The Economic Development Commission on May 1 discussed the Mill Plain Road property and concluded the site has development potential but is constrained by traffic and rail underpass issues that will require significant transportation work before full redevelopment.

The presenter said the intersection near the site is the town’s worst-performing intersection and described it as a five-leg intersection with limited stacking capacity because of a Metro-North underpass. “There is a choke point, obviously, with the underpass,” the presenter said, noting the intersection has produced accidents and poor queuing. The commission discussed options including reconfiguring intersection approaches and working with the Connecticut Department of Transportation to study long-term fixes.

Commission members and a resident described local traffic and pedestrian problems, including a knocked-down pedestrian crossing near the Sportsplex and frequent congestion that pushes drivers to use local back roads. Commissioners said potential fixes could require widening the underpass or costly pumping or raising of road and rail profiles, and that such infrastructure work would likely be multimillion-dollar projects that would not occur overnight.

The commission said staff will prepare further analysis: a market-analysis white paper evaluating the site’s potential, demographic context and the infrastructure changes that would be needed to unlock development, and will share that with the first selectman and other decision-makers for next steps.