HomeMy WebLinkAbout23SITE1 689 OCR App Response to Planner comments 021623CIVILWORKS NEW ENGLAND
71 7th STREET – P.O. BOX 161, TURNERS FALLS, MA 01376
181 WATSON ROAD - P.O. BOX 1166, DOVER, NH 03821
1 | 689 Old Colchester Road, Uncasville, CT
February 16, 2023
Ms. Liz Burdick, Director
Town of Montville
Department of Land Use and Development
310 Norwich-New London Turnpike
Uncasville, CT 06382
Re: Atlantic Broadband (CT), LLC
689 Old Colchester Road, Uncasville, CT
Parcel ID: 030-089-00A
CNE Reference No. 22102
Dear Director Burdick:
On behalf of Atlantic Broadband (CT), LLC (“Breezeline”), Civilworks New England
(CNE) hereby submits this response to comments received from your office as well as
the Town Fire Marshall and Building Department on the site plan submission associated
with the redevelopment and improvement of the existing Breezeline
telecommunication/broadband facility at the above referenced location.
The various comments are provided below along with our responses to each in italics.
The 13 sheet site plan set entitled Site Plan Breezeline Uncasville, CT prepared by
CNE, and as revised 02/13/23, and the Breezeline Uncasville CT Plan & Elevations Sht.
A1 prepared by KT|W Designs PLLC and dated 01/27/23 for the revised building, are
being submitted with this letter.
Office of the Planning Director Comments:
1. A proposed office building clearly accessory to the existing unmanned
telecommunications facility is permitted. Office buildings are not permitted in the R-40
zone. It is my opinion that the proposed use of an office building for 2 full-time & 8
transient employees, a 10-car parking lot with 4 EV charging stations and 4-20 vehicle
trips per day does not support an accessory use. Subsequently, it is my opinion that
your application cannot be approved as the proposed office use is not permitted in the
R-40 zone.
Response: Breezeline has agreed to downsize the proposed building and site
development program. This downsized program is depicted in detail on the revised
plans. Highlights are as follows:
• 912 sq.ft. building now proposed (38 ft x 24 ft, a 25% floor area reduction)
CIVILWORKS NEW ENGLAND
71 7th STREET – P.O. BOX 161, TURNERS FALLS, MA 01376
181 WATSON ROAD - P.O. BOX 1166, DOVER, NH 03821
2 | 689 Old Colchester Road, Uncasville, CT
• 4 parking spaces with reduced impervious area [additional gravel parking that is
available around the existing building is not specifically shown]
• The stormwater basin has been downsized accordingly (with outlet clearly
directed away from the neighbor to the south).
• The septic will not need to be upsized (refer to Uncas Health District coimments)
• Only one site light pole is now provided
• Walkway is still handicap accessible to both doors, but now reoriented to
accommodate the relocated accessible parking space (please see response to
Building Official below).
• Everything is moved further from the neighbor to the south. Even so, additional
screening trees have been added along that property line.
2. Staff recommends the project be scaled back to represent an accessory use.
Response: Please see the response to comment 1. above. Also, the existing
“headend” facility (building, tower, equipment, etc.) is serviced by various technicians
every day that are required to address issues at the facility as they come up. These
people simply have no suitably sized, quiet, warm and safe place to work, no bathroom
facilities (a porta-potty is on site), etc., and are instead working amongst the equipment
in the existing building. Of these technicians, two spend the majority of their workdays
at this site. There are also another 5 or 6 specialty technicians that spend time at this
facility, but not on a regular basis. Breezeline is looking to get their people out of the
existing “headend” building computer room environment to allow them to focus on the
other parts of their duties in a more suitable environment as much as possible. Much of
their work is software driven so they have a need to go back and forth as they make
network changes and upgrades and the close proximity of the new downsized building
(which has a maximum capacity of 7 people by building code) to the existing “headend”
accomplishes this objective. This accessory structure shall not be accessible to the
general public, but only to Breezeline staff and only if they are working on the existing
on-site facility. Lastly, the four proposed parking spaces should adequately service the
building on most days with gravel spaces (unmarked on site) providing parking when
more technicians are on site. It is our opinion that this building and site program is a
much-needed accessory to the existing telecommunications use on the property.
Building Official Comment(s):
1. From what I can tell from the site plan it appears that the handicap parking space is
further from the building that code requires. It also appears that handicap access is to
another location other than the same main entrance. Handicap parking must be
provided closet to the building and through the same main entrance.
There may be some other minor handicap issues on the interior which will be handled
through our plan review process.
CIVILWORKS NEW ENGLAND
71 7th STREET – P.O. BOX 161, TURNERS FALLS, MA 01376
181 WATSON ROAD - P.O. BOX 1166, DOVER, NH 03821
3 | 689 Old Colchester Road, Uncasville, CT
Response: The handicap accessible parking space has been relocated to be closer to
the proposed building. An accessible walkway (less than 5% longitudinal slope) is
proposed to access both doors of the proposed building. Both of these doors are
handicap accessible for egress purposes. Building related items will be
included/addressed on the plans that will be provided with the building permit
submission after all necessary site plan approvals are obtained.
Fire Marshall Comment(s):
1. I do not see any indication of emergency lights or exit signs. Also, no indication of a
fire alarm system.
Response: All of these items will be included/addressed on the stamped electrical
drawings that will be provided with the building permit submission; including the
provision of the required fire alarm system for which the building has been designed.
Thank you for your continued attention to this matter. Please feel free to contact me
directly if you should have any questions or require any additional information.
Very truly yours,
CIVILWORKS NEW ENGLAND
Mark E. Beaudry, PE
Senior Project Manager
Copy: John Lavin, Atlantic Broadband (CT), LLC
John Tuttle, KT|W Designs PLLC