P&Z Sued Over Pool House Denial on Country Club Road 

The owners of a Country Club Road property have filed a lawsuit against the town seeking to overturn a recent Planning & Zoning Commission decision. At its Jan. 30 meeting, P&Z by a 6-2 vote denied an application filed on behalf of the owners of 274 Country Club Road to allow a detached pool house to exceed the allowable lot building coverage by 843 square feet. An attorney representing owner Benjamin Sutton said that in exchange the allowance, they would encumber at least 1,686 square feet of the single-family residence to 18 inches in height. 

Yet members of the Commission said plans for the pool house could have been included in the original building permit application (a new residence currently is being constructed on the two-acre parcel). 

Under the New Canaan Zoning Regulations, P&Z can issue a Special Permit increasing the maximum building coverage given some conditions, including a limitation on maximum building height (see page 72). During the Jan.

Two Detached Single-Family Homes Planned for Down River Road

The owners of a Down River Road property are seeking permission to raze an existing two-family house and build two detached single-family homes there. The plan for 6 Down River Road will “contribute positively to the surrounding area and align with the zoning regulations,” according to a statement that accompanies a Special Permit application filed with the Planning & Zoning Commission. Each 2.5-story unit will offer 1,250 square feet of living space and a two-car garage, the application said. “The proposed structures, including buildings, walls and fences, as well as planned activities and landscaping, are meticulously designed to complement the surroundings without hindering adjacent land use or diminishing property values,” it said. “The decision to opt for detached units is in response to the lot’s narrowness, avoiding a large, incongruent structure.

Town Seeks P&Z Approval for LED Message Board at Farm and South

Town officials are seeking permission from the Planning & Zoning Commission to install a LED message board at the corner of Farm Road and South Avenue. Known to locals and passersby for a wooden fence where varsity sports and other school events are promoted on mounted posters and signs, the conspicuous corner would see a non-illuminated, black screen nearly 8 feet tall and 18 feet wide mounted in the ground, according to a sign permit application filed with P&Z by Public Works Director Tiger Mann. “The Department of Public Works is requesting an 8-24 Review and Approval for the installation of a new LED Sign at the intersection of Farm Road and South Avenue to replace the existing wood fence and athletic event signage,” Mann said in an Oct. 11 memo to Town Planner Sarah Carey—a request for a state-mandated P&Z referral that forms part of the town’s application. “The sign will be used by the NC High School to promote sporting and cultural events at the High School as well as for emergency usage and notifications of various civic events by our Emergency Services Departments and the Department of Public Works.”

First Selectman Kevin Moynihan and his Administrative Officer Tucker Murphy are copied on the memo.