Groton residents worry about impact of planned Long Hill Road gas station
Dec. 16—GROTON — A gas station and a convenience store are under construction at a long-vacant, undeveloped property at 588 Long Hill Road, and nearby residents are worried about the impact on their neighborhood.
Jannat LLC of Norwich is planning the six-pump gas station and approximately 4,400-square-foot convenience store on a 0.95-acre undeveloped parcel, within a commercial, neighborhood zone, that slopes upward from homes along Sunnyside Park, a private road, according to a town document.
Andrew Parrella, a recently elected Representative Town Meeting member for the Fourth District, where the development is located, said residents have expressed concerns that this type of business may be inconsistent with the existing residential housing in the area.
"In addition, there are concerns expressed by residents that the project may create safety issues for traffic flow and the possible danger of fuel explosions that close to residential housing," he said.
Parrella said there also is a larger concern about keeping some green spaces, such as parklets and places where people can sit on a bench, between Fort Hill Road and the shopping district to Interstate 95, which are quickly being lost and can serve as buffers for residences close to businesses.
"Once these properties are developed, this will change the character of the center of town," he said.
Homes line the private Sunnyside Park off of Long Hill Road, and no trespassing signs convey that it's a private road. Behind a home at the end of the road is a nearly six-acre open space parcel, and not far from the homes, down Long Hill Road, is the Groton Shopping Center, where there is a Planet Fitness and Aldi's, among other stores.
Sunnyside Park residents, who live on parcels zoned as mixed-use town center and residential, are worried about increased traffic from cars and fuel trucks on Long Hill Road, an area they say is already congested.
"It's going to be a bottleneck," said resident William Bennett.
Bennett said traffic on Sunnyside Park, where there are seven homes, has increased since construction started. He is also concerned about light from the site and said the neighbors did not receive notice of the plans.
Neighbor Rodney Wilcox, whose family has lived on the road for over 100 years, said that with the clearing of trees from the once wooded site, their homes are now visible.
"It's taking away all your privacy," he said.
Resident Vijayasri Tidke said her house got six cracks during the blasting. Tidke, who has an 8-year-old daughter, said she's concerned about traffic near her house, light from the site, and potential gas leaks.
"I don't feel safe," she said.
Deborah Jones, the town's assistant director of planning and development services, said the Planning and Zoning Commission approved the plan at a public meeting on Feb. 14, with the agenda and application materials posted online, but a public hearing was not required for this use in this zone. She said there is no requirement to notify abutters directly for this use in the commercial, neighborhood zone.
Jones said the applicant provided a lighting and landscaping plan as part of their application package. Long Hill Road is state owned and the Department of Transportation has approved the work in the right of way. She said the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection would address any fuel leaks.
Project owner Ahmed Choudhry said the plan is to open the Bestway convenience store and gas station in June or July. He said the small chain has multiple locations in New London County.
"We are a local, small chain, and we'd like to put a flag in that corner, " he said, adding that the location is in a nice community and in a busy area.
He said the business on a commercially zoned property that has been sitting idle for decades will bring tax revenue to the town. The previous owner was Animal Rescue Fund LLC of Niantic.
He said engineers designed the site. He also said the state DOT did not have any problems with the traffic.
A report from CLA Engineers, Inc., included in the application, says best management practices for a gas station will be followed, including a canopy in the fueling area to prevent "stormwater runoff from washing away pollutants," and underground storage tanks and pipes will have at least a two-wall containment system. There are no floor drains, and no "other non-incidental hazardous materials will be stored" on the site.
A stormwater management report was prepared as part of the application. The plan also calls for landscaping.
Blasting, construction
A blasting project at the site, which has a ledge, was completed as of Wednesday, per the blasting company, said Poquonnock Bridge Fire Chief Jeffrey Rheaume.
Rheaume said the fire marshal issued a permit after reviewing the application and meeting the blaster, who contacted the fire marshal before any blasting took place each day. Rheaume said no explosives were stored on site.
Rheaume said during the blasting project a person called with a concern about the structural stability of their home. According to the incident report, he said "there were no obvious points of concern with regard to the structural stability of the home, but small superficial cracks in the sheet-rock were shown to the fire department," and it was recommended that the person call the blasting company.
There also was a second complaint, which was emailed, about the blasting, Rheaume said. He followed up with the blasting company, which took a seismic reading during their blasting. He called the complainant and provided the blaster's contact information and told the complainant to call with any additional concerns.
Choudhry said the insurance company for the blasting company did a survey, and if people have a crack they should call the insurance company to come out and look at the property.
Jones said the town has spoken to a number of Sunnyside Park residents who are concerned about contractors parking on their private road. She said the project manager is aware that the road is private, but occasionally subcontractors will park on the road, and the town notifies him when this occurs.
Oil change facility
Meanwhile, an oil change business, Take 5 Oil Change, is being proposed further down the road at 671 Long Hill Road.
An application is before the Planning and Zoning Commission for a 1,700-square-foot, drive-through oil change facility, with nine parking spaces, on a 0.9-acre property. The now empty site formerly was a fast food restaurant and a gas station before then.
Jeff Kimberly, owner and operator of the proposed facility, told the commission last week that the business will not have underground storage tanks. Used oil will be stored in a secured system so it can't get out of the building.
He said construction will take three to four months and will require no blasting or clearing of vegetation. He said the business expects to see 30 to 40 cars per day and will have a very mild impact on traffic.
The site will have a 10-foot-wide sidewalk along the frontage of Long Hill Road, a requirement of the mixed-use town center zone where the property is located.
Robert Wheway of Codespoti & Associates said the site has two driveways onto Long Hill Road, but the plan is to close the northern driveway closest to the intersection at Meridian Street. Vehicles would enter and exit the site through the eastern driveway. Vehicles exiting the site would only be allowed to make a right turn.
But some commissioners raised concerns about the traffic configuration and wanted the developer to explore a different on-site traffic circulation pattern that may require shifting the driveway further northwest.
The developer plans to discuss options with the DOT, which the developer said does not want a driveway close to the intersection.
Jones said the developer's goal is to return to the commission in January, but they have until March 2.
