Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves Woods Way zone change and site modification; developer to buy narrow strip for buffers and first-floor options
Summary
Shelton P&Z approved a zone change (R-2 to R-3) and a modification to an approved special exception allowing Woods Way LLC to add 14,564 sq ft to its development to permit larger first-floor master bedrooms on eight homes; developer plans to buy 30-foot strips from adjacent owners and add landscaping buffers.
The Shelton Planning and Zoning Commission approved two related Woods Way applications Feb. 11: a zone change (Application 26-03) to reclassify small strips of property from R-2 to R-3 and a modification (Application 26-04) to add about 14,564 square feet to an approved DRD development.
Attorney Dominic Thomas said the change does not alter the approved density (20 single-family cluster homes) but adds narrow strips (roughly 30 feet wide) behind several lots to provide additional backyard area and allow eight of the previously approved homes to expand their footprints to accommodate larger first-floor master-bedroom layouts. Thomas emphasized a contract provision that limits the added strips to lawn and landscaping; no new structures are permitted in the acquired strips.
Builder AJ Grasso explained the rationale: adding the strips increases usable yard area, allows some homes to offer single-floor living options attractive to older buyers, and lets the developer place evergreen buffers (arborvitae) and a 20-foot permanent buffer to improve privacy and sightlines for neighbors. Grasso said the planting plan and lighting plan demonstrate compliance with setback and lighting requirements.
Commissioners asked about exact footing/footprint changes and setbacks; the applicant showed that while the back-of-house distance may change by about 10–12 feet for some lots, the side-to-side footprint remains consistent. No members of the public spoke. The commission set an effective date of Feb. 27, 2026 for the zone change and approved both applications by roll call vote.
