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Planning commission issues unfavorable recommendation on Oronoke Lane sewer extension
Summary
Because the application was not attested by the property owner and staff found no evidence of septic failures, the Planning Commission issued an unfavorable recommendation to the Water Pollution Control Authority for the Oronoke Lane sewer extension, citing fiscal, capacity and environmental concerns.
The Stratford Planning Commission on June 18 issued an unfavorable recommendation on an 8-24 referral from the Stratford Water Pollution Control Authority to extend public sewer service on Oronoke Lane.
Town Planner Sismitha Atada told commissioners the request was initiated by an engineer for one parcel but staff sent the entire corridor for review to avoid repeated individual hearings. Atada said the application lacks a property-owner signature attesting that the engineer could represent the owner, making the submission procedurally deficient.
Atada also said town records show 14 properties on the street served by septic systems and 10 private wells, with no recorded septic failures or health complaints. "The environmental, health supervisor, said there are 14 properties currently served by septic systems on the street and 10 served by private wells, and they haven't had any failures of systems on this street ever," Atada said.
Commissioners and staff discussed potential environmental constraints: Atada said developers had informally discussed higher-density proposals for 150 Oronoke and that the area contains endangered-species habitat that would require careful review. She cautioned that sewer work is costly (she referenced construction on the order of "a million" for roughly 750 feet), that the town must consider MS4 municipal stormwater permitting and capacity, and that the town’s sewage facility master plan is updated infrequently (the next update expected in 2031).
A motion to issue an unfavorable recommendation carried unanimously; the commission cited the lack of an owner-attested application and the need for clearer justification tying benefits to costs and environmental/capacity constraints.
What’s next: The Water Pollution Control Authority will receive the commission’s unfavorable recommendation; applicants may reapply if circumstances change or if they supply owner attestation and additional technical documentation.
