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03/06/2024 01:07 PMNORTH HAVEN
The North Haven Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) has approved a special permit application for the North Haven Fair Association to host an equipment auction on Friday, April 19.
Two board members with the North Haven Fair Association, Michael Card and Michael Kennedy, represented the organization, with Card saying that they were seeking approval for an application for “temporary storage storage of an equipment auction to be held on” the fairgrounds property located at 290 Washington Avenue. The board members are also making sure that the event will not be a disturbance to nearby residents of the property along its Fairlawn Drive border.
The equipment auction attached to the application will primarily include used “farm equipment, commercial equipment, and non-commercial equipment,” which includes “approximately 100 to 150 vehicles, as well as a 100 to 150 non-vehicular equipment such as attachments, generators, and other small tools,” explained Card.
The board members asked for the location of the equipment sold at the auction to be positioned in the arena area of the fairgrounds, where fair events like the demolition derby are situated.
There are no anticipated changes in lighting or electrical work, nor any new signage or fencing, “except for small lawn signs that point people where to park during the event,” said Card.
Kennedy added that lighting used during the auction will be turned on the night before the auction to help the association get situated for the event and place equipment in its storage area.
Some residents of Fairlawn Drive showed up to the PZC meeting with concerns regarding the auction’s impact on the route. Kennedy said he does not expect lighting to encroach upon private property on Fairlawn Drive, but will be receptive to any complaints from residents who live along the route.
Card added that the association will make sure equipment is kept “as internal to the property and away from all the borders as much as possible,” adding that, “Hopefully, the move of most of the equipment into the arena area will alleviate a lot of that by moving it away from the border of the property.”
Kennedy said he would like to add a sign along Fairlawn Drive stating that entrance to the auction through that route is not allowed.
Land Use official Alan Fredericksen praised the North Haven Fair Association board members for their considerations of placement of equipment and lighting in light of residential concerns.
“I hope that there’ll be a good dialogue continuing with the folks on Fairlawn and the Fair Association,” Fredericksen said. “It seems that the relationship, for a little while, had deteriorated. But I’m glad to see people who are concerned and to see the fair association making a fairly large gesture to move all of this into the arena…I think that’ll make a huge difference.”
The association will perform a soil erosion inspection both prior to and after the event, as requested by the PZC.
Kennedy told the commission that none of the heavier equipment will be positioned over the leach fields next to the fair property. Commissioner Kerry Mattie asked the board members about the condition of the most used equipment that will be auctioned off at the event. Card said that “all of the equipment…has been shiny-looking, all in good condition,” with Kennedy adding that equipment up for auction has seen between 50 to 60 hours of use per tool.
Attendees of the auction will be entering and exiting the property via the usual entrance on Washington Avenue, while “normal parking” will occur in the space on the property for other events at the fairgrounds, Card confirmed to the PZC.
The board members also confirmed that the company running the auction is prepared for any kind of hazardous spillage that could damage the property.
“I don’t want to see any spillage on our property,” said Kennedy.
Card stated that, following the conclusion of the auction, “it’ll take about two weeks for all the equipment to be removed from the site and the purchases to pick up equipment,” adding that, “Delivery and pickup of all the equipment will be via the Washington Avenue entrance to the North Haven Fairgrounds.”