On Feb. 21, members of Branford's Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) heard a brief introduction to a revision meant to overcome a hurdle on town-approved applications for the development and expansion of Parkside Village I, under CT General Statute (CGS) Section 8-30g affordable housing [§ 8-30g]. Parkside Village I is located at 115 South Montowese St.

Beacon Communities Development LLC (MA) and Branford Housing Authority (BHA) have submitted a request to delete a proposed Melrose Avenue extension on the town-approved site plan for an expanded Parkside Village I. The Melrose Avenue extension is on the plan to create a needed emergency access road for the development. Instead of a Melrose Avenue extension, Beacon and BHA are now seeking a revision to the approved site plan incorporating use of Sliney Road, with some changes, as the needed access road.

The request is Beacon/BHA's first move following an October 2018 Hartford Superior Court decision overturning a complex January 2018 vote by the PZC which served to deny BHA/Beacon's application for the project. The PZC's denial was based on series of three votes on the project's three separate applications. Each application was approved by a PZC vote of 3-2, but, based on a condition set by the PZC using the Town Attorney's interpretation of state statutes involving a valid protest petition, the application for a zoning map amendment to create an Assisted Housing District under § 8-30g required a two-thirds "super majority" (4-1) vote for approval. The PZC also added a condition that all three applications required proper approval to move the project forward. Because of the failure to reach the 4-1 supermajority vote, the PZC submitted that only two of the three applications were approved; so the project was denied.

As part of his written decision overturning the PZC vote, Hartford Superior Court Judge Marshall Berger remanded the site plan application back to the commission. That application included the proposed Melrose Avenue extension. However, the town road extension requires permission from Branford's Representative Town Meeting (RTM); and, to date, permission has not been granted. Most recently, in July 2018, the RTM received a request from BHA/Beacon for access to land to build an access road to Melrose Avenue, and voted 18 to 6 reject the request.

As it stands, Sliney Road falls primarily on Parkside property and is not a town road. Currently, it's a narrow lane with a rise. Vehicle access from South Montowese Street reaches additional parking behind Parkside and gives access to park near Sliney Field, a town ball field. The road cuts through a wooded lot with some rocky outcroppings. At present, Sliney Road has an opening of approximately 20 feet at the intersection of South Montowese, slims down to span about 15 feet at its narrowest point, then widens out to approximately 20 feet at the other end.

The revision to the plan seeks to increase Sliney's current roadway to 24 feet from edge to edge, with fire lanes marked and no roadside parking. The plan also shows dedicated emergency vehicle parking, outlined on an apron of pavement to the left of the rear exit, which falls outside of Parkside's current property lines as well as mainly outside of revised property lines shown on the plan. The revised property lines are based on a land boundary exchange agreement approved by the RTM in 2017; but as yet, the actual conveyance of that property line adjustment has not taken place. The boundary exchange would revise the current rear property lines, giving Parkside Village a bit more property at Sliney Road's outlet  and realigning a portion of Sliney Field so that the entire field falls within town property lines.

At the Feb. 21 PZC meeting, the consensus of the PZC was that it would like a public hearing to be scheduled so that Beacon/BHA's site application revision would be considered by the PZC during a public hearing, said Town Planner Harry Smith. With required public notifications, the earliest scheduling date for a public hearing on the application is expected to be sometime in mid-March, said Smith.

Updates for public hearing notifications are also posted at the Town's website, www.branford-ct.gov