New Canaan IWC approves permit for shared driveway, stormwater and wetland restoration at Brookwood Lane

The New Canaan Inland Wetlands Commission voted unanimously April (public hearing closed) to approve an inland wetlands permit for work tied to a proposed nine‑lot subdivision at 82 Brookwood Lane, authorizing construction of a common driveway, stormwater best‑management practices and wetland restoration work while placing eight special conditions on the permit, including preconstruction meetings, a phasing plan and long‑term stormwater maintenance requirements.

The commission’s approval followed a contested public hearing in which intervenors argued the commission must evaluate whether the proposal may have a “significant impact” and must consider “inevitable” future development of the individual lots. The intervenors presented two alternative site layouts (one by SC Miner for seven houses and a separate six‑house plan prepared by landscape designer Lindsay Byrne) intended to eliminate or reduce the proposed shared driveway. Attorney Gelderman, the town attorney, and the applicant’s experts told the commission the body should determine whether the proposed regulated activity is likely to have an adverse impact on wetlands and that feasible and prudent alternatives are considered only if an adverse impact is found.

Why it matters: the permit authorizes a common infrastructure package (driveway, utilities, stormwater controls and wetland mitigation) that the applicant and intervenors agreed is central to how the nine lots would be accessed. The commission’s decision clears the immediate path for the applicant to proceed with the infrastructure review and to later present individual lot development plans to Planning & Zoning.

Applicant presentation and…