Wetlands commission approves 7 Airport Road expansion with mitigation and town-reviewed erosion-control bond

The East Granby Wetlands Commission voted to approve a site-plan modification for an expansion at 7 Airport Road, adopting the town engineer’s recommendations dated May 29, 2026, and adding a condition that the applicant post an erosion-and-settlement-control (ENS) bond to guarantee completion of required wetland mitigation and stabilization.

The applicant, identified in the meeting as an owner/partner of the business on the site, described the business as a fiber-optic cable manufacturer and said the expansion would increase the facility’s capacity roughly fivefold. The applicant said the wetland area affected lies largely within a previously disturbed utility right-of-way and that the project team proposes compensatory mitigation at about a 5.5-to-1 ratio. “They actually make fiber optic cables. The only thing I can compare it to is a fishing line,” the applicant said, describing the firm's operations.

A staff overview explained the technical findings the commission relied on: the proposal adds roughly a 30,000-square-foot building addition, identified limited wetland disturbance concentrated in previously disturbed soils, described a 3-acre upland review area, and reported no endangered species observations. Staff said a registered soil scientist delineated the wetlands and that mitigation will include wetland plantings, rain gardens and stormwater detention basins to offset impacts.

Commission discussion focused on site-specific engineering comments and guarantees the town can use if the project stops mid-construction. Staff recommended adding standard town engineering conditions plus an ENS bond and noted the applicant provided a bond estimate that the town engineer will review before an amount is specified. Staff also described targeted stormwater measures for smaller events, including the proposed use of a stone trench (roughly 3 feet wide by 3 feet deep and about 150 feet long) to capture initial roof runoff and promote infiltration for short-duration storms.

A motion to approve the application as conditioned was made and seconded; the motion carried. Jennifer Frank (voting via Zoom) recorded her affirmative vote during the roll call.

With the approval the commission forwarded the site-plan modification to Planning and Zoning; the approval is conditioned on the town engineer’s final review of the ENS bond amount and incorporation of site-specific engineering conditions into the plan.