Decision on Newtown Road bank and fast-food site delayed as commission seeks traffic memo

The Danbury Planning Commission continued its public hearing on Feb. 19 for a site plan and special-exception application at 55 Newtown Road after commissioners asked the applicant for a written response on traffic-circulation concerns raised by the city traffic engineer.

Attorney Tom Beecher, representing 55 Newtown Road, LLC, said the project includes a bank (with ATM and two drive-through teller lanes) and a fast-food restaurant with a drive-through and that several departmental comments have been incorporated into revised plans. Beecher said the bank is expected to generate roughly 466 daily trips by the trip-generation table and that the applicant’s traffic engineer concluded the project will have a "negligible overall impact" on the surrounding intersections.

At issue was a staff recommendation to change the bank’s internal flow to a full one-way pattern to limit some turning movements onto Newtown Road. Beecher and project engineer Benjamin Dodo opposed a full one-way pattern at the bank entrance, arguing it would force customers to exit and re-enter the site for routine bank business and that an internal two-way option better serves bank customers who may need to go inside after using the ATM or drive-through.

To reduce conflicts the applicant said it added traffic-calming measures (a painted center median), a "do not block" box at the shared west driveway, additional direction and "no through traffic" signage, a contiguous pedestrian connection between shopping centers and clarified retaining-wall cross sections. The team also modeled trip distribution and said in a conservative scenario the bank accounts for about 36% of peak-site trips; the fast-food element produces higher drive-through numbers in peak hours.

Commission Chair Arnold DiFenaldi Jr. asked the applicant to summarize their traffic rationale in writing in response to the city traffic-engineer memo so staff and commissioners can review the circulation tradeoffs. The commission voted to continue the matter to the March 5 meeting to allow the city traffic engineer to comment and for the applicant to submit the requested memo and any final traffic revisions.

Representative quotes: "The bank will generate just 466 trips per day," Attorney Tom Beecher said, citing the trip-generation table used for the application. "We added a lot more signage… 'no through traffic' and 'employee parking only'," engineer Benjamin Dodo said, describing plan revisions meant to reduce unwanted cut-through traffic. "I'd like to see it in writing," Chair DiFenaldi said when requesting a succinct written response to the city's traffic memo.

Ending: The commission continued the Newtown Road hearing to March 5, 2025, and asked the applicant to provide a written memo addressing the city traffic engineer's recommendations and final traffic drawings for staff review.