Development Planned Near Fairfield U. Upsets Neighbors

A longtime Fairfield family's plan to build four more houses on 2 acres on North Benson Road is causing an uproar among their neighbors who are worried about increased flooding and traffic and the possibility of college students renting the homes.

"I'm sort of outraged by this proposal," said Bill Gerber of Shady Hill Road during a public hearing Tuesday night in McKinley School. "This is probably the most selfish proposal I've seen in Fairfield. Building seven homes on a 30-foot pitch where there are three now, this is just absolutely crazy."

Gerber wasn't convinced a stormwater management system planned for the development, to be built on land that slopes steeply to the east, would prevent more flooding in nearby yards and basements. "Eventually, [it's] going to fail, and people's homes are going to be ruined," he said.

Gerber was one of about two dozen residents who turned out to oppose Marc Papini's plan to demolish one of three houses now on the 2 acres at 1610-1654 North Benson Road and build five houses, for a total of seven. Two driveways on North Benson Road would be replaced by a new road, just south of Hanford Drive, that connects houses in the development to North Benson Road. The houses would be built behind three existing houses fronting on North Benson Road.

Walter Jobst, an engineer hired by Papini, said stormwater would be stored in an underground chamber on each lot and gradually released into the ground. He said a storm drainage pipe would be built from the development to a catch basin on North Benson Road, and berms to the rear of the property also would control the flow of stormwater.

"We have reduced the amount of runoff so there will be negative impact on runoff from this site," James Miller, Papini's attorney, told the Town Plan and Zoning Commission.

But Jobst's description of the stormwater management system didn't alleviate concerns of Papini's neighbors, who described their own problems with flooding and questioned what would happen if the stormwater management system didn't work.

Robert Duncan of Larkspur Road said the neighborhood had an underground spring and most of a hill there was ledge. Stormwater from the development, Duncan said, would raise the water table and "create more water than we have."

"It's going to create nothing but havoc on all these homes down here," he said.

Doreen Caruso of Nutmeg Lane said, "We're going to get the brunt of the water that's coming. I'm quite concerned about what this is going to do with my property."

Jeff Ruggiero of Nutmeg Lane questioned what protection neighbors had if elements in the stormwater managment system didn't work. "Who's maintaining these and what happens when they fail, if they do fail?" he asked.

Miller said Papini's proposed development complies with town zoning regulations and had been reviewed by town departments. "Every suggestion that was made by the town Engineering Department, or any other department for that matter, was incorporated into the plans," Miller said. "We are going to reduce the existing water runoff that occurs on this site today...What we're doing here is taking a site and improving this issue."

Several residents were concerned about blasting, but Jobst said borings hadn't been done to determine if blasting was needed. The storm drainage pipe would be buried in the ground, Jobst said.

Michael Galante, Papini's traffic analyst, said 1,150 cars travel on North Benson Road in the peak morning and afternoon hour and the development would add only four cars to that volume. "It's generating about a trip per unit," he said. "Four trips to 1,150 vehicles really is an insignificant increase in traffic and an insignificant increase in delay."

Galante said the development would eliminate two driveways on North Benson Road and create a new intersection just south of Hanford Drive, where the proposed road and North Benson Road would meet. He said the "sight line" from the new intersection meets the 500-foot criteria for traffic traveling at 45 mph.

But William Hanford of Black Rock Turnpike, who said he lived at the corner of Hanford Drive and North Benson Road for 50 years, said, "Anyone that thinks another intersection on North Benson Road is a good idea, think again."

"People wait there for minutes; a steady stream of traffic goes by. You can hardly get onto North Benson Road," Hanford said. "I've had plenty of experience in that area."

"I don't believe it's a good idea to have another intersection right near these heavily-traveled intersections as they are," Hanford added. "Anyone who thinks that's a good idea is out of their mind. Fairfield doesn't need another intersection, especially right near Fairfield University."

Hanford said people who bought his house changed their driveway from North Benson Road to Hanford Drive because of traffic. "They had to change their address," he said.

Galante said the state Department of Transportation had signed off on Papini's plan to build a new road off North Benson Road, which is a state road.

Neighbors also questioned whether Papini would rent the houses to college students, saying one house already is rented to college students, and they said Papini's proposed development was too dense for a 2-acre property.

"I don't think putting seven houses on 2 acres is going to add anything to this neighborhood. How is that going to improve my neighborhood?" said Anthony Dombek of North Benson Road. "I think the density suggested here and the complexity [of the stormwater management system] is overwhelming. It does nothing to add to the character, it's not an improvement to the neighborhood."

Kathleen Rippey of Nutmeg Lane said, "If these properties are rented to college students, we're going to have a major disturbance of the peace of our lands."

Miller said members of the Papini family, who he said are fifth-generation Fairfielders, plan to live in the development. "They know the town. They care about the town," he said. "They intend to stay on this property and live there. That's why they're making this application."

"It's not their intention to create a dormitory complex," Miller said.

Miller said he couldn't see how the Town Plan and Zoning Commission could deny Papini's proposed development when it conforms to town zoning regulations and Jobst, town engineers and Galante said drainage and traffic issues had been addressed. "My clients have a right to use their property in accordance with your regulations," Miller said to commission members.

But Gerber said a lot of North Benson Road properties are similar to Papini's, and the commission could open the door to more houses being built behind existing houses, with access provided by new roads. "This could happen in any number of places along North Benson Road. They're all deep properties," he said.