New Milford Zoning Commission Approves 104 Apartments, 228,000 Square Feet Of Warehouses

NEW MILFORD, CT — The New Milford Zoning Commission approved a 104-unit apartment development on Kent Road and four industrial warehouse buildings totaling 228,000 square feet on Pickett District Road during its Oct. 27 meeting.

Commissioners also approved a residential accessory apartment, reviewed proposals for a concrete manufacturing plant and municipal fire training tower, and postponed a decision on another 96-unit apartment development.

The decisions involved projects in New Milford. No applications involving property in Bethany were considered.

Commission Approves 104 Apartments On Kent Road

The commission unanimously approved a proposal by S System Properties LLC to construct three four-story apartment buildings at 125 Kent Road.

The development will contain 104 apartments, with at least 32 units, or 30%, designated as affordable housing under Connecticut's Affordable Housing Land Use Appeals Act.

The project also includes parking, utilities, landscaping, stormwater management improvements and excavation exceeding 700 cubic yards.

Commissioners focused on pedestrian safety and access to school buses and HART transit.

Chairman William Taylor expressed concern about where children and other residents would wait for buses, particularly after dark. He noted that buses do not enter private property.

Vice Chairman Charles Bogie asked that a bus pickup and drop-off area be included in the plans.

Commissioner Greg Mullen supported providing a shelter or other safe waiting area, while commissioners Joseph Baker and Robert DiMichele emphasized the need for sidewalks.

Zoning Enforcement Officer Laura Regan said the property lacked a connection to an existing sidewalk network and that the steep driveway would require additional engineering.

Taylor moved to approve the development with a condition requiring a revised site plan that includes a sidewalk along the driveway to Kent Road and a bus pickup and drop-off area.

Bogie seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

The approval also includes a requirement for an annual written affordable housing status report to the commission by Jan. 15.

Four Warehouses Approved On Pickett District Road

The commission voted 4-1 to approve an industrial development proposed by Flagstaff Investments LLC at 260 Pickett District Road.

The project consists of four single-story contractor warehouse buildings measuring 68,000, 60,000, 70,000 and 30,000 square feet.

Associated improvements include access roads, parking, utilities, stormwater management and landscaping.

Regan said she had consulted the town attorney, who confirmed that a site plan modification was permissible.

The approval requires the applicant to return for a site plan modification and meet parking requirements of one space per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area.

Other conditions address sewer connections, changes in building uses, outdoor storage, tenant reporting and property inspections.

Because the site is within the sewer service area, the applicant must connect to the sewer system or obtain documentation from the Water Pollution Control Authority establishing that a connection is unavailable.

Taylor moved to approve the project, and Bogie seconded.

Bogie, DiMichele, Mullen and Taylor voted in favor. Baker opposed the application.

Accessory Apartment Approved On Upper Reservoir Road

The commission unanimously approved a one-bedroom accessory apartment in the basement of an existing home at 41 Upper Reservoir Road.

Applicants Kenneth and Adrienne Ventresca proposed converting approximately 200 square feet of garage space and connecting it to an existing finished basement area of nearly 600 square feet.

Adrienne Ventresca explained that the apartment would allow her mother, who has difficulty using stairs, to live on one level while remaining close to family.

Regan reported that the proposed construction would remain within the existing building footprint and that the driveway could accommodate at least six vehicles.

The applicants said they had obtained health department approval.

A Sept. 17 memorandum from Wetlands Enforcement Officer James Ferlow indicated that although wetlands exist on the property, no wetlands permit was required because the work would occur entirely inside the dwelling.

The commission closed the public hearing unanimously and subsequently approved the application.

Concrete Manufacturing Plant Draws Opposition

Commissioners continued a public hearing on a proposal by 21st Century Concrete Inc. to construct a concrete batch manufacturing plant at 574 Danbury Road.

The proposal includes a three-story manufacturing building with a 2,760-square-foot footprint, two silos measuring 68 and 61 feet tall, outdoor storage and sales of masonry products, and changes to an existing 20,520-square-foot building.

Engineer Paul Szymanski described the proposed operation as a truck-mix facility, where materials would be weighed and loaded directly into concrete trucks rather than mixed in an open plant.

He said the facility could produce a maximum of 30 truckloads, or approximately 300 cubic yards of concrete, daily.

Proposed operating hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Szymanski said the company had applied to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for an air quality permit. He described filtration systems intended to capture cement dust and said additional information about particulate emissions would be provided.

Greg Marlowe, a company representative, said equipment noise at full operation could range from approximately 80 to 120 decibels at the plant.

