Attorney: two‑lot free split for Short Hills Road parcel approved; one abstention, one recusal

An Old Lyme Planning Commission majority voted to approve a two‑lot free split for a roughly 32‑acre parcel off Short Hills Road, after the applicant’s attorney said the proposal met zoning, wetland and health‑code requirements.

“For the record, my name is Harry Heller,” the applicant’s attorney told the commission, and described the plan as dividing the parcel into “Parcel A [about] 4.91 acres, and the remaining land is a 27 acre plus or minus parcel,” noting wetlands shown on both properties. Heller said a title search found no prior free split since adoption of the town’s subdivision regulations and that the LedgeLight Health District had indicated soils are suitable for on‑site septic systems.

Commissioners questioned whether a high groundwater table would require an engineered septic. Heller said where ledge is less than 60 inches or ground water is higher than 48 inches the system must be engineered and a protective well radius of 75 feet had been shown on the plan; he added that test pits demonstrate space for primary and secondary leaching areas.

A motion to approve the free‑split application passed after a roll call: the commission recorded one abstention and one recusal (the member who recused did not participate in the vote). No individual vote names were recorded in the transcript.

The commission’s approval is subject to completing the wetland and health district paperwork and to final recording of required documents. Attorney Heller said he would submit the July 1 plan into the record and work with staff to finalize compliance details.

The commission moved on to other agenda items after the vote.