P&Z Grills ASML Over Emergency Access Plans Through Arrowhead Neighborhood

Representatives of ASML faced pointed questions from members of the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) over the proposed construction of an emergency access road to connect the company’s campus at 77 Danbury Rd. to Arrowhead Rd., echoing concerns from residents of the dead-end adjacent street.

ASML currently has only one vehicular access point to the campus, which connects to Danbury Rd. by a bridge over the Norwalk River. The proposed road would serve as an alternate route if that bridge were ever impassable due to flooding, storm damage or another emergency.

Throughout the hearing, commissioners and residents pressed ASML representatives on a key issue: whether the proposed emergency access road should be limited to life-safety situations or could also be used to maintain business operations if the company’s primary access point became unusable.

At its core, the debate centered on a broader question: whether maintaining ASML’s business operations during an emergency is more important than the quality of life of Arrowhead residents.

Monday night’s (Mar. 9) P&Z meeting was the second public hearing into the proposed project, which would involve the demolition of a house at 39 Arrowhead Rd. to make room for a two-lane road between Arrowhead’s cul-de-sac and ASML’s parking garage. During the first public hearing two weeks ago, residents expressed concerns about the flooding risk in the area, called out apparent conflicts with Wilton’s zoning regulations, and said the proposal amounted to illegal spot zoning.

In respondse to residents’ comments, Attorney Matthew Mason, representing both ASML and Michelle and Nicholas Verrone, the owners of 39 Arrowhead Rd., emphasized the purpose of the emergency access road is not convenience or economic gain, but rather “life safety.”

Mason argued that the proposal did not meet the Connecticut Supreme Court definition of spot zoning and would not disrupt or change the neighborhood’s character. He said ASML would immediately notify the neighborhood about any use of the road, would provide daily updates in the event of extended use, and would prepare a written report after the event for scrutiny by the town’s zoning enforcement team and the Board of Selectmen.

Mason also pointed out that the chiefs of Wilton’s Fire Department and Police Department both support the proposed driveway plan (provided that traffic safety measures are implemented when in use), and noted that Wilton’s Inland Waterway Commission recently voted to approve ASML’s application for a wetlands permit for the project.

With regard to flooding concerns, Mason said that ASML has made “substantial inquiries” going back to the 1980s and found no records of flooding or other events that made their bridge impassable, which suggests the likelihood of such an event requiring the use of the emergency road as “extremely remote.”

Discussion of Alternate Routes

Joe Canas, an engineer with Tighe & Bond, reviewed the alternate routes that ASML had considered directly between Danbury Rd. and ASML, all requiring bridges over the Norwalk River. Canas pointed out that most of them required steep grades in excess of what was allowable or would need additional fill and construction that could impact the river and other wetlands.

Canas said another option that was eliminated would have had to cross the railroad tracks along the west side of the property, requiring a bridge over the tracks because the Connecticut Department of Transportation generally frowns upon grade-level crossings, and would require legislative approval by the Connecticut General Assembly. Such a bridge also wouldn’t work because of insufficient clearance between the top of tall vehicles, such as 18-wheeler trucks, and the lowest tier of electrical transmission wires on the Eversource towers.

Canas noted that the current bridge from Danbury Rd. is lower than what would be allowable today because of the different standards in place in the 1960s when the bridge was built. Furthermore, at the time there were no floodplain or wetland regulations for bridge construction. Should the bridge need to be rebuilt following a natural disaster, however, the work would not have to meet current height requirements because it would be covered by a “grandfather” clause for existing construction.

“We would not be able to build it like that today,” Canas said.

Commissioners Question Proposal Details

P&Z Chair Ken Hoffman asked why the emergency access road had not been part of ASML’s previous proposal to construct a 1,000-car parking garage. Mason responded that ASML considered the projects to be separate and unrelated, and a previous effort to acquire a larger portio

Commissioner Jessica Rainey asked what would happen should both the 77 Danbury Rd. and 39 Arrowhead Rd. access points be closed due to an emergency. Mason said that such an event would likely be predictable far enough in advance that ASML could make alternate plans to move people off-site or shut down operations as required.

“ASML is more than willing to let the Arrowhead Rd. residents use this emergency access drive in the event that Arrowhead was impassable, but the ASML road and bridge was passable, so they would be able to use it,” Mason said.

P&Z Vice Chair Mark Ahasic said he was concerned about the possibility that ASML might operate large tractor trailers along Arrowhead Rd. during an emergency.

“[It would be a] different situation if it was an emergency vehicle, a fire truck, a police vehicle, an ambulance coming down Arrowhead,” Ahasic said. “But if this is a potential in terms of truck traffic on Arrowhead, that’s certainly a concern to me.”

