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SHELTON — Vacant land on the corner of Todd and Platt roads — noticeably filled with garbage and two tents — will soon house a new retail development.
The Planning and Zoning Commission in a Zoom meeting Wednesday approved a Planned Development District at 6 Todd Road. The vote was 5-1 with commissioner Mark Widomski opposed.
Approval of the PDD is the first step for owner Manuel Moutinho’s planned construction of a 10,170-square-foot building on what is now a vacant 1.22-acre piece of property.
The proposed single building retail development, which would house four separate businesses, would lead to cleaning up an eyesore, said Mayor Mark Lauretti.
Attorney Charles J. Willinger, Jr., who has represented Moutinho throughout the approval process, said his client had no comment on the property’s present condition.
He also said there is no timetable for the start of construction. Even with the PDD approval, Moutinho must still present final detailed design plans to the commission for approval before full construction can begin.
“I don’t trust the traffic plan,” Widomski said, calling the traffic situation a potential “disaster. I hope it is not a tragedy in the making.”
Widomski said he felt many of the traffic plans submitted by applicants have been “less than accurate” in the amount of traffic the businesses generate along Bridgeport Avenue, including Moutinho’s proposal.
Widomski said there is no need for more commercial development in the area, which, he added, is already inundated with similar retail structures, including Fountain Square, which have been approved and not completed.
Plans call for two driveways for the structure, one on Platt Road slightly to the west of the Splash Car Wash driveway and the other on Todd Road near the southern boundary of the site.
The commission has asked that the developer agree to build sidewalks along Platt Road. The commissioners said they felt sidewalks along Platt Road would improve safety for those walking to what would be a building with multiple retail establishments.
The developer has also stated that the site would have no drive thru, which had been a concern of some commissioners during the public hearing process.
brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com
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