OLD LYME—UPDATED 1/11 at 12:10 pm: The ‘Record of Votes’ related to Monday night’s meeting has now been published. Regarding the Special Permit Application to
replace and construct a new 5-bedroom residence with an attached 2 car garage at 43 Smith Neck Rd., RU-40 Zone, Jeffrey and Emily Merriam, applicants, the Record states, “A motion was made by D. Savageau, seconded by J. Marsh to DENY without prejudice the special permit. The Motion further stated that insufficient evidence had been submitted to allow the Commission to find the proposed activity would have or would be reasonably likely to have the effect of unreasonably polluting, impairing or destroying the public trust in the air, water, or other natural resources of the State of Connecticut.”
UPDATED 1/11 at 1am: The application for the proposed 11,000 sf house at 43 Smith Neck Rd.was denied without prejudice in a unanimous 5-0 vote at Monday night’s Old Lyme Zoning Commission meeting.
Around 50 people attended the meeting.
UPDATED 1/10 at 7pm with corrected number of days for Zoning Commission to deliberate. The proposed 11,000 sf house at 43 Smith Neck Rd. is back on the Old Lyme Zoning Commission’s agenda tonight. Their Regular Meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in the Meeting Room at Old Lyme Town Hall.
Appearing as the first item under Old Business, the agenda item states, ” 43 Smith’s Neck Road, RU-40 Zone. Special Permit application to replace and construct a new 5-bedroom residence with an attached 2 car garage. Jeffrey and Emily Merriam, applicants.”
The Zoning Commission closed the Public Hearing at the end of the previous Jan 13 meeting. This means no further public comment can be heard on the matter and the Commission cannot ask any additional questions of the applicant.
The Commission must render a decision within 65 days of closing the Public Hearing. Members could vote on the proposed plans tonight but are not obliged to do so. They will, however, deliberate on the proposal this evening in a public setting but cannot entertain any comments from the public or ask any further questions of the applicant or their representatives.
At the Zoning Commission’s Regular Meeting on Jan. 13, some 17 residents offered opinions and concerns during the Public Hearing on the proposal. The comments made by members of the public all expressed a negative point of view towards the proposal.
Those commenting variously asked the Commission outright to deny the application for the 11,000 sq. ft. eight-bedroom, seven-bathroom house with two laundries, a swimming pool, and extensive gardens; or send it back to the Connecticut River Gateway Commission for further review; or to request answers to the numerous still unanswered questions by the applicant; or a number of other questions.
Related articles and letters published on LymeLine.com are as follows:
Letter to the Editor: Residents Urged to Attend ‘Crucial’ Zoning Meeting, Jan. 13 By Elizabeth Karter Published 1/4/2025
Letter to the Editor: Neighbors Question if Well Water Supply Sufficient for Proposed 7-Bathroom House on Smith Neck Rd., Old Lyme Zoning to Discuss at Monday Meeting By Claire and John Griffin Published 1/13/2025
Old Lyme Zoning Meeting Draws Over Capacity Crowd; Halls Rd. Overlay District Item Postponed to New Meeting, Wednesday By Admin Published 1/14/2025
Letter to the Editor: Support Old Lyme Zoning Commission in Enforcing Regulations for Smith Neck House Plan, Reminder That a Hill is Still a Hill By Elizabeth Karter Published 1/18/2025
Letter to the Editor: Smith Neck Rd. Proposed House Poses ‘Serious Threat’ to ‘Natural Beauty’ of CT River Valley By Susan and Thor Kayeum Published 1/20/2025
Will this ultimately go the same way that the Zoning Boards denial of a permit for the Chestnut Market on Halls Road?