Saying school officials must formally vote on whether or not to lend a strip of Saxe property for large vehicles accessing a proposed construction site behind the New Canaan YMCA, the Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday approved the Y’s application for a special permit to expand.
Forcing the Board of Education to take a definitive stance is one of 33 conditions that P&Z imposed on the closely monitored expansion project.
P&Z Commission member John Goodwin and Secretary Jean Grzelecki at the group's April 29, 2014 meeting at the New Canaan Nature Center.
“I have a lot of good friends on the Board of Education, but quite frankly they took the easy way out by narrowly defining what their mission is in this town,” P&Z member John Goodwin said at Tuesday’s meeting, held before about 40 people gathered in the Sturgess Room of the New Canaan Nature Center’s Visitors Center.
“The YMCA provides a good number of educational programs, just like education system does. It’s been very clearly stated that, effectively, the YMCA is an extension of the school system—at a minimum, because they provide a venue for our swim meets. When the Board of Education considers this, I think they should consider this in the light not of ‘How are we limiting our liability?’ but ‘How are we potentially limiting the liability for the overall town?’ which is inclusive of the kids in the neighborhood of the YMCA as well as the rest of the kids in the town.”
It isn't clear yet whether the construction vehicles that will travel back behind the YMCA for its expansion will come down Putnam Road or through a proposed access route from South Avenue, along the Y's northern edge.
The Y plans to extend its swimming pools—though the New Canaan Y has an extremely high-achieving swim program, the main pool is awkward in its length, longer than what’s used in the winter season but well shy of a 50-meter Olympic and summer competition size pool—as well as its parking lots (more on that below).
It’s a major, involved renovation project.
Residents of the “South of the Y” neighborhood, faced with the prospect of large vehicles traveling along Surrey and Putnam Roads to get to the construction site, raised safety concerns for pedestrians, especially children. An alternative route emerged, that would see vehicles pull directly off of South Avenue along the border between the Y and Saxe Middle School. That would require approval from the Board of Ed, because it involves school property.
About two months ago, the school board—though it stopped short of a formal vote—voiced support for the Surrey/Putnam route, citing the opinions of New Canaan public safety officials and consultants hired by the YMCA. A consultant hired by the commission also said the Saxe route was not as safe as Putnam.
On Tuesday, the commission raised the possibility of not just putting down an access route, but installing fencing, gates and traffic officials to ensure safe crossing by South of the Y area students who get no bus service.
P&Z through its public hearings on the matter has expressed disappointment in the Board of Ed’s decision or lack thereof.
L-R: P&Z Commission member Dick Ward, Chairman Laszlo Papp and member Elizabeth DeLuca at the group's April 29, 2014 meeting, held at the New Canaan Nature Center.
“The point is asking the Y to go back to the Board of Education is to give the board some comfort that the two issues that are perhaps of concern—safety and liability—that there are solutions to both of those concerns,” P&Z commissioner Dick Ward said. “And if they understand the solutions, then why would they turn it down?”
P&Z Commission Chairman Laszlo Papp said it’s reasonable to ask the school board to do more than offer an informal sense on the divisive question of the construction vehicles’ route.
“They did not vote and this request is to take up the issue, presumably having more input or influence from the neighbors and those who want to be heard, and then take a formal vote,” he said.
Another safety issue with large vehicles that backs what is being called the “northern route” (directly off of South Avenue) is that a Putnam Road option would see the construction traffic cross over the Tennessee Gas Pipeline (fabled source of natural gas).
Even if the school board comes back with a decision that supports the Putnam route, P&Z imposed several conditions, for example:
- Safety/traffic monitors stationed at Surrey and South, as well as the Putnam Road construction site entrance;
- Only heavy construction vehicles and equipment, and those restricted to 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and then again from 3:30 p.m. to the end of the day;
- Contractor- and employee-owned vehicles use the main Y lot;
- No construction vehicles exiting the site can turn left down the hill toward White Oak Shade and Route 123—they have to use South Avenue.
The second major set of conditions center on the Y’s membership numbers, especially its own foot traffic and attendant parking needs. P&Z questioned the math behind the Y’s request for an additional 67 parking spaces (which would create nearly 300 overall), and approved just 20 additional spaces.
Goodwin questioned the Y’s reasoning in stating that the organization shouldn’t have membership limits.
“I have to disagree, and what has come out of these hearings is that it doesn’t matter who was there first, the YMCA or the neighbors, what those issues are, but that there are certain realities in life, certain realities to where the YMCA is located and its impact on neighbors as well as its impact on traffic,” Goodwin said.
P&Z Commission Secretary Jean Grzelecki said that although the group has no legal basis to impose a membership cap on the Y, “with the types of conditions that we’ve included now, we start to set a historical basis if it should be an issue in the future.”
So, for example, conditions for the Y include providing the commission with membership numbers and a breakdown in types of memberships, and updating those figures annually. P&Z also is calling for the Y to submit annual traffic and parking reports, and reserves the right to hire its own consultants to do an “independent peer review” of those reports.
“The YMCA shall ensure that future increases in membership do not result in unsafe traffic conditions,” P&Z’s conditions state.
Papp said the membership and parking conditions “quite appropriately focus on a traffic issue, because how many people are in the building is irrelevant if it’s not related to traffic.”
“And this is what these conditions spell out. If the traffic issue comes to the point that it’s unsafe, then we will have the duty and right to review this issue. So on my part I am satisfied that the commission diligently and dutifully considered all of these issues including safety and traffic and everything else.”
The commission voted unanimously to approve the Y’s request for the special permit, with its conditions imposed.
Commissioner Tony Shizari said: “I’m not convinced that the north entrance is a better [option] and that it’s necessary to go back to the Board of Education, but I’m comfortable with our decision here, because I think measures can be taken in either one to make the entrance safe.”