Change may be coming to the way Wilton evaluates the architectural quality, design, and character of new buildings. On Monday, Feb. 26, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted against reappointing Rob Sanders, Chair of the Architectural Review Board and Village District Design Advisory Committee, and forecast that it would explore outsourcing design review to paid consultants. The other four current members — John Doyle, Sam Gardner, Kathleen Poirier, and Kevin Quinlan — were reappointed to the VDDAC and nominated for ARB (appointments to ARB are formally voted on by the Board of Selectmen.)

Earlier this month, GOOD Morning Wilton summarized the recent and longer-term history of the relationship between P&Z and ARB/VDDAC in a special report, as well as coverage of last week’s special meeting.

In a 2-5 vote with two abstentions, the Commission declined to appoint and nominate Sanders, who had served as Chair of the ARB since its creation in 2019 and Chair of VDDAC prior to that. Commissioners Anthony Cenatiempo and Chris Pagliaro voted in favor of Sanders, with Chair Rick Tomasetti, Vice Chair Melissa-Jean Rotini, and Commissioners Ken Hoffman, Chris Wilson and Jill Warren voting against. Commissioners Eric Fanwick and Mark Ahasic abstained from voting on all five votes, as neither was present for the special meeting to interview the five current members of ARB/VDDAC.

The State requires that municipalities with Village Districts either appoint a VDDAC or work with consultants to review design. While he stated that the Commission “sees the value” in having the ARB/VDDAC in place, Tomasetti also directed Wrinn to research how peer communities use paid consultants in lieu of standing volunteer committees. He asked in particular for confirmation on whether the cost of consultants falls to the town or to applicants themselves.

In the meantime, with the remaining ARB/VDDAC members reappointed for new two-year terms, the Commissioners laid out expectations for the work and work product of the groups.

“I would like to see these committees make it easy for us to understand what their deliberations are, whether or not they’ve asked for changes, whether or not the applicant has complied with changes, and what they think the open issues might be,” said Hoffman.

“We want to make sure that the ARB is focused on the materiality and micro aspect of projects,” said Tomasetti. “Let us [P&Z] continue to focus on the big picture issues of zoning and use.”

He closed the discussion by thanking the current members of the ARB/VDDAC for volunteering.

Additional Items Covered

The Commission also moved work forward on a series of other applications and updates:

  • 300 Danbury Rd.: After consulting with town counsel, Wrinn explained to the commissioners that the applicant complies with a Connecticut statute that allows them to receive an automatic 19-year extension of their project approval. As a result, there was no action needed by the Commission, which had previously contemplated refusing to extend the approval.
  • ASML Clean Room and Lab: After a brief presentation on ASML’s application to convert a loading dock at the company’s 20 Westport Rd. building into a lab and clean room, the Commission held a public hearing that closed without comment. They went on to approve the application unanimously.
  • Group Childcare Homes: The Commission also voted 8-1 to pass State-mandated changes to Wilton’s at-home daycare regulations. Commissioner Pagliaro voted no, saying that he didn’t think the Commission should be “forced to adopt” new zoning requirements. Public Act 23-142 states that municipalities cannot prohibit or require special permits for licensed family child care homes or group child care homes that are located in residences. Wilton’s zoning previously required group childcare homes (those serving between seven and 12 children) to apply for a special permit in order to operate in a single-family zone. Family childcare homes serving up to six children were already allowed without a special permit. Following this vote, no special permit will be required for a home childcare operation serving up to 12 children.
  • Outdoor Dining: The Commission continued to debate new, permanent regulations for outdoor dining. In this session, the discussion covered issues related to protective barriers like bollards, ways to allow outdoor dining without allowing outdoor bars, and creating a set of design standards. The topic was continued to the next meeting.

Looking Ahead

The next meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission will be held on Monday, Mar. 11. Next week, on Wednesday, Mar. 6, the Inland Wetlands Commission will hold a public hearing on 131 Danbury Rd., a 4.5-story, 208-unit multi-family development proposal that is expected to reach P&Z soon after.