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Stratford wetlands commission approves three-house plan on James Farm Road with conditions
Summary
The commission approved Calcar LLC’s application to build two new single‑family homes and renovate one existing house at 325/335 James Farm Road, finding minimal wetland impact and adding conditions for signage, tree protection and periodic stormwater system maintenance.
The Stratford Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission on Wednesday approved Calcar LLC’s application to construct two new single‑family homes and renovate an existing house at 325/335 James Farm Road, conditioning the permit on wetlands signage, tree protection and a maintenance schedule for stormwater treatment systems.
Attorney Barry Knott told the commission the proposal revives part of a previously approved eight‑lot subdivision from February 2022 and corrects lot numbering; the application covers three lots (renumbered as Lots 1–3) and seeks individual approvals for houses that were not part of the earlier infrastructure approval. Knott said the wetland is located in the far rear corner of the parcel and is about 0.11 acres, roughly 5,000 square feet, and that the homes are sited near the front setback ‘‘as far away from the wetlands as possible.’’
Engineer Manny Silva of Rose Tizzo (the project civil engineer) described erosion controls and a Coltec infiltration gallery system intended to capture the ‘‘first flush’’ of runoff. Silva said the systems are sized to meet Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection guidance for single‑family settings and are designed so water is collected, infiltrated and recharged to the groundwater rather than discharged directly to the wetland.
Commissioners questioned inspection and maintenance plans for the Coltec units and were told that inspection and maintenance schedules and reporting requirements will be written into the wetlands permit and enforced by staff. Kelly (staff) said failure to comply would begin with a staff notice of violation and could escalate to town attorney enforcement and monetary penalties if not corrected.
Chair John moved to approve the application; David Chess seconded the motion. The commission voted to approve the permit with explicit conditions requiring signage, tree protection along clearing limits and a maintenance schedule for the stormwater systems. The permit was approved at the meeting; staff will incorporate the conditions into the written approval and permit documents.
Next steps: the applicant may proceed with submissions to the planning commission where applicable, and the wetlands permit will include the inspection and maintenance requirements that staff described.
