Government

Town to Ferris Hill Road Homeowner: Screen or Move Winterized Boat in Driveway by Thursday

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A Ferris Hill Road homeowner has until Thursday to move, screen or otherwise make less conspicuous a winterized boat now parked in his driveway in violation of local regulations, officials say. After that, New Canaan’s zoning enforcement officer will kickstart “the process toward compliance” with a formal notice of violation, according to email correspondence obtained by NewCanaanite.com through a Freedom of Information Act request. The wrapped boat at 42 Ferris Hill Road first came onto the radar of Planning & Zoning staff last December after a neighbor complained about its location, prompting the town to issue a municipal notice of violation. Ultimately, last year, it was moved to a boatyard, but was flagged again last week by a zoning enforcement officer with the town, according to an email sent to the Ferris Hill homeowner, Geoffrey Marshall. Marshall’s initial response to the town’s question of whether it would return to the boatyard, according to the FOIA’d emails, was: “Yes as soon a my son returns from Puerto Rico he is a ER dr. He will either move it or put up a screen.

Government

Planned Demolition of Historic 1735-Built Home Pushed To End of May After Public Hearing

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The historic home at 8 Ferris Hill Road will not be demolished until at least May 31, following a public hearing Thursday that saw a handful of residents speak passionately in favor of its preservation. Members of the Historical Review Committee voted 3-0 in favor of a 90-day delay (from the date of an application to demolish—in this case, March 2) after finding, as per the Town Code, that the 1735-built farmstead holds “historical, architectural or cultural significance” to New Canaan. The decision at the hearing—itself triggered by a formal letter of objection to the planned demolition— follows the mobilization and work of preservationists eager to spare what’s known as the Hoyt-Burwell-Morse House from the wrecking ball. It remains unclear whether the stay of demolition will garner a buyer for the home and 2.14-acre parcel, which appears to be the only viable alternative to its razing, despite the urging of planning officials to develop the property in a way that could allow for the antique’s preservation (more on that below). Max Abel, who identified himself as “the unlucky owner of this property”—drawing some laughter from the crowd of more than 50 attending the hearing, held in the Town House at the New Canaan Historical Society (the first location of New Canaan’s municipal government)—asked the committee to deny the 90-day delay.

News

Demolition, New Construction Planned for 3-Acre Ferris Hill Road Property with Significant Wetlands

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The owners of a 3-acre property in eastern New Canaan that since 1931 has included a small-sized home with a log cabin-style exterior are seeking to raze that structure and replace it with what appears to be a far larger house as well as install in-ground pool with patio and attached garage. The 3-bedroom home at 59 Ferris Hill Road sits near the eastern edge of a north-south oriented lot, about one-third of which is wetlands, including a manmade pond, tax records show. Though no demolition or building permit applications yet have been filed with the New Canaan Building Department, the property’s owners have taken the initial step of obtaining a permit from the town’s Inland Wetlands Department to pursue the project. The proposed work is regulated under Inland Wetlands, in part, because more than one half-acre of land will be disturbed upgrade of wetlands and a watercourse (in this case, the pond) that is more than 5,000 square feet (see Section 7.4 of the regulations here). The property sold in July for $995,000, tax records show.