By Susan MacEachron

Planning & Zoning (P&Z) held four separate public hearings via Zoom on May 11. The matters addressed were construction of a five-bay garage on Mountain Road; revisions to P&Z regulations; and the proposed Haystack Woods development.

Construction of any garage with more than four bays or larger than the house on the property requires a special zoning permit, and hence a review by the P&Z  commissioners. Bartosz Toczylowski, Principal of T2studio, represented the homeowner at 139 Mountain Rd. and presented detailed drawings of the proposed five-bay garage. 

Toczylowski stated the garage is intended solely for the personal use of the family for trailers and equipment for their horses. The upper story will be a hay loft. The primary focus of the discussion was on the lighting and its potential impact on neighbors, who attended the meeting and expressed their concern. It was determined that motion detectors or timers could be used to limit lighting when the garage was not in use, and Toczylowski said he would be mindful of the concerns expressed. The garage was approved unanimously.

Glenn Chalder, president of Planimetrics, presented a synopsis of proposed revisions to Norfolk’s P&Z regulations. Chalder is an expert in town planning and has been advising the P&Z commission on a variety of matters for many years. He said the regulations had last been updated in 2011 and that the proposed changes have been discussed in great detail at previous P&Z meetings. The revisions would clarify the distinction between a residential and commercial greenhouse and farm stands, specify the number and types of farm animals allowed on less than 10 acres and loosen restrictions on animals for lots of 10 acres and more. A commissioner noted that the changes align with the Plan of Conservation & Development goal of supporting local agriculture. The regulation revisions were approved unanimously.

The third and fourth public hearings were combined to review the proposed changes to the text amendment for the Haystack Woods Overlay Zone and a re-subdivision of the property to accommodate the request to provide access via a town road instead of the originally approved plan with a private drive. Kate Johnson, president of the Foundation for Norfolk Living, requested a continuance of the public hearing. She said the foundation needed additional time to provide a response to the questions raised by Chalder after his review of their revised plans. A special meeting was set for June 22.