Planning Commission OKs 4-lot subdivision at 295 James Farm Road, approves erosion controls and utility waiver

The Town of Stratford Planning Commission approved a four-lot residential subdivision at 295 James Farm Road and separately approved the project's erosion and sediment control plan and a waiver allowing existing overhead electrical lines to remain, the commission said at a public hearing and administrative session.

Daniel Thomas, the petitioner and a Stratford resident, told the commission the proposal would return an earlier-approved development to a smaller scale. “What we're asking for today is approval, 4 lot subdivision ... So what we're looking for is 4 residential lots,” he said, adding the lots meet zoning standards for the area's R-2 zoning and will be single-family homes.

The planning staff told the commission the proposal is consistent with the character of the neighborhood and with the current zoning. The planner said the police and fire chiefs and the health supervisor had no comments and that public water and sewer are to be used. Staff also noted outstanding conservation comments about tree work.

The applicant acknowledged conservation concerns raised by Conservation Superintendent Kelly Carrigan and said he is prepared to replant trees. “I am open to putting back a hundred trees,” Thomas said, and said he would work with the town’s conservation requirements and with the town engineer to address sight lines and drainage.

At the administrative session the commission first approved the erosion and sediment control plan, adopting the standard conditions read into the record requiring erosion controls be installed prior to construction, immediate on-site modifications if erosion problems develop, and submission of a more detailed fugitive dust control plan before building or demolition. The commission then approved an added agenda item — a waiver to leave the existing overhead electrical wiring in place — with a motion that cited the small scale of the four-lot subdivision.

A motion to approve the subdivision was made with the conditions outlined in the staff report. The commission voted in favor; the chair announced the motion passed unanimously.

The commission and staff confirmed post-approval steps: the applicant must obtain any required tree-work permits, post a bond for public improvements as determined with the town, and submit finalized erosion-control details and the required administrative filings before construction permits are issued.

The commission also recessed and amended its agenda during the meeting so votes on the control plan and utility waiver could be taken on the record. The petitioner said he and his engineer responded to staff comments and had provided certificates of mailing and the posted public notice required by state statute.

Minutes from the January 21, 2025 meeting were also approved as amended during the same administrative session.

The commission’s approvals were subject to the standard conditions identified by staff; the commission did not record a roll-call vote with member-by-member named tallies in the public record for these motions.