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Wolcott commission continues hearing on proposed townwide rules for common mailboxes and bus‑shelter structures
Summary
The Wolcott Planning & Zoning Commission continued a public hearing on a townwide text amendment prompted by a proposed development at 210 Munson Road. Commissioners debated design standards, unit thresholds, setbacks and maintenance before tabling the item to allow legal review and input from absent members.
Chairman Angelo Mastrofrancesco opened a public hearing on June 3 on a text amendment proposed by RLP Associates that would authorize common mailbox and bus‑shelter‑style structures across Wolcott. Attorney Peter Olson, representing RLP Associates and developers Lou Mazzeo Jr. and Ron Gambino II, summarized the petition and handed out application materials to commission members.
Olson said the structures were intended to be owned by the property owner or, in multiunit developments, by an association responsible for upkeep, and he proposed that applicants submit architectural plans for review. "In their case, the structure would be setback much further," Olson said of the developers' Munson Road proposal, while acknowledging the text amendment would apply townwide and not just to that parcel.
Commission members pressed for clearer limits. Chairman Mastrofrancesco asked about construction standards, whether a structure would be enclosed and how setback and sight‑line concerns would be addressed if a structure were allowed close to the road. Commissioner Daniel LaMontagne said he was concerned that permitting such structures on residential parcels with multiple dwelling units could allow relatively large buildings to sit on the street line in residential zones.
Certified Zoning Enforcement Officer David Kalinowski and the applicant discussed several drafting options to narrow applicability and reduce potential impacts: raise the project size threshold so the rule applies only to larger multiunit developments (applicants discussed increasing the trigger from two to ten units), permit enclosure on no more than three sides, require a minimum setback (applicants and staff discussed a move from 10 feet to about 25 feet from any street/property line), require submission of architectural plans for commission or staff review, and limit applicability on residential parcels to lots of at least five acres.
No members of the public spoke during the hearing. Chairman Mastrofrancesco kept the public hearing open and continued it to the commission's June 17 meeting so absent commissioners can review the tape and the Town Attorney can review proposed language and advise on enforceability and legal constraints. The commission subsequently voted to table formal action on application 260238 until that meeting.
Background and next steps: The text amendment would be townwide if adopted; the commission asked staff and the applicant to refine draft language that clarifies unit thresholds, setback distances, allowable enclosure, and required plan submittals before resuming the hearing on June 17.
