The former Ford’s Sunoco station at the corner of Middlebury Road and Glenwood Avenue in Middlebury. It is expected the new owner, Sabbir Properties, will reopen it as a Citgo gas station. (Terrence S. McAuliffe photo)
By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE
The Middlebury Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) on Jan. 7 reviewed a site plan application by Mir Sabbir Ahmed D/B/A Sabbir Properties LLC of Terryville for a change in use of the former Ford’s Sunoco station at 550 Middlebury Road, which Sabbir Properties acquired in October 2015, from a service station to a service station/convenience store. On Jan. 26, the business was on the Middlebury Economic and Industrial Development Commission’s (EIDC) agenda for an architectural review.
Zoning Enforcement Officer Curtis Bosco said the P&Z review would not have been necessary if the site had simply reopened as a service station with only a change in gasoline brands (the new station will likely be a Citgo). In that case, a certificate of zoning compliance would have been issued.
P&Z Chairman Terry Smith told commissioners he had referred the proposed site plan to town planner Brian Miller, who recently completed revisions to the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development, for comments.
“This parcel is an important part of the Middlebury Village area,” Miller said. “One important part of this is to enhance the pedestrian environment, and the plan envisions a sidewalk on the north side of Middlebury Road. The redevelopment of this property really should have a sidewalk in front of it.”
Miller asked for more details on landscaping and shrubbery, saying, “This is like the prime corner of what is going to be Middlebury Village.” He said the landscaping didn’t have to be elaborate, but it should improve the site.
He told Smith the plan needed much more detail about plant species, ground cover, sizes and the treatment of the 50-foot setback area up Glenwood Avenue. He refrained from commenting on the building’s exterior because the EIDC would do that, but he said the plans needed lighting details, and covered lighting would benefit nearby residential properties. “The plan really should be more specific,” he said.
In continuing the P&Z public hearing to Feb. 4, Smith told Miller to forward his comments to Waterbury professional engineer and land surveyor Scott Meyers, who represented Ahmed before the Conservation Commission, and instructed Bosco to get the architectural plans to the EIDC for its Jan. 26 meeting.
At the EIDC’s Jan. 26 meeting, commissioners reviewed the renovation plans and asked for more detail. At that meeting, land use attorney Neal White of Cramer & Anderson of New Milford distributed large photos of the existing station altered to illustrate the future appearance.
He said the new owner owns and operates a number of stations in Western Connecticut and has many years of experience. He said his client “looks for locations that are in distressed conditions or where people are retiring, most of which are textbook like this location, where it may formerly have done gas and automobile service, and what he does is he goes in and puts money into the location and fixes it up and makes it look nice and does gas and convenience.”
White said the photo renderings were similar to Ahmed’s existing stations, with shielding in the back for dumpsters, etc. He said the Citgo brand that Ahmed often uses has high standards for building appearance.
In comments from commissioners, Ted Mannello told White the station was in a village district of Middlebury where architectural standards were critical. “This building, as we all know, is something of an eyesore, and we want to see it upgraded, so this is a step in the right direction,” he said.
He asked for an architectural rendering of what the building will look like, including materials and colors. White said his client was working with a designer, and the photos he had presented were something he had pulled together over the weekend for the meeting.
Commissioner Todd Anelli said it was important to “get a better understanding of all angles of the property, specifically because of where it’s positioned and the lot behind it.” Mannello recommended White consider a pitched-roof canopy matching the building, similar to one recently approved.
First Selectman Edward B. St. John said, “This is an extremely sensitive area subject to unbelievable public scrutiny. Although this is not our ‘Main Street,’ this is the center of our town.” He complimented the plans, saying, “What you’re doing down there is a 10,000-percent improvement over what’s there, but this plan needs some Geritol.”
He said the canopy and the building need an architectural touch to give it a little flavor. He also mentioned the need for sidewalks. Commissioner Armando Paolino suggested White review the designs of other buildings coming into the area to get an idea of the flavor.
White asked to be placed on the agenda for the next meeting and agreed to bring more detailed drawings to answer concerns and better illustrate the new station.
The next regular P&Z meeting will be Thursday, Feb. 4, at 7:30 p.m. at Shepardson Community Center. The next regular EIDC meeting will be Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall Conference Room.
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