Dog Park is Approved with Conditions

By Susan MacEachron

The Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) approved the application for a special permit to
create a dog park on Westside Road at its meeting on May 9. Specific conditions regarding
operation of the dog park were established after lengthy debate.

The Friends of the Norfolk Community Dog Park (FNCDP) had proposed that the park be open
from dawn to dusk. P&Z decided to limit the hours from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
P&Z regulations limit roadside signs in residential neighborhoods to two square feet.
Consequently, the sign on Westside Road identifying the location of the park cannot exceed that
limit. A sign of up to 12 square feet, listing the rules and regulations for use of the park, will be
allowed inside the park. To make the sign less visible from the road, it must be placed so that it is
perpendicular to the road.

The FNCDP proposed plan for parking was approved. There will be parking for eight cars and
one additional handicap space to be adjacent to the entry. There was a robust discussion about
whether P&Z could prohibit parking along the road as one of the conditions of the permit. Many
of the Norfolk residents opposed to the park expressed concerns about cars being parked along
the road. Several commissioners noted that P&Z does not have jurisdiction over where cars are
permitted to park on Norfolk’s roads. P&Z decided it would not include this as a condition of
the permit. It was agreed that if roadside parking becomes an issue, it would be addressed at that
time.

FNCDP did not propose any lighting at the park, but P&Z prohibited lighting or any other
utilities as a condition of the permit.
The setback from neighboring property owners was discussed at length. P&Z debated requiring
a 400-foot versus a 200-foot setback. They settled on requiring a 300-foot setback on the three
sides of the park. The park itself will be set back from the road by approximately 50 feet.
The final condition was that no town funds would be used to maintain the park. The special
permit, with the conditions described, was approved with six in favor and one opposed.
Addressing other matters, P&Z accepted two separate applications for special permits. A public
hearing for each application was scheduled for June 13.
The first was an application for an accessory dwelling at 290 Bruey Road and a modification of
the existing special permit for a home enterprise.
The second application was from the Foundation for Norfolk Living for a site plan modification
for the Haystack Woods development. Ledge was discovered by the contractor preparing the
site.

When the initial permit was obtained the engineer’s report did not identify any ledge on the site.
Three of the ten building sites will require blasting the ledge to enable construction of the
planned homes.
Ken Hrica, the foundation’s engineer, explained that they do not have a specific plan to present
for P&Z’s consideration just yet, but wanted to get on the calendar for a public hearing so that
the project will not face additional delay.

Norfolk Voters Approve Budget, Authorize Bonds and Table Frontier Payment

By Susan MacEachron

The Annual Town Meeting was held at Botelle School on May 8. Nine of the 10 ten resolutions
proposed were unanimously approved. The resolution to pay Frontier Communications (Frontier)
$467,000 to extend its Fiber to the Premises network to all homes in Norfolk was tabled.

Michael Sconyers made a motion to table the resolution to approve the payment to Frontier. He
explained that although discussions with Frontier had been ongoing for several years, they had
not produced a contract for the town to review. The proposed town budget included $27,262 to
cover the cost of financing the payment to Frontier. Sconyers said he thought financing should
not be approved until the town has a contract. He noted that a special town meeting could be
convened to approve funding once there is an agreement with Frontier.

Among the nine resolutions approved were a resolution for an appropriation of $1.9
million,900,000 to replace the roof on Botelle School. The resolution included authorization to
finance up to the full amount by issuing bonds, notes or temporary notes.
The second significant town project was a resolution for the appropriation of $2.6 million
$2,600,000 for the refurbishment of Maple Avenue, including but not limited to, installation of
storm drainage improvements and concrete sidewalks. The resolution included authorization to
finance up to $2.1 million 2,100,000 by issuing bonds, notes or temporary notes. First Selectman
Matt Riiska explained that the town had received a $500,000 grant from the State of
Connecticut’s Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) for this project. Riiska
explained that the $2.6 million $2,600,000 does not include the remediation that needs to be done
at the intersection of Pettibone Lane and Maple Avenue. He said the work that needs to be done
because of the gas spill is extensive and he is not sure how much of the road work can be
completed this year.

Voters approved an appropriation of $115,000 to refurbish the public tennis courts located at
Botelle School. A modification to Town Ordinance Number 24, governing the incentive for
Emergency Service Volunteers, was approved. The incentive was increased from a maximum of
$1,000 to a maximum of $2,000.

The town’s annual budget was approved, with an amendment to reduce the budget by the
$27,262 included to finance the extension of the Frontier fiber optic network, which was not
approved. Michael Sconyers, board of finance chair, complimented the Board of Selectmen and
the Board of Education for producing a budget that includes several projects the town needs to
tackle without raising the tax rate. He noted that the increase in the tax base of approximately $6
million ,000,000 was a critical factor in this favorable outcome.