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Old Saybrook commission approves town garage additions with limited wetland impacts
Summary
The Old Saybrook Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Commission approved a town garage expansion at 499 Middlesex Turnpike that adds 1,710 sq ft of impervious surface, with commissioners and the town engineer noting existing stormwater controls and no changes to septic systems.
The Old Saybrook Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Commission on June 18 approved the town’s application to expand its public works garage at 499 Middlesex Turnpike, a project officials said will add 1,710 square feet of impervious surface but keep most runoff directed to existing paved areas and storm controls.
Mike, a licensed professional engineer and land surveyor with Summer Hill Civil Engineers, presented the plans and told the commission, “we are adding 1710 square ft of additional impervious area,” explaining that the increase includes six new parking spaces and an outdoor kennel/run area that will be closer to the wetland boundary than before. He said most of the additions are either on top of existing pavement or where pavement exists today.
Commissioners pressed several technical points, and Mike said the site will continue to use existing oil/water separation and holding-tank systems for floor-drain effluent; there are no proposed septic changes and the fueling station will remain in place. He also said the town’s consulting engineer is pursuing separate improvements to an off-site stormwater area, but those improvements were not folded into this application.
The commission discussed drainage paths — some new parking drains into the site’s pavement/storm area, while surface runoff in a roadside shoulder currently pools before moving away from Middlesex Turnpike — and asked that the applicant ensure construction practices prevent spills and protect the nearby wetland. Commissioners noted that public works garages are covered under the Connecticut general permit for industrial stormwater and that a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) and appropriate storage and handling practices will be required.
After discussion, the commission voted to approve the application as submitted, subject to the commission’s usual terms and conditions; the approval was recorded by voice vote with no opposition noted.
What happens next: the town will proceed with permitting and construction consistent with the approved plans and any standard conditions the commission attached. The commission and staff flagged that the town engineer’s separate stormwater improvements may appear in a future submission but are not conditions of this approval.
