Tuesday, September 24, 2013

East Street Subdivision At Planning And Zoning

The Planning and Zoning Commission will Wednesday consider a 4 lot subdivision on East Street, across from the intersection of Miner and the Westfield Fire Department. The application was submitted by Pattagansett Holdings, LLC, of Durham.

The Planning Department has posted some of the documents regarding the application:
Existing site plan
Subdivision map
Staff comments
The staff comments include the following:
The developer applied for a demolition permit through the Building Department and demolished the house that was built in 1850.
The developer has proposed sidewalks on East Street and they connect to the large development to the north which [sic] is desirable. East Street is a state highway and they will need State approval to construct the walks.
The parcel of land is extremely flat and there have been issues with the ponding of water on the parcels to the south. The applicant should explain the amount of increase in impervious surface and where it [sic] will be directed.
Planning and Zoning meets at 7PM in Council Chambers, on Wednesday, September 25th. There will be a public hearing on this application.
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Author's Disclaimer: I am providing information about P&Z meetings, as I have done since 2008, on a volunteer basis for The Eye. I am now a candidate for the Planning and Zoning Commission, and I will continue to cover P&Z until the election in November, because my motivation as a volunteer and one of my goals as a candidate is to increase community understanding of and involvement in land use decisions. The Eye welcomes coverage of P&Z (and other municipal meetings) by any correspondent, including all candidates for office; I would be thrilled to divest myself of The Middletown Eye's P&Z "beat". 

7 comments:

Tree Fanatic said...

I was stunned to see that 1850 house demolished. Do we really just tear down historic houses with no review now? (The other possibility is that I missed some signs....)

Anonymous said...

That house was termite infested and a dangerous to walk into.

Middletown Eye (Ed McKeon) said...

Demolition can only be prevented if an agency complains. The demolition was likely posted, but since we no longer have a Historic Preservation Commission, there would have had to have been a public outcry. What a misfortune. Time to revive the Historic Preservation Commission.

Ed McKeom said...

Oh yeah, the uninhabitable, unredeemable, termite-infested, dangerous. I live in one of those houses, and it's holding up fine.

Developers often talk about what bad shape an old house is in to have an excuse to demolish.

Molly Salafia said...

The house was brought up at Historic Preservation & Design review. The historic preservation society looked into it as well. It is correct to say at that time there was no available source willinng to sponsor salvage. Miciel Wackers can probably elaborate more.

Ed McKeon said...

As far as I know, the Historic Preservation Commission no longer meets. I don't know who in that body could have represented the body, or the building.

Molly Salafia said...

Bruce Plumley