By  Susan MacEachron

At the Planning & Zoning (P&Z) meeting on Oct. 10, Lisa Reed was approved to become an alternate member of the commission, replacing Wiley Wood, who became a regular member of P&Z. Applications for the proposed new firehouse and a subdivision on Sunset Ridge Road were accepted. Public hearings on the two applications were set for Tuesday, Nov. 14.

Don Torrant said he has lived at 77 Sunset Ridge Road for over 40 years and is requesting a re-subdivision of his 4.17-acre lot. He said his daughter wants to purchase a piece of his land to build a house. The subdivided lot can be connected to the Aquarion public water supply, and a Norfolk Sewer District hook-up is available, according to Torrant. He noted that his application includes a wetlands delineation report and a survey and that the Inland Wetlands Agency has approved the subdivision plan. P&Z accepted the application and set a public hearing for Nov. 14.

P&Z next discussed a request to modify the special permit for the storage garage George Auclair is building on Greenwoods Road East. The original permit was for a dry storage building, and Auclair would like to install a bathroom. Zoning Enforcement Officer Michael Halloran described the plan for a well and a small septic system, noting that the site has no wetlands. The proposed septic system has been approved by Torrington Area Health. A commission member expressed concern that installation of a bathroom could be an indication that Auclair intended to use the building for commercial purposes beyond storage. It was made clear that the permit only allowed storage, and if Auclair wanted to use the building for servicing vehicles, he would need to come back to the commission to modify his permit. P&Z determined the request for a bathroom was a minor modification and approved the plan without requiring a public hearing.  P&Z additionally accepted an application from the Town of Norfolk to build a new firehouse and set a public hearing for Nov. 14. See further details about the proposed firehouse in “Proposed Firehouse Advances to Planning and Zoning Commission” on page 9.