Engineer Craig Yannes of Tighe and Bond said that studies conducted by ASML found that large tractor trailers and fire trucks would be able to navigate Arrowhead Rd. and that whenever possible smaller trucks would be used. “It’s passable but not ideal,” Yannes said of the use of tractor trailers there.

Public Comments Argue Safety Concerns, Misplaced Priorities

Public comments emphasized the potential impact of the emergency access road on the character and safety of the neighborhood, and argued that it was evidence of ASML putting its own concerns over those of residents.

Sarah Granite of 16 Arrowhead Road said she believes the proposed road was an “entry point” for ASML’s plans to eventually build a larger parking garage, and expressed concern that the lack of a clear definition of what constitutes an “emergency” leaves the door open for ASML to use the road more broadly to support continuity of business operations rather than just for emergency uses, a point that several other commenters also made as well.

“Yes, ASML does a lot to support the town, but I find it ironic that supporting the town is the result of their next-door neighbors,” Granite said.

Laura Indelicati, an attorney representing Sabrina Gibbs of 25 Arrowhead Rd., said that Gibbs’ home has been devalued well below its appraised value because of the prospect of the access road, making it difficult for her to sell it. Gibbs added that she feared increased traffic on Arrowhead could also endanger her son’s safety.

Mason responded to the comments by taking exception to the residents’ assertions that the proposed road does not serve the community and is strictly for ASML’s benefit, and denied that the access road represented a “slippery slope” to eventual regular use as a second driveway.

“There are 1,600-plus-or-minus employees at the ASML site at any given time, and they eat lunch in Wilton, they shop in Wilton, they support the community as a whole. Many of them live in Wilton,” Mason said. “So the benefit that inures to ASML and its constituents, its employees, is significant and is part of the community as a whole.”

Does Continuity of Business Operations Fall Under Emergency Use?

Following public comments, Hoffman and Huffard pressed the ASML team on whether the company’s definition of “emergency” extended to cover traffic considered essential for ensuring continuity of business operations on the site.

“So you’re saying that the emergency of ASML has precedence over what the residents of Arrowhead R.d would need if there was such an unlikely event as you specified which hasn’t happened in 20 years?” asked Hoffman.

“It’s a balancing test, absolutely, and in our view the overall importance to ASML in the community and beyond would outweigh the inconvenience to the neighbors,” Mason said. “[T]he reality is that ASML is an important business, employs a lot of people, and supports the town of Wilton. And we think as difficult as that choice is, that yes.”

Hoffman asked whether ASML would be willing to commit to compensating Arrowhead residents for inconvenience and damages should the use of the road extend beyond a predetermined time. Mason said that it would be “very challenging” to make such a calculation.

“Why is it challenging when you know that the event is that you’re using that road?” Huffard asked “Every day you’re on it is an inconvenience to them. You obviously are making a business decision to stay open. There must be some value to that staying open. Why not go to [the residents] and make some [offer] for every day that we’re inconveniencing you, we’re paying you something for settling some damages. … Don’t they deserve damages?”

“I don’t really know the answer to that,” Mason replied. “I mean, it’s a public road. Granted, they live there and they would suffer some element of inconvenience. We’ve never disputed that. I think how one would calculate that and then negotiate with a dozen property owners, I don’t know how that would be resolved. … But we certainly haven’t had those discussions and they would be difficult.”

“They probably would, but difficult and impossible or two different things, just as a extraordinarily unlikely event is impossible to predict,” Hoffman countered. “So I don’t think that negotiations that are difficult are any more difficult than predicting extraordinary events.”

The commissioners agreed to hold the public hearing open until the next P&Z meeting on Mar. 23 to allow Wilton Town Counsel Ira Bloom to prepare a brief on spot zoning, which they can use to determine whether the application represents an instance of it.

Commissioners Approve Colin Christ, Hear Presentation on Former Baptist Church Project

Also during Monday’s meeting, which lasted nearly three hours, commissioners voted unanimously to approve the Wilton Republican Town Committee‘s nomination of Colin Christ to fill the vacant P&Z seat. Christ previously ran unsuccessfully for P&Z in the 2025 Wilton municipal election.

“I think that Colin was measured with his answers and was thoughtful, at least in the debate,” Hoffman said. “I personally would like to welcome him to the commission.”

Director of Planning & Land Use Management/Town Planner Michael Wrinn said that town staff will swear Christ in and that hopefully he will be available to participate in P&Z’s next meeting on March 23.

P&Z also heard a presentation on the the proposal to redevelop the site of the former Baptist Church at 254 Danbury Rd. into small 10 condo units. The presentation included an overview of the site plan, architecture, lighting, fencing, and landscaping for the church, which several years ago was the location of filming for a Netflix adaptation of a Stephen King short story. The proposal will be brought up again at the next P&Z meeting to allow the commissioners to answer questions, which were preempted by the lateness of the hour. GOOD Morning Wilton will have further coverage on this proposal in another story.