Ansonia and Seymour residents are concerned that a 23-home subdivision on Castle Lane would drain water out of resident wells, create traffic problems on Old Ansonia Road and add unnecessary houses to a neighborhood that has a handful of vacant homes already.
About 50 people packed the Ansonia City Hall meeting room Monday night for a public hearing on the proposed subdivision of a 14-acre parcel between Gardners Lane, Castle Lane and North Prospect Street Extension.
The property is in Ansonia, near the Seymour border, and the homes would have access through Castle Lane in Seymour.
Developer Mark Romano wants to subdivide the land so he can build 23 single-family homes there.
The major concern from neighbors is the water: Surrounding homes use wells, and have existing problems getting enough water.
Residents want Romano to hook the new homes up to city water. He has proposed installing wells at the sites.
Several Ansonia residents — like James Nickle, who lives on North Prospect Street Extension — expressed concerns about wells.
Nickle said he has recently had to fix his well on his property. He worries the 23 new homes will drain the well, and require more repairs.
“Will the burden be on us to fix it?” Nickle asked.
Seymour residents from Old Ansonia Road expressed concerns about traffic in Seymour and about the width of Castle Lane.
Some residents said they were concerned about building new homes when there are so many foreclosed homes sitting empty.
Michael Egan expressed concerns about the tax rate going up to accommodate city services for the new families. He called for a moratorium on building new homes.
“This is also a city taxpayer problem,” Egan said. “Every citizen should be irate about this.”
The Planning and Zoning Commission expected to continue the public hearing until its meeting on Monday, Sept. 26.
The proposal has already passed Inland Wetlands and the Water Pollution Control Authority.
Bryan Nesteriak, an engineer for the project, said the developer has made some changes to the plan in response to concerns from the Planning and Zoning commission and fire marshal.
For example, the plans now call for a 30,000 gallon fire tank to store water in case of a fire on the site.
Nesteriak said the plans call for well water at the homes because the Regional Water Authority indicated it would not be able to provide water to the site, which sits on a hill.
The Regional Water Authority said “not only that they can’t supply enough water, but that they grossly can’t supply enough water,” Nesteriak said.
In the late 1980s, a similar proposal for 24 homes at the site was before the Planning and Zoning Commission. During that time, the Ansonia Water Co. had submitted a letter to the city saying it was able to provide the proposed homes with city water.
Nesteriak said he couldn’t speak to that letter, and wasn’t aware what changes had occurred during the last 20 years to change the city water feasibility.
