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Commission accepts Farmington Motorsports expansion application; schedules technical review and site walk
Summary
The commission accepted an application to expand outdoor vehicle storage at 146 Brickyard Road, heard technical presentations on two wetlands and a multi-stage stormwater mitigation design, and agreed to a site walk and staff review prior to a future decision.
The Town of Farmington conservation commission accepted an application on Oct. 1 from Farmington Motorsports to expand outdoor vehicle storage at 146 Brickyard Road and scheduled further technical review and a site walk.
Alan Von Giovanni, a licensed land surveyor, said the 4-acre site is partially in a CR zone and now shows wetlands that were not identified in the 2018 approval. He said town drainage changes created an intermittent swale and a small depressional wetland on the parcel.
Owner Tim Fivert said the business uses the site for dry vehicle storage and does not leave leaking vehicles on the parcel. He said growth in inventory prompted the request for additional space.
Anthony (soil scientist with LandTech) described two resources: Wetland A, an intermittent watercourse that conveys stormwater off-site, and Wetland B, a small depressional/emergent wetland that appears seasonally flooded. He and the team conducted a vernal-pool season follow-up in March 2025 and did not find amphibian breeding congregations; their current assessment is that Wetland B is not functioning as a vernal pool but does provide sediment-collection and groundwater-discharge functions.
Engineer (Perugini of Weston & Sampson) described a proposed multi-stage stormwater approach: double catch basins with deep sumps, a 10-foot diameter water-quality manhole incorporating a SAFL baffle, an HDPE outlet with a debris hood/snout fitted with an absorbent "BioSkirt," a forebay, stone-lined plunge pool and infiltration basin sized to infiltrate 2- through 10-year storms with controlled overflow for larger events. The design aims to capture fine sediment and floatables and reduce rates and volumes entering wetlands.
Commissioners pressed the team on the status of existing erosion-control measures in areas where fill had been placed and asked about replanting or buffer plantings; the applicant said a planting/landscaping buffer plan is part of the application set and will be reviewed by planning and zoning for buffer compliance.
Staff (Bruce) said he will provide formal comments to the commission before the Nov. 5 meeting and proposed potential site-walk dates (Nov. 1 or 2). The commission agreed that a site walk would be appropriate and accepted the application for further review; staff left the existing cease-and-desist order in place until the application is fully processed and approved.
The commission emphasized that any approval would require the stormwater, planting and erosion-control measures as detailed in the engineering and wetland reports and that the town must confirm any sidewalk or buffer obligations during the review. The application will return to the commission for a decision after staff review and any required public hearing arrangements.
