The “Knapp” Subdivision Proposes to turn this serene and beautiful stretch of natural land on Historic Route 146 into the site of three houses. As shown on this site planhere.

We, the undersigned, support a moratorium, effective immediately, including pending actions, on all Route 146 development and management changes in the Towns of Branford and Guilford, until the Connecticut Department of Transportation completes its Strategic Plan for Historic Route 146. You can read about it on the ConnDOT website HERE. “The purpose of creating a CMP is to review the Route 146 corridor and how to protect its many historical, cultural, and environmental resources. The CMP will balance caring for these important resources with providing a safe roadway for all travelers and respecting the desires of the community, residents, and local businesses. It will also look at ways to make the corridor more resilient—more prepared for climate risks like flooding.” Expected completion is Winter/Spring 2024 – just months away.

With this goal in mind, we strongly urge the Guilford Planning and Zoning Commission to reject the proposed Knapp Open Space Subdivision. This proposal is in violation of the Town’s subdivision regulations and is not in the public interest and should therefore be rejected. It should not be taken up again until the Connecticut DOT Management Plan for Historic Route 146, initiated at the request of the Towns of Guilford and Branford, and now underway, is completed in the Summer of 2024.

REASONS FOR REJECTING the Knapp Open Space Subdivision Application:

1. OPEN SPACE SUBDIVISION - Proposing the wetlands as the dedicated open space is not allowed in the zoning regulations. The Commission has no choice but to deny it by existing law. The Application is violating the intent of the Open Space ordinance. This wetland, in fact, could not ever be developed or even support trails. There is no access to it. The offering of it as “open space” is a cynical and self-serving gesture of no value whatsoever to the town. Those wetlands, already protected by law, should not be counted in the estimates of developable land.
2. SAFETY - Sight lines for the driveways serving the two eastern lots violate ConnDOT’s safety standards, creating a public safety risk in this high traffic location with its extensive pedestrian use. Creating a single shared use driveway would reduce but not eliminate this safety threat. For this is reason alone the P&Z should reject these two lots.
3. WATER - The applicant has provided inadequate information about provision of on-site water and septic systems. Brackish groundwater on two or more of the proposed three lots will require reverse osmosis de-salinization systems to provide potable water. The commission should demand additional information about the safety, reliability, and capacity of these systems. It should require the applicant to provide engineering on where, and at what quantity, the resulting brine will be disposed, and provide an environmental impact of this brine on nearby wetlands and wildlife.
4. DISFIGURING A SCENIC TREASURE ENJOYED BY MANY - The two eastern lots consist entirely of wetlands, steep slopes and ledge. Development of houses on these sites will require significant blasting, cutting and filling, in effect turning the adjoining “Crabbing Hole” —one of the town’s most scenic recreational attractions— into a disfigured “lunar landscape.” None of this is in the public interest.
5. ACCESS TO THE “CRABBING HOLE” - Development of the eastern-most lot will also disrupt public parking for the Crabbing Hole — which would likely still attract people for recreational fishing. Explicit provisions should be made by the applicant to provide at least as much parking as there is at present —and provide for safe “overflow” parking as well.
6. SCENIC VIEW CORRIDOR AND ADJACENT CONSERVATION LAND - Development of all three lots will also diminish the scenic quality of both this stretch of Route 146, as we as from the Town’s West Woods Conservation Area and the Lost Lake (Beatty Pond) scenic area at its heart. The Town and the Guilford Land Conservation Trust have spent significant amounts over the past few decades creating this popular natural and scenic area. Currently there is no development within this view shed. Houses on these lots will radically diminish the quality of this now pristine setting.
7. ROUTE 146 MANAGEMENT PLAN – Of great relevance and import, is that at the Town’s request, Connecticut DOT is spending more than $1million on a long-term management plan for Route 146, with the goal of protecting the road’s historic, scenic and natural features. The P&Z should defer action on this subdivision and other projects in the 146 corridor until this plan is completed a year from now. The Commission should ask the property owner to withdraw his subdivision proposal until this plan is complete.

For all these reasons we strongly urge that the Commission reject this open space subdivision proposal.

This petition was originated by The Friends of Historic Route 146. Our website provides a great deal of useful information about the local issues and who we are.

Friendsof146.com

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