Somersville Planning Comm.

Minutes - Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2006

Town Hall Conference Room

1.  Call to Order:

David Reed, Chairman, called meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

 2.  Members Present:

David Reed, Pat Kennedy, Bob Lapadula, Ron Elliott, Jeff Foss, Everett Morrill, Karl Walton, and Ann Levesque.  First Selectman David Pinney was also present.

    Member Absent:  Barry Moynihan

 3.  Committee met with Design Engineer, Aris Stalis, from the BSC Group to review scope of the work for this project.

 4.  Mr. Stalis discussed steps needed to go through the process and to arrive at a final preliminary plan as follows: 

    a) First set up goals w/ holistic plan as an overview, including geographical area to be involved.

    b) Choose a Landscape Architect Planner (LAP) from those who come forward with their ideas and concepts.

    c)  Work w/ appointed LAP to come up with a conceptual plan, ideas and some guidelines to present to the community.

    d)  Call for a public hearing/workshop for presentation of preliminary plans and guidelines with assistance of LAP. Also, hear community input and initial ideas; create opportunities for public to contribute/help in certain areas of the development process.

    e)  Committee enters into further discussion with LAP to include public hearing issues and to develop a plan which would lead to the grant process.

    f)  After preliminary plan developed, provide one more public forum opportunity for discussion of the plan.

 5.  Other considerations discussed:

   a) Need to work with Zoning from the beginning of the development plan process to establish a zoning overlay / design guidelines to conform to new plan.

   b) Public needs to be behind this; takes time; produce pamphlet or tri-fold to get PR going in the community; talk it up to business community and residents; Somers Beautification Committee involvement in certain areas.

   c)  Plan can be implemented in phases.

   d)  Shaker/Maple/Main intersection for traffic, pedestrian, biking safety issues.

   e)  On street parking and bike path considerations

   f)  Geographic area to be considered

   g)  Locate or have available state and federal monies to tap into as well as other areas of funding.  

   6.  Decision made to define the geographical area as follows:  From Woods Stream on Main Street on the West end of Somersville through Shaker Road/Maple Street intersection up to the Hall Hill Road/School Street intersection at the East end of Somersville.  This will also include the 2 businesses on Hall Hill Road (Somersville Gardens and Parks Superior Sales ), the triangle comprising School Street, the Old Mill area, up to the Blacksmith Shoppe and Maple Street as it connects to the Main/Shaker Road intersection.

7.  Next meeting to be held on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.

 8.  Meeting adjourned by mutual consent at 8:45 p.m. 

Respectfully submitted,

Ann Levesque, Secretary

MINUTES ARE NOT OFFICIAL UNTIL APPROVAL AT A SUBSEQUENT MEETING.