Tolland Village Area Hearing Tonight

Residents will have another chance to comment on the proposed Tolland Village Area plan at a meeting tonight at the town hall.

The Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. for people to offer their opinions on a proposed amendment to the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development to include information about the controversial proposal.

The meeting will be held in the council chambers at the Hicks Memorial Municipal Center.

Earlier this month after hearing from a traffic expert who worked on the proposal, along with the planning consultants Planimetrics, four members of the Town Council endorsed the amendment saying that, in general, the proposal includes several elements that would “move the area in a positive direction,” according to member Jack Flynn. Three members did not attend the May 10th meeting.

Those elements include proposals such as open space, bicycles paths, and various economic development suggestions.

Council Vice Chairwoman MaryAnn Delaney Tuttle said the challenge will be when a developer presents a proposal for implementation. Delaney Tuttle remained skeptical of a suggestion to create a connector road between Route 195 near the commuter lot to Cider Mill Road, and said she is worried about how dense the housing could be in the area.

Flynn said he likes the idea of a mixed residential and commercial development in that area, but agreed with some of Delaney Tuttle’s concerns.

Town Council Chairman Frederick Daniels said the document provides “a framework for a developer to come in and know what the town expects to see.”

With this the council send a positive recommendation, with one suggestion, to the planning commission for it to consider tonight during its own deliberation. The suggestion included added the words “nodes of activity without creating public safety issues” to a bullet point regarding maximum density levels.