Developers revise Farmington River-edge plan; commission asks for sidewalk, driveway and façade details

Developers for National Land Holdings and affiliate Crown Equities presented revised site plans and elevations Tuesday to the Advisory Design Review Committee in Farmington, saying they removed a central road on Lot C and added a green corridor toward the river.

"The primary change with respect to the site plan is the green corridor that you recommended down the uh towards the river," said Jack Brandt, the team's designer, describing added parallel parking and a continuous walking trail along the river. Robert Ree, counsel for the applicant, said the team had posted updated renderings and plans for the public and staff review.

Committee members focused on pedestrian access and dimensional clarity. Commissioners asked whether sidewalks shown in renderings match the site plan and pressed the team to show access points to the trail. One member asked for "view places along the sidewalk where when you're out at 4 in the morning walking your dog, you can stop and take a peek," and the applicants identified trail access near the roundabout, the kayak launch and the pond.

The body also scrutinized parking and driveway geometry. Commissioners flagged short driveway depths in draft sketches and said they wanted a minimum that permits a parked car without blocking the sidewalk; one member suggested a 25-foot drive length from face of garage to back of sidewalk, while others discussed 20–25 feet as a working range. The applicant indicated a 25-foot front-yard setback in plans, which the team said would allow 18–20 feet of driveway in front of a garage in many models.

Architectural details dominated much of the discussion. On Lot A elevations the committee recommended double-hung windows with simulated divided lights rather than casements, moving dormers to the street-facing side, and wrapping brick on full end walls when brick is used on the façade rather than limiting brick to the front. Commissioners asked applicants to show stepped facades or relief on long walls and to verify garage door clearances so an opener and ceiling space will fit inside the drawn proportions.

The group reviewed townhome (Lot B) plans showing a mix of two-bedroom smaller units and larger three-bedroom units, townhouse groupings, a central playground and a clubhouse. Commissioners said renderings showed more green than the site plan and asked the team to reconcile landscaping and sidewalk widths with accurate scaled site drawings.

Applicants confirmed the overall development would be a common-interest community with shared green space and HOA-maintained landscaping. On fences, the committee favored see-through, lower-height fencing (roughly 3½ to 4 feet maximum) and opposed six-foot solid privacy fences in the core open-area zones to preserve river views and common-area aesthetics.

The applicant requested ADRC’s advisory recommendation after incorporating the committee’s feedback. Staff clarified ADRC is advisory only and that comments will be formalized in meeting minutes and forwarded to the Town Plan and Zoning (TPZ) commission when the project advances.

Next steps: the applicant will provide clarified dimensional plans, labeled building numbers and updated scaled site plans that show sidewalks, driveway dimensions and where brick is to be wrapped. ADRC will formalize its comments for forwarding to TPZ; no formal vote on the project was taken at the meeting.