Hartford planning panel approves three‑lot subdivision at Old River Road with wetland condition

The Hartford Planning Commission voted to approve application 26-21, a proposal to subdivide a 28-acre parcel at 3158 Old River Road into three lots, with a condition requiring confirmation from the state wetland specialist about a culvert on an abandoned portion of the old road.

Engineer John Harrington, who identified himself as the project engineer, told the commission the plan retains an existing three-bedroom dwelling with an accessory unit on one lot, replaces a mobile home on a second lot with a new single-family house, and locates a drilled well and a new leach field for the third lot. Harrington said wetlands on the property were delineated and that mitigation measures include plantings and buffer areas to reduce impacts.

Commissioners probed the design of a proposed boulder/retaining wall and steep slopes, questioning drawings that showed a labeled "one-to-one" slope but included plan views “not to scale.” Harrington said the detailed wall and drainage sections show the one-to-one design, and described a swale and driveway grading intended to intercept runoff and direct it away from the house site.

Surveyor Larry Swanson told the panel he had located several 24-inch corrugated metal pipes (CMPs) and associated concrete structures that appear to carry drainage from the nearby interstate across the property; easement descriptions in the deed records are generic, he said, so the exact widths are not specified in the record.

Commissioners asked whether construction will protect delineated wetlands. The applicants and their consultants said the state wetland permit will require flagged limits and protective measures (flagging/orange tape, split-rail or temporary fencing) to keep construction staging and surplus material clear of wetlands.

Before approving the subdivision, the commission added a requirement that the applicant obtain a statement from the state wetland specialist confirming whether the culvert on the abandoned road should remain or may be removed, and that the report be provided to planning staff. The motion to approve with that condition was seconded and passed.

The commission closed the public hearing on the application and directed staff to issue the decision and next-step instructions to the applicant.