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Danbury Environmental Impact Commission approves two project permits, tables Pembroke Road application
Summary
At a regular meeting, the Danbury Environmental Impact Commission approved a single-family lot at 145 Middle River Road and granted administrative approval for an automotive sales/service facility at Myrie Brook Road, while tabling a nine-unit Pembroke Road application until staff completes a report.
Danbury’s Environmental Impact Commission on a regular meeting reviewed three land-use matters and recorded several votes.
The commission tabled a continued application for properties at 1 and 3 Pembroke Road after the applicant, Benjamin Dodo, presented revised plans and materials submitted the morning of the meeting. Dodo said the revisions add trees, reduce lawn area, convert a northern depression into a rain garden, include a protocol for invasive-species removal and provide demolition and septic-abandonment records. He told the commission the project team will remove large ledge rock and “haul it off-site” rather than crush or process rock on the property. Dodo also cited drainage calculations, saying, “there’s about 41,000 cubic feet of storage there, and to about the spillway, there’s about 25,000 cubic feet.”
The chair said staff had not yet produced a written review of the revised submission and the commission voted to table the application for a staff report. Commissioner Christina Britton moved to table the regulated activity for staff review; the motion was seconded and carried.
The commission accepted regulated activity 12:16 for 145 Middle River Road, a proposal for a single-family dwelling with associated driveway, septic and well. The applicant’s engineer, Russ Postau of CCA LLC, said the driveway was moved away from the property line and the wetland crossing was adjusted. Staff reviewer Larry Deaton told the commission the driveway was shifted roughly 50 feet to avoid a potential vernal pool and that the wetland crossing will use twin 18-inch pipes in a narrowed portion of the wetlands. Deaton said the project meets required setback requirements, that a construction limit line was added, and recommended approval with the conditions listed in the staff report. Commissioner Christina Britton moved to accept the staff recommendation with the listed conditions; the motion carried.
The commission also approved administrative acceptance of application 12:18, an automotive sales, service and collision facility at Myrie Brook Road (Bridal Deedel Realty LLC). Larry Deaton recommended administrative approval, noting the wetlands impact is outside the regulated area, and the commission voted to accept staff’s administrative recommendation with five conditions as listed in the staff memo.
The commission addressed an enforcement matter concerning a cease-and-desist on Hallis Barnum Road and voted to table that item as well. The meeting closed with no further business; the commission’s next regularly scheduled meeting was announced as 07/24/2024.
Votes at a glance
- Acceptance of minutes (06/26/2024): motion to accept carried. - Regulated activity 12:15 (1 & 3 Pembroke Road): tabled for staff report (motion carried). - Regulated activity 12:16 (145 Middle River Road): accepted with conditions (motion carried). - Regulated activity 12:18 (Myrie Brook Road, administrative approval): accepted with five conditions (motion carried). - Cease-and-desist Hallis Barnum Road: tabled (motion carried).
The commission recorded neighbor correspondence on 145 Middle River Road (an email dated July 2 from Kelly and Nelson Mingachos of 4 Varian Drive) and placed submitted materials into the record for staff review.
