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Commission approves floodplain permit for Worcester School bridge after third‑party review
Summary
After peer review by Tate and Howard and coordination with city engineering, the Planning Commission approved a permit for Worcester School to replace its private egress bridge over Myra Brook, imposing written certification by the applicant's engineer and requiring a revised permit for any plan changes.
The Danbury Planning Commission on June 17 approved a floodplain permit allowing Worcester School Corp. to replace its private easterly (egress) bridge at 91 Meyerbrook Road, concluding staff and an independent peer reviewer found no significant impact to nearby infrastructure or Myra Brook.
Deputy Planning Director Jennifer Grama told commissioners the school had been in discussions with staff for about a year and that the project involves reconstructing an aging private bridge. "We hired Tate and Howard," Grama said, describing a third‑party peer review of hydrologic and hydraulic analyses; Tate and Howard "concurred with their approach" and found no impacts to the city's Backus Avenue bridge or to nearby water and sewer mains.
Staff said the channel work would move approximately 20 cubic yards of fill (about one dump truck) and emphasized the bridge and work are on private property, not within the city right of way. To manage risk, staff added two conditions: the applicant's engineer must certify in writing that the bridge was constructed pursuant to the approved plans, and any modification to those plans requires a revised floodplain permit.
Commission members pressed staff on construction sequencing and stream flows. Grama said contractors typically use temporary structures to hold water back during abutment work rather than permanently diverting the stream, and that the school would coordinate with public utilities and the city's environmental compliance officer. She noted construction must be timed so the bridge is open before school resumes after Labor Day.
Commission member Helen moved to approve the application "subject to the administrative requirements specified in the resolution document;" the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The chair announced the floodplain permit was approved. The transcript records a voice vote; individual roll‑call votes were not recorded.
Why it matters: work affects an aging school bridge and nearby public utilities in a floodplain. The third‑party review and city engineering concurrence informed the commission's decision and the post‑construction certification requirement creates a documented compliance step.
Next steps: The applicant must submit the engineer's certification upon completion and seek a revised permit if any changes are made to the approved plans.