Commissioners requested additional information about noise levels at the property line, air quality requirements and truck traffic.

Several residents opposed the proposal or requested further study.

Carl Johnson of Jewel Lane questioned whether traffic estimates included trucks delivering cement, sand and aggregate.

Glen Ridge Court resident Eric Faust raised concerns about traffic, noise, vibration and cement dust.

Gina Kensek of Polaris Drive expressed concern about possible effects on the Still River watershed, air quality and nearby residential neighborhoods.

Kensek asked the commission to deny the application or postpone a decision until additional environmental and acoustic studies were completed.

Szymanski requested more time to respond to outstanding engineering and traffic comments.

The hearing was continued until Dec. 15.

Fire Training Tower Proposal Raises Environmental Questions

The commission also reviewed the town's proposal to construct a three-story fire training tower and materials storage yard at 12 Scovill St..

The project is described as the first phase of a possible multiphase redevelopment of the former Century Brass property.

Town Design Engineer Chuck Ballard said the proposal would consolidate storage of clean public works materials, including gravel, crushed stone, concrete components and pipe.

The proposed fire training tower would be constructed using stacked steel shipping containers.

Northville Fire Department Assistant Chief Andrew Carlson said the facility would replace an aging wooden training tower and allow more extensive firefighter training.

Carlson said the tower would be used approximately once a month by New Milford's three fire departments, with other departments participating by invitation.

He said training fires would use oak pallets and hay, without chemical accelerants or firefighting foam.

Commissioners discussed stormwater management, aquifer protection, environmental approvals and an Eversource utility easement.

Tom Kapsiak of Long Mountain Road, speaking on behalf of the Connecticut Clean Water Coalition, argued that the application was premature. Kapsiak questioned the broader plan to relocate public works operations, the absence of detailed cost and funding information, and potential effects on groundwater and nearby waterways.

He requested that the commission postpone consideration until additional planning and environmental review had been completed.

The public hearing was continued until Nov. 17.

Decision Delayed On Another 96 Apartments

The commission postponed a decision on a proposal by Boccarossa Land Investments LLC to construct 96 apartments in 12 four-story buildings at 215 and 219 Danbury Road.

The proposal would designate at least 29 apartments as affordable housing.

Regan said the Inland Wetlands Commission had approved changes to the development's layout and that engineering consultants had accepted revisions to its single access road.

Commissioners discussed how children would safely reach school buses from the development's approximately 300-foot private driveway.

Taylor said he wanted additional consideration of the entrance before a vote.

Existing Apartment Development Seeks Changes To Construction Requirements

Attorney Josh Pereira, representing 189 Danbury Road LLC, asked commissioners to reconsider the timing of several conditions attached to the 2019 approval of a mixed-use development at 189 Danbury Road.

The approved development includes 150 apartments, 45 of them affordable, and four commercial buildings.

Pereira sought to move requirements for perimeter landscaping, fencing and stormwater improvements to a later stage of construction.

He said the existing sequence complicated construction financing and site preparation.

Taylor said the applicant would need to submit a formal application to modify the approval. Bogie emphasized that the original landscaping and fencing conditions had been adopted in response to neighbors' concerns.

No action was taken.

Office Conversion Application Denied

The commission unanimously denied an incomplete application from Carlos Galarza to convert an existing office building into mixed residential and commercial use at 28 Park Lane Road.

Regan said the applicant had submitted the wrong application type.

The denial was based on the incomplete filing rather than a determination on the proposed use.

Additional Applications And Public Concerns

The commission unanimously scheduled Dec. 15 public hearings for two residential applications.

Marlon Cabrera is seeking approval to convert an existing dwelling above a detached garage into an accessory apartment and build a new primary residence at 13 Sawyer Hill Road.

Devon Dobson is seeking approval for an in-ground swimming pool and patio at 6 Liberty Hill.

During public participation, Wesley Dransfield of Candllewood Lake Drive South complained about odors and emissions he attributed to the Lesser Evil manufacturing facility.

Dransfield said the emissions had affected his ability to open windows and use his property.

Taylor subsequently asked whether manufacturing emissions were regulated locally. Regan agreed to refer the complaint to the Housatonic Valley Health District.

Other Commission Business

Commissioners unanimously approved the Sept. 22 meeting minutes and six invoices totaling $25,430 for engineering and legal reviews.

The meeting began at 7 p.m. and adjourned at 9:38 p.m.

Taylor, Bogie, Baker, Mullen and DiMichele participated in the votes.

This report is based on the New Milford Zoning Commission's Oct. 27, 2026, regular meeting minutes.