Proposed Preston RV park gets airing at marathon public hearing
Feb. 24—PRESTON — Officials from Blue Water Development Corp. presented details of its proposed RV park resort and several residents expressed their strong opposition Wednesday during a 3 1/2 -hour public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The Maryland-based company has proposed the RV park and campground resort under the name Blue Camp CT LLC, on three parcels totaling 65 acres owned by the Mashantucket-Pequot Tribal Nation at the junction of routes 2 and 164 and abutting Avery Pond. The project would have a welcome center, three bathhouses, a swimming pool, volleyball, tennis, squash and bocce areas, a floating dock in Avery Pond and a 12-foot-wide boardwalk near the pond.
The PZC started its public hearing Wednesday, while the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission is in the process of its review of environmental issues pertaining to the project. The wetlands commission hearing will continue on March 1 at 7 p.m. at Preston Plains Middle School, and the PZC hearing will continue March 22.
Residents along several side streets near Avery Pond have objected to the size and scope of the project and said they fear it would be detrimental to the shallow pond as a favored recreational fishing area. Flyers distributed with the title "No Blue Camp for Preston" listed several objection points and said the project "does not fit in with the character of Preston."
Blue Water project attorney Harry Heller reviewed the town's zoning regulations in detail and cited language in state statutes on criteria to be used to evaluate the project. He noted that the site is diagonally across from one of the world's largest casinos and close to a hotel and other commercial development.
Heller said the town created the resort commercial zone along Route 2 years ago to take advantage of the development of Foxwoods Resort Casino, "and that is exactly what this project does."
Heller told the PZC that the developer altered the original plan based on recommendations of the town's consulting engineer to reduce encroachment on wetlands. The changes reduced the number of campsites from the original 304 to 302 — which elicited groans from some in the audience and prompted Heller to ask for courtesy during the group's presentation.
The RV park needs a special exception permit from the PZC for the property, partially located in the resort commercial zone and partly in a residential zone. Heller said the campground would be seasonal from April 1 through Oct. 31, meaning deciduous trees would have leaves for much of the time the site would be open.
No music festivals would be allowed, Heller said.
Blue Water Project Manager Emily Demarco stressed to the commission and about 40 people in attendance at Preston Plains Middle School that Blue Water maintains clean, quiet, well-maintained and -managed resorts geared for vacationers who want a quiet, natural environment.
"They are not year-round," Demarco said. "Our families don't live there, and their kids are not going to school there. They don't set up roots at our camps. They can't put up their own materials on their stakes. We have rules and regulations at every one of our campgrounds. They can't set up their own homes in our campgrounds."
Several residents spoke following the Blue Water presentation and urged the commission to reject the application, citing traffic, noise, possible large parties, festivals and fireworks as entertainment at the site.
Resident Karen Stockton presented a petition signed by 384 residents opposed to the project. She said signers live in all parts of town, not just the Avery Pond neighborhoods.
During Blue Water's presentation, Will Walter, project design engineer, said the project would create 16,000 square feet of new wetlands, adding to wildlife habitat. He said in response to the town's consulting engineer, all development was "pulled" at least 25 feet away from wetlands.
At the proposed main entrance would be the welcome center, pool, recreational sports fields and courts. RV spots include spaces where people bring their own RVs and some sites with RVs owned by Blue Water, while areas near Avery Pond would be for safari tent sites only. The pond-area tent sites would be accessible only by golf cart along a proposed 12-foot-wide boardwalk.
Each campsite would have water, electricity and sewer service, using the sewer plant on Mashantucket tribal property, Walter said. Water would be provided by Preston Plains Water Co., also owned by the Mashantucket Pequot tribe, Heller said.
Attorney Michael Carey represents residents Susan and Timothy Hotchkiss of 20 Lynn Drive and Jennifer Hollstein of 12 Lynn Drive, who have filed for intervenor status to challenge the application. Lynn Drive runs along the west shore of Avery Pond. Carey questioned many details, including the project's traffic studies, emergency access to campsites accessible only by golf cart and how the park would benefit local businesses, with patrons remaining onsite.
Carey said the application "falls short" of requirements in town zoning regulations and is not "in harmony" with the neighborhood and surrounding commercial development. At full capacity, Carey estimated it could have 1,800 or more occupants, plus visitors, in a residential neighborhood in a town with a total population of 4,600.
"This is going to be too big. There's going to be too many people and there's going to be too much stuff going on the site to be compatible with the adjacent established neighborhoods," Carey said. "This project will likely degrade or decrease the values of surrounding properties and will impair their abilities to develop consistent with their zoning district requirements and rights."
