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Sterling PZC approves earth excavation/quarry permit with environmental, operational conditions
Summary
The Sterling Planning & Zoning Commission approved a special permit for Charles Corson to excavate a quarry on Plainfield Pike, attaching conditions including CT DEEP stormwater permitting, a $50,000 erosion bond, hours-of-operation limits, restoration depth requirements, and required engineering cross sections.
The Sterling Planning & Zoning Commission approved a Special Permit for earth excavation submitted by Charles Corson for property on Plainfield Pike (Map 3830 Block 27 Lot 15). The approval, moved by Commissioner Stephen Thompson and seconded by Commissioner John Turban, passed unanimously 4–0 and includes numerous conditions intended to protect public infrastructure, water resources and neighborhood quality.
Key conditions require evidence of either a Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) industrial stormwater permit or a written DEEP determination that such a permit is not required; a Connecticut Department of Transportation encroachment permit and certification by the design engineer before excavation begins; and an erosion and sedimentation bond totaling $50,000 (comprised of $45,000 in an acceptable letter of credit or commercial surety and a $5,000 cash deposit).
The Commission also required that the on-site excavator be removed when quarrying is complete and that any leaked fluids be remediated; existing limits of disturbance and all stockpiles be shown on updated plans; cross sections with before-and-after elevations be submitted and reviewed by the Town’s engineer; and the proposed excavation volume be calculated and reported on the plan set. Operation hours were limited to Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; no operations are allowed Sundays or federally recognized holidays.
Additional conditions specify permitting steps for blasting (copies of permits to be provided to the Zoning Enforcement Officer and the Fire Marshal), corrections to plan signature blocks and final mylars, and site restoration standards that retain and spread at least four inches of topsoil/loam over an eight-inch subsoil layer across disturbed areas. The minutes further require that the current DEEP Natural Diversity Data Base (NDDP) mapping dated June 2025 be added to the plans and included with CT DEEP stormwater permit submissions.
The Commission’s action records the permit approval and the attached conditions; the minutes do not show further debate or recorded public comment at the Feb. 9 meeting. Administration and engineering review are explicit preconditions to on-site excavation.
