Avon planning commission approves Avonwood Road housing project with strict road, excavation and parking conditions

The Planning and Zoning Commission of the Town of Avon on Oct. 14, 2025, unanimously approved a site-plan modification and a special exception for 64 Avonwood Road, allowing up to 250 new dwelling units and 156,450 cubic yards of earth removal under a package of conditions intended to protect road access and public health.

Hiram Peck, director of planning and community development, told the commission that the road agreement for Avonwood Road had been reviewed and approved by the town attorney and that Avonwood Road is privately owned by multiple parties. Peck recommended that all road work be completed before work begins on the subject site and that all conditions from the original Feb. 18, 2020 approval be retained and incorporated into the new approval.

Commissioner Robin Baran moved to approve Apps. #5070 and #5071, a motion seconded by Alternate Randal Bowers; the motion carried unanimously with votes from Baran, Bowers, Peter Mahoney (vice chair), Jamie DiPace, Christine Graesser, Christoper White, and Clay Stevenson.

The commission’s approval keeps the previously authorized total of 250 new dwelling units and increases the authorized earth removal from 89,615 cubic yards in the 2020 approval to 156,450 cubic yards after the underground parking component was removed from the current proposal. The applicant must submit estimated excavation phasing dates for staff review; if excavation has not started within one year of approval, the commission may require reapproval.

The approval includes several conditions intended to address safety and infrastructure impacts. No excavation or earth removal may occur until Avonwood Road is repaired and brought up to acceptable standards and is maintained for safe access and egress. The current applicant and any future owner are required to ensure continuous upkeep and maintenance of the private Avonwood Road during excavation and construction; if the road’s condition becomes unsafe, the applicant has agreed to bring it into satisfactory condition within 30 days or face town zoning enforcement or potential revocation of approval and permits.

The applicant must demonstrate compliance with all requirements of the town’s Building, Fire, Engineering and Planning departments, and the Farmington Valley Health District (FVHD). Staff said the applicant should notify the Planning Department of any FVHD decisions regarding stormwater management or an abandoned septic system tied to the site.

The commission set the total number of approved parking spaces at 461 and required that at least 10% of spaces be constructed as electric-vehicle charging-ready spaces. Architectural plans and detailed information about the number of bedrooms in apartments, duplexes and quads must be submitted to the Planning Department for review and comparison with the original plans before any building permits are issued.

Additional conditions include a requirement for an Affordable Housing Plan to be approved by the Planning Department prior to any Certificate of Occupancy, a fully executed road repair and maintenance agreement reviewed and approved by the town attorney, and installation of an emergency access connector to River Mead (and associated stone-wall work along the River Mead property line) no later than the application for the first building permit for new construction on the property.

The meeting closed without further staff updates; Peck reported he had nothing additional to report and the commission adjourned at 7:30 p.m.