By Susan MacEachron

Members of the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department (NVFD) filled the room on Jan. 9 for the continuation of the Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) public hearing on the proposed new firehouse. First on the agenda was the application to transfer some City Meadow land for the new firehouse.

City Meadow and the firehouse are on separate parcels of land owned by the Town of Norfolk. Over six years ago, public access to City Meadow was created after several public hearings and a significant investment from private donors. The proposed firehouse building needs approximately a quarter of an acre of the existing City Meadow land for its construction. Under Norfolk’s zoning regulations, a lot line adjustment between the two lots requires a modification of the City Meadow special permit. 

P&Z decided that the town’s application to transfer land from City Meadow to the firehouse lot was a significant change and the public deserved a chance to comment. A public hearing was scheduled for Feb. 13. 

The firehouse is in an area of downtown that Norfolk regulations designate as the “Village District.” Any new building or changes to the exterior of an existing building are subject to P&Z review. The Village District review is focused on the aesthetics of town buildings as distinct from zoning issues. The lighting proposed for the new building generated a lengthy discussion. Questions about how much continuous lighting is necessary for safety and how much could be activated by a motion detector and whether the light would be on the warm end of the LED spectrum were discussed at length.

NVFD members produced a slide show of lights on other Norfolk buildings. The bright lighting in Robinson Plaza and on the Foundation for Norfolk Living’s affordable housing buildings at the corner of Shepard Road were noted in particular. First Selectman Matt Riiska described the effort made to accommodate Town Hall neighbors when new outside lights were recently installed. Riiska promised to provide P&Z and the firehouse design team with the specifications for those lights. 

Several neighbors of the firehouse urged P&Z to consider eliminating the use of the fire alarm. Discussion ensued about whether there was a requirement for the fire siren when the primary way members of the NVFD are notified of an emergency is by pager. Someone from the NVFD mentioned the Public Protection Classification (PPC) grade published by Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO). A secondary alarm system is only required in communities with 730 or more emergencies per year. Norfolk is well below that threshold.

NVFD members said the secondary alarm provides additional points in the ISO rating, which means a savings on insurance. Fire Chief Brian Hutchins said the department had voted to keep the alarm. He noted that the duration of an alert had been reduced from two minutes to one. He promised to provide a letter from ISO confirming the rating system benefit from having a secondary alarm.

To allow additional information from the ISO, P&Z voted to keep the public hearing for the firehouse open. The public hearing will be continued on Feb. 13. A new public hearing on the excavation required for the firehouse construction will also be held on Feb. 13.

P&Z opened the public hearing on the application to subdivide the residential lot at 305 Mountain Road. George Johannesen, from Allied Engineering, representing Carlene Laughlin, described the plan. The subdivision was approved by P&Z. Details on this application are included in the Inland Wetlands Agency meeting article on page xxx.

P&Z voted to appoint Edward Barron to replace Kevin Gundlach, who resigned. Barron had been an alternate member of P&Z.