
A screen shot from the Zoom meeting showing what the townhouses could look like.
DERBY — A developer is floating plans for either 107 townhouse units or 47 duplexes in an area in west Derby known as ​“Telescope Mountain.”
The undeveloped area, some 18 acres, is accessible from Summit Street, a very steep hill.
At least two prior development applications, including a proposal from the water company to put a water storage tower there, were met with strong opposition from people living in the densely-populated neighborhoods around the property.
During a Derby Planning & Zoning Commission meeting held online Tuesday (Nov. 17), land-use attorney Dominick Thomas (representing Summit Hill LLC) talked about two possible options for development:
- Building 47 duplex (two-family) structures on the property, using Summit Street for access (an unpopular aspect of prior proposals). This scenario would require substantial leveling at the top of “Telescope Mountain.”
- Building a 107 townhouse complex that would use Coon Hollow Road for access and preserve the top of the hill. This option would leave Summit Street as an emergency access to the development.
The townhouses would require the Derby Planning and Zoning Commission to either change the property’s zoning or modifying the zoning language to give the developer more flexibility. Thomas talked about using a planned development district, a planning tool often used for projects in Shelton.
Click this link to look at the drawings submitted by the applicant.
Tuesday’s meeting was considered “informal” by the commission. A formal site plan application has not been submitted. Instead, the meeting was viewed by the commission as a way for the applicant to get a sense on whether the proposal has a chance of moving forward.
Walt Mayhew, the Derby City Treasurer, was the only member of the public to speak on the concepts. He said previously high density is an issue in Derby, and questioned whether the city should alter its land-use rules to possibly benefit a developer. Mayhew also wanted specific bedroom counts and other information the applicants did not provide during Tuesday’s meeting.
In an email after the meeting, Mayhew questioned the potential use of the planned development mechanism.
“It’s a bad idea and the commission should reject it. We do not need this type of development in our city which is already in the top 20 in population density in the state ahead of some major cities,” Mayhew said.
The members of the commission asked for more information on proposals that would not require the city to change or alter its zoning regulations. Thomas and the property owners were asked to attend the next P&Z meeting, scheduled for December.
State records show the principal of Summit Hill LLC is John J. Brennan Construction Co. Inc. out of Shelton.