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03/27/2018 03:30 PMZoning changes that could have allowed for a 415-unit age-restricted housing development at the intersection of Route 80 and Sperry Lane to proceed was rejected at a meeting of the Planning & Zoning Commission last week. The commission voted 3-2 to deny the zoning changes without prejudice. That ruling leaves the applicant, The Bluffs, LLC, free to reapply without a waiting period.
It’s not the first time that concerns have been raised about the proposed development. The previous application was withdrawn last year due to concerns that blasting would be required during construction. The original proposal was for almost 500 units in six buildings—the sixth building, which would have required the blasting, has been removed from the current application. Any blasting for the current proposal would be very minimal, the applicant said. So why deny?
Basically, “It’s too dense,” said Planning & Zoning Chairman Bill DeMayo. “In my opinion and the opinion of some of the other commissioners, the application had not really gotten there yet. There were still a lot of questions.”
Overall, the development’s density does not fit with the vision set forth in the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development, DeMayo said. The plan aims for low residential density: for example, no more than five to eight units per acre for single-family attached housing.
Concerns raised by the fire department and police department at last week’s meeting were also “somewhat overwhelming,” DeMayo said. More than 400 units of housing translates into a significant jump in population, which means increased response time for emergency services. Traffic is another big concern; no one wants to see an increase in Route 80’s rush hour traffic. One more safety concern is residents entering and exiting the development onto Route 80 at a stop sign, where some commissioners believe a traffic light would be safer.
Finally, there’s the question of exactly how the development will restrict the age of its population. If a younger population is permitted, both overall traffic and commuter traffic would see more of an increase.
“We would like to know more about the age 55 restriction,” said DeMayo. “Is it just one person, two people? All of a sudden you could have grandchildren there, so that would be multiple people moving into one unit.”
Still, “I love the project, in concept,” DeMayo said. “We would love to see single-family houses, cluster housing there that would be less dense. But the concept is just too drastic for this area right now.”