Cheshire planning commission approves Lot 4 resubdivision to allow Goddard School and 10,000‑sq‑ft retail building

The Town of Cheshire Planning and Zoning Commission on June 23 approved a resubdivision and a suite of land‑use permits that clear the way for a proposed Goddard School early‑learning center and a 10,000‑square‑foot retail building on Lot 4 of the Stonebridge Crossing development.

The approvals include a zone text amendment to the Interchange Special Development District (ICSDD) to add a daycare/learning center as an allowed use and to reduce the standard 25‑foot side setback to 12.5 feet for this lot, an earth‑removal/filling/regrading permit with a waiver, formal SDD (special development district) approval with conditions, and final sign‑off on the resubdivision. The commission set the effective date for the zoning changes as June 27, 2025.

Why it matters: Lot 4 is the final undeveloped parcel in the long‑running Stonebridge Crossing project. The votes complete local approvals for the developer’s plan to split the roughly 2.8‑acre lot into two parcels — one for the proposed Goddard School and one for the retail building — and to allow the site work and construction to proceed under the commission’s conditions.

Developer and project details Paul Bowman, one of the applicants and the developer of Stonebridge Crossing, told the commission the application would resubdivide Lot 4 into two parcels and close out the project within about a year. Darren Overton of SLR Consulting, a licensed professional engineer, summarized the site plan and utilities, saying, “All of the utilities are available in Stonebridge Court to serve the property.” The engineer described a single 24‑foot wide circular access drive with parking on both sides, a stormwater basin and standard water‑quality treatment measures consistent with prior lots in the development, and the presence of a turtle barrier installed to meet Natural Diversity Database (NDDB) requirements.

The proposed Lot 4A is planned for a Goddard School learning center; developers Quentin and Lauren Smallwood were listed as the school’s operators. Lot 4B is planned for a 10,000‑square‑foot retail building. The design package submitted to the commission includes architectural renderings (flat roof with gable accents, hardy board siding and stone veneer), a floor plan for the school, and grading/stormwater plans dated June 2, 2025. Commissioners were shown that the parcel slopes toward the 10‑Mile River and that the design seeks to limit fill in the rear of the site.

Safety, circulation and operations Commissioners and members of the public pressed the applicants on traffic circulation and the school’s pick‑up/drop‑off operations. Lauren Smallwood, identified as “part of the Goddard School,” said the school operates on staggered schedules — “we open at 7AM…we could pick close at 6PM” — and that morning arrivals tend to be staggered rather than a single peak. The applicants said their existing, same‑sized Goddard School location serves roughly 150–160 children and employs about 40 people.

To address safety concerns, the commission’s SDD approval included conditions requiring a fire‑department‑approved emergency key box near main entrances (final location to be approved by the fire chief or designee), final fire hydrant and fire‑department connection locations to be approved by the fire chief or designee, and coordination with the fire chief on placement of light poles and plantings to preserve emergency vehicle turning radii. Commissioners also authorized staff to act on their behalf for minor changes to grading, landscaping, utilities and stormwater features.

Site ecology and archaeology The applicants described a wooded rear portion of the lot where protected turtle habitat exists; Overton said the project team consulted a herpetologist and installed a turtle barrier during earlier work. Lauren Smallwood told commissioners the school will incorporate the turtles into an educational theme and said, “our mural, instead of being airplanes and ski mountains, will be turtles…we're gonna incorporate it, but in a safe way.”

A resident, Sean Henry of 1375 Half Moon Road (speaking as a private resident), raised concerns that required archaeological materials were not included in the online packet and asked that the planning file include a Section 45b5.1(h) archaeological characteristics report. Planning staff responded that the commission had received a report from David George Heritage Consultants and a June 23, 2025 letter from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) stating SHPO’s opinion that the undertaking would have no adverse effect on remaining portions of NRHP‑eligible sites 2025. Staff said those records are available at the planning department office but were not posted in the online packet; the resident requested they be placed on the record or made readily accessible online.

Landscaping, stormwater and other conditions Commissioners asked the applicants to reconsider several non‑native plant species; the development team agreed to review landscaping selections and said they would consider native alternatives. Stormwater design follows the town’s current design standard using a 10‑year storm standard, which the engineer said “meets the standard.” The commission granted a waiver to Section 25.5.9 of the Cheshire zoning regulations to allow proposed filling and grading activities within 50 feet of a property line or street line, as requested by the applicants.

Votes and formal actions (summary) - Petition for zone text amendment (TriStar Development LLC and Miller Napolitano Wolf LLC): Approved; commission found the change consistent with the 2016 Plan of Conservation and Development; effective date 06/27/2025. - Approval of an Interchange Special Development Project (Rosewood Real Estate LLC) for a private school and retail development on Stonebridge Crossing Lot 4: Approved; approval based on plans dated 06/02/2025; effective date 06/27/2025. - Earth‑removal/filling/regrading permit (TriStar Development LLC / Miller Napolitano Wolf LLC) plus waiver to Section 25.5.9: Approved; waiver granted to permit filling/grading within 50 feet of a property or street line. - Approval of Special Development District (SDD) for Lot 4: Approved with conditions including fire‑department key box(s), final hydrant locations, coordination on obstructions, architectural approvals for both the school and retail building, and authorization for staff to approve minor technical changes. - Resubdivision of Map 3, Lot 57 into Parcels 4A and 4B: Approved.

All five items were approved by the commission at the June 23 hearing; motions were moved and seconded on the record and carried as announced by the chair (vote tallies recorded by the commission; see actions array for structured details).

What’s next The commission set the effective date for the zoning text amendment and related approvals as June 27, 2025. Planning staff and the applicants will coordinate final technical details with the fire chief or designee, finalize landscaping choices, and make the archaeological reports and SHPO correspondence available in the planning file for public review, per the staff comments at the hearing.

The commission also noted a separate new application (a patio expansion at Virens) was scheduled for an upcoming public hearing.