Even though the Planning Commission chairman and the administrator of Planning and Zoning on July 15 both requested more information about the work that the town is conducting at its property between Connors Lane and Bunnell High School, earth continued to be moved to make a sports playing field there in the days following the planners’ requests.
Town attorney Tim Bishop had advised the mayor’s office earlier and he explained to The Star on July 17 that a formal Planning Commission review of the town’s plan to change the use of the property from undesignated open space to a soccer field is not needed, because the work does not legally constitute “substantial improvement.”
There are no plans for bleachers, irrigation, lighting or other permanent structure at the land, which is part of the eight-acre property that the town acquired for $1.25 million in 2002 from the Pirhala family. Those types of improvements would require land-use board approvals, Bishop said.
Regrading and providing dirt to expand the size of a field for sports play is not legally a “substantial improvement,” according to Town Attorney Tim Bishop. Greg Reilly photo.
The deed for the property includes no restrictions on the use of the property, and Bishop said that the Town Council has not made an ordinance restricting the use of the property.
P&Z Administrator Gary Lorentson requested a report from the recreation department about the supply and demand for athletic field space in Stratford, and he asked for a report on how the proposed driveway change would affect traffic.
Planning Chairman Chris Silhavey told The Star on July 17, “We did not ask them to stop site work. The commission will still review the information we requested at the meeting and forward any recommendations to the town as soon as is possible.”
Director of the Department of Public Works, Maurice McCarthy, said that he believes that all the information that the Planning and Zoning needed was contained in a one-page memorandum that he addressed to the Planning Commission on June 26.
In his memo McCarthy mentions removing trees and a fence, leveling land, improving drainage, relocating and widening a driveway known as Weaver Drive that runs between Connors Lane and Bunnell parking lots, and installing a sidewalk along the driveway.
McCarthy said that the only aspect of that work being done that requires approval by a town land-use board is the widening of the Weaver Drive driveway, since it affects an area of wetlands. He said that the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission approved the driveway plan on July 16.
McCarthy expects the driveway work to begin in the next couple of weeks, which would be before the next Planning Commission meeting.
Other use of the former Pirhala property
About half of the town’s eight-acre “Pirhala” property is south of Connors Lane, and much of that is used for community gardens and farming. It is managed under the name The Farm at Stratford — a local sustainability project of Soundkeeper, Inc. in coalition with the Town of Stratford.
A study committee in 2008 recommended that the space acquired from Pirhala be used for various community and education farming uses, and it mentioned that the portion north of Connors lane could possibly be used for and athletics field.
Board of Education Chairman Andrea Veilleux said that there is currently no curriculum program in effect that uses the community garden, but she expects future discussions to explore ideas.
There is a Learning Garden program that is ongoing at the community garden section of the property under the direction of Nancy Zycheck, a special education teacher at Stratford High School. This program is a club activity and not a part of the academic curriculum, according to Board of Education Chief Operating Officer Clarence Zachery. The program uses about 160 sq. ft. of land for study of “comparative planting” and the effectiveness of natural pesticides, according to Jason Garnett who manages The Farm at Stratford.
There is room available in the farm section on the south side of Connors Lane for growing plants in case a school or the Board of Education requests space for academic curriculum purposes, Garnett said.
Although there appears to be no negative effect on education of the town dedicating the open space next to Bunnell as athletic playing field space, Zachery said, “The work on the north side (of Connors Lane) came as a surprise” to the schools central office.
The town scraped the top of a field and moved that soil where it would be used as fill on July 17 to expand the field for sports. Greg Reilly photo.