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Agency schedules public hearing and site visit for proposed 55‑unit Buick Avenue project
Summary
The Milford Inland Wetlands Agency voted to hold a public hearing July 16 and a site walk July 2 for a proposed 55‑unit 8‑30g development at 34 Buick Avenue after the applicant described stormwater plans, permeable paver design and off‑site wetlands near Stubby Plain Brook.
The Milford Inland Wetlands Agency on June 18 voted to schedule a public hearing on July 16 and a site visit on July 2 for an application by 34 Buick Avenue LLC seeking wetlands permission for a 55‑unit building under Connecticut General Statute 8‑30g at 34 Buick Avenue.
Mary Rose, agency staff, said the application (IW250036) involves 0.02 acres (871 square feet) of wetlands on the southern portion of the property along Stubby Plain Brook and that off‑site improvements on Buick Avenue would come within about 4 feet of the wetland. The applicant’s engineering team said they supplied an NDDB (Natural Diversity Database) preliminary determination of no threatened or endangered species for the site and that the city engineer is awaiting a hydrology report.
Why it matters: the project would add substantial impervious area near a mapped wetland and includes on‑site stormwater infrastructure and off‑site roadway work that the agency judged warranted public review and a site inspection.
Robert Weiwei, the project engineer with Codis Bodie and Associates, described a design that adds roughly 45,600 square feet of impervious cover and uses a multi‑cell permeable paver reservoir system intended to infiltrate the water‑quality runoff (1.3‑inch event) and provide retention for up to the 25‑year storm. Weiwei said the paver system is broken into five cells to accommodate slope changes and that runoff from roofs and pavements will recharge to the underlying soils via engineered reservoir media and stone layers. The applicant also proposes to install storm drainage work and a sanitary easement that will be dedicated to the city; Weiwei said the applicant will construct drainage improvements as part of the project.
Commissioners raised technical questions about pollutant capture in permeable pavement systems, groundwater recharge, and the design’s effectiveness in areas with variable soils. Agency members asked the applicant to make soil scientist Jen Benno (Soil Resources) and Scott Stevens (soil scientist who flagged the wetlands) available for the public hearing. The city engineer said the agency should not consider approval until the hydrology report and other requested materials are submitted and reviewed.
On a roll‑call vote, the agency approved holding a public hearing on July 16 “due to public interest”; the motion passed unanimously. The agency also approved a site walk at 5:30 p.m. on July 2 so commissioners could inspect the stream corridor, proposed work on Buick Avenue and the upland review area.
Next steps: the applicant will provide the outstanding hydrology/hydraulic report and any additional details requested by the city engineer; the public hearing will provide an opportunity for neighbors and experts to comment before the agency takes a final action.
