OLD LYME—Around 60 people turned out for last night’s Old Lyme Zoning Commission Special Meeting, which had originally been scheduled for Monday, Jan. 13, but was postponed due to the number in attendance at that meeting. The audience exceeded the permitted fire regulations.
The agenda for Wednesday’s meeting featured both an Old Business item and a Continued Public Hearing related to a Petition to Amend the Old Lyme Zoning Regulations, Section 5.15, to create a Halls Road Overlay District (HROD) allowing, among other items, mixed zoning use along Halls Road and the entire C-30S Zoning District, with associated architectural design guidelines.
The Town of Old Lyme is the applicant.
After the details of this optional Overlay District proposal had been presented by Atty. William Sweeney, public comment was opened and a variety of comments, both in support of and opposed to the proposal were made.
Old Lyme Economic Development Commission Chairman Cheryl Poirier spoke in support of the proposal as did Old Lyme Democratic Town Committee Chairwoman Kim Thompson.
A number of other people spoke against it.
The Zoning Commission proposed some changes to the wording in the proposal, which the HRIC appeared willing to make.
The meeting ended around 9:40 p.m. with the Public Hearing being continued through to a Special Meeting scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 27, at 6:30 p.m. in the Old Lyme Town Hall.
As an alternate on the zoning commission I spoke at the last Wednesday night meeting in opposition to the Halls Road overlay District, but am in favor of a scale down version. I am required to recuse myself, moving forward having spoken.
The overlay is far too large scale for the area, especially since the Halls Road commission/Overlay supports 200 foot buildings and 20,000 ft.² plus a three story parking garage. All three of which they say a developer will not be interested otherwise. This is our town, NOT the developers town……The tail DOES NOT wag the dog!
Let the ONGOING $125,000 zoning examination/rewrite professionals and the citizens of Old Lyme decide their own fate!