Groton Open Space Association

Petitions Ask Public Planning Hearing On Four Winds

GROTON–Citizens presented petitions signed by 99 Groton residents asking that the Planning Commission hold a formal public hearing on the site plan of Mystic Active Adult LLC for a “residential life care community” called Four Winds at Mystic on 105 acres of the Watrous property.

The Office of Planning and Development Services (OPDS), a unit of town employees that is charged with providing impartial technical advice to the citizen-run Planning Commission, has said that a formal hearing isn’t necessary because the plan previously has been approved by the Zoning Commission. It will be up to the Planning Commission, rather than the OPDS, to decide whether to hold a public hearing.

Petitioners are hopeful that the Planning Commission will decide in favor of a hearing, given the high level of public interest in the Watrous property, which the Conservation Commission has recommended for town acquisition as open space. The petitions were presented at the Planning Commission’s meeting Aug. 10, 2004.

The public was given a chance to comment on the Four Winds site plan near the end of the meeting. GOSA notified the commission of GOSA’s formal intervenion in the proceeding on environmental grounds under the Connecticut General Statutes. GOSA also outlined reasons for delaying any decision. GOSA said that the commission should await results of an archaeological study of the site ordered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It also noted that the developer has appealed in Superior Court an Inland Wetlands Agency schedule of Four Winds road closings designed to protect migrating amphibians. Any commission decision should await the outcome of the developer’s suit against the town, GOSA argued.

The commission continued its deliberations to Sept. 14 after the developer agreed to an extension of the 65-day limit for a decision.