P&Z: Family Y Meets the 10 Special Permit Standards By Michael C. Juliano WESTPORT, Aug. 6 - At its Thursday night meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) took favorable straw votes on the 10 special permit standards within its regulations as they concern the Westport Weston Family Y's proposal to build a new 102,000-square-foot facility on its Camp Mahackeno property. The standards require, among other things, that the special-permit application conform to the 2007 Town Plan of Conservation and Development, not prevent or inhibit orderly growth of the area and preserve important open space. The commission made a motion Tuesday to approve the proposal, which has been endorsed by the Flood and Erosion Control Board and the Conservation Commission. P&Z staff is expected to give the commission a draft resolution on Aug. 14 so that it may vote on the motion to approve the application on Sept. 4 or Sept. 11 after it considers questions from two environmental interveners. While most of the commission members expressed seemed to think the proposal adheres to the standards, Commissioner Helen Martin Block pointed out several times where she believed the application did not meet them, such as the town plan's encouragement of open space. "On that point of view alone, it would not be a good idea to relocate the YMCA from where it currently is to Camp Mahackeno," she said. She also said the proposed construction would not support "Smart Growth" principles as stated in the Town Plan and would change the rural character of the area and the entire town. On the topic of orderly growth, Commissioner Howard Lathrop said the proposed facility would preserve an enormous piece of open space and would prevent any further development of the area, given Westport is already 97 percent developed. "Westport is not a child, it's an adult," he said. "It's already grown." Martin Block disagreed, referring to the proposed construction in the residential area as "out-of-the-ballpark growth" that would create very intense use of the area. "It's not very orderly to say you can go from single-family residential to mega complex," she said. Commissioner Bruce Kasanoff said, however, that the area is already settled with houses and the proposed facility would preserve open space while not creating further development. Commissioner David Press said the town is "already built out," so the type of residential zone in which it would be built would not matter with regards to spurring more development. Commissioner Ken DeSanctis said, however, that putting a building of that size in a residential area is contradictory to "orderly use" of the vicinity. "We don't commit to building larger than 10,000 square feet in a commercial area on the Post Road because we don't want to see a large building, but we're talking about a 102,000-square-foot building in a residential area," he said. P&Z Chairman Ron Corwin said the proposed Family Y building would prevent the creation of a 12-house subdivision on the remaining 25 acres of Camp Mahackeno. "This precludes that," he said. Concerning the issue of pedestrian circulation, Martin Block said the proposed facility will endanger people walking or riding bicycles in the area. "For those of us who do these activities, I believe that when you put this kind of intense commercial operation into an area, your ability to circulate is diminished a lot," she said. All seven members agreed unanimously that the plan would not have an adverse effect on historical, archaeological or paleontological sites. During further discussion of open space, Martin Block said the commission should consider the negative impact on trees that the proposal would have, given that 730 trees would be taken down during construction and replaced with seeds. "These trees are not going to grow as rapidly as one thinks they'll grow," she said. "After the trees are down and while threes are regrowing, you're ruining an entire ecosystem, and it's going to stay that way for 20 years." Lathrop and Corwin said they hate to see trees get cut down but the trees will grow back through the plan's tree replacement plan. "There are other things I'd prefer to have happen here, but at the end of the day it's a pretty good tradeoff with regards to trees and open space," he said. Reprinted from the Westport News, August 6, 2008

P&Z: Family Y Meets the 10 Special Permit Standards

By Michael C. Juliano

WESTPORT, Aug. 6 - At its Thursday night meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) took favorable straw votes on the 10 special permit standards within its regulations as they concern the Westport Weston Family Y's proposal to build a new 102,000-square-foot facility on its Camp Mahackeno property.

The standards require, among other things, that the special-permit application conform to the 2007 Town Plan of Conservation and Development, not prevent or inhibit orderly growth of the area and preserve important open space.

The commission made a motion Tuesday to approve the proposal, which has been endorsed by the Flood and Erosion Control Board and the Conservation Commission. P&Z staff is expected to give the commission a draft resolution on Aug. 14 so that it may vote on the motion to approve the application on Sept. 4 or Sept. 11 after it considers questions from two environmental interveners.

While most of the commission members expressed seemed to think the proposal adheres to the standards, Commissioner Helen Martin Block pointed out several times where she believed the application did not meet them, such as the town plan's encouragement of open space.

"On that point of view alone, it would not be a good idea to relocate the YMCA from where it currently is to Camp Mahackeno," she said.

She also said the proposed construction would not support "Smart Growth" principles as stated in the Town Plan and would change the rural character of the area and the entire town.

On the topic of orderly growth, Commissioner Howard Lathrop said the proposed facility would preserve an enormous piece of open space and would prevent any further development of the area, given Westport is already 97 percent developed.

"Westport is not a child, it's an adult," he said. "It's already grown."

Martin Block disagreed, referring to the proposed construction in the residential area as "out-of-the-ballpark growth" that would create very intense use of the area.

"It's not very orderly to say you can go from single-family residential to mega complex," she said.

Commissioner Bruce Kasanoff said, however, that the area is already settled with houses and the proposed facility would preserve open space while not creating further development.

Commissioner David Press said the town is "already built out," so the type of residential zone in which it would be built would not matter with regards to spurring more development.

Commissioner Ken DeSanctis said, however, that putting a building of that size in a residential area is contradictory to "orderly use" of the vicinity.

"We don't commit to building larger than 10,000 square feet in a commercial area on the Post Road because we don't want to see a large building, but we're talking about a 102,000-square-foot building in a residential area," he said.

P&Z Chairman Ron Corwin said the proposed Family Y building would prevent the creation of a 12-house subdivision on the remaining 25 acres of Camp Mahackeno.

"This precludes that," he said.

Concerning the issue of pedestrian circulation, Martin Block said the proposed facility will endanger people walking or riding bicycles in the area.

"For those of us who do these activities, I believe that when you put this kind of intense commercial operation into an area, your ability to circulate is diminished a lot," she said.

All seven members agreed unanimously that the plan would not have an adverse effect on historical, archaeological or paleontological sites.

During further discussion of open space, Martin Block said the commission should consider the negative impact on trees that the proposal would have, given that 730 trees would be taken down during construction and replaced with seeds.

"These trees are not going to grow as rapidly as one thinks they'll grow," she said. "After the trees are down and while threes are regrowing, you're ruining an entire ecosystem, and it's going to stay that way for 20 years."

Lathrop and Corwin said they hate to see trees get cut down but the trees will grow back through the plan's tree replacement plan.

"There are other things I'd prefer to have happen here, but at the end of the day it's a pretty good tradeoff with regards to trees and open space," he said.

Reprinted from the Westport News, August 6, 2008