Commission accepts single-family home plans for 357 West Pearl Road as not a significant wetlands activity

The Torrington Inland Wetlands Commission on June 16 accepted an application from project manager Megan Miller of Civil1 for grading and construction of a footing drain within the Upland Review Area at 357 West Pearl Road and determined the proposal is not a significant activity requiring a public hearing.

Miller said the proposed single-family home would be sited on the highest portion of the 1.44-acre lot to minimize impacts; the home footprint is roughly 1,560 square feet with an attached garage, and the proposed limit of disturbance is about 4,800 square feet in the Upland Review Area. She said erosion-control measures — silt fence, a construction entrance and a stockpile area — are shown on the plans and that an underground stormwater detention system and an infiltration trench at the driveway will manage stormwater runoff.

Staff reviewed the submittal and said the plan meets the standards for an administrative determination of non-significance; commissioners voted to accept the application and to treat it as not significant. As a condition, staff noted the need to add signposting of wetland-related activities in the construction sequence; the applicant agreed to revise the construction sequence to include wetland staking and signage.

Miller told the commission the house would be about 77.7 feet from the wetland and that no work is proposed inside the wetland itself. The commission’s acceptance allows the applicant to proceed with final engineering and permitting consistent with the conditions and to coordinate remaining details with staff.