also violations of Sections 8.2.1 Driveway Access and 8.2.2 Existing Street.

The most troubling flaw in the plan violates Section 8.2.3 Drainage. Currently most of the stormwater from this location is discharged to a catch basin on train property. This plan calls for cutting a 200-foot ramp downhill approximately 10 feet to Hull Street, redirecting much of the stormwater to the catch basin under the railroad bridge. This location is already identified as a flood-prone roadway. It is also one of a limited number of Clinton hurricane evacuation routes and is number 8 of 13 natural hazards mapped in Clinton’s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan.

PZC has the jurisdiction to interpret its regulations and the duty to protect public safety, which trumps all other considerations.

PZC should deny this application and extend Zone B2 one block east to Hull Street, which would preserve historic structures under Section 8.6.

Kirk Carr

Clinton