Open Letter to Norwich Selectboard and Planning Commission
On several occasions over the past forty years, town committees have examined wastewater treatment options for Norwich. These studies have been prompted, in part, by concerns that commercial development in town is effectively capped by limited septic capacity. They have all concluded that construction of a new municipal system may be prohibitively expensive.A variety of reports by town committees, commissions, and our zoning regulations have identified the Route 5 South corridor as the area in town best suited to handle further commercial development.
Most recently, the 2005 Sewer Committee Report concluded that an arrangement to extend Hartford’s sewer line to serve properties on Route 5 South would likely be the most cost-effective way to facilitate further commercial development in town.
That same committee report noted ruefully that a 1991 Town Plan implementation goal -- to explore how public wastewater treatment might “create a basis for concentrating growth in designated areas” -- remains unfulfilled.
King Arthur Flour is an exemplary company and fine corporate citizen in our town. King Arthur feels future growth at their Norwich location depends upon their ability to secure a sewer extension from the Town of Hartford. King Arthur may have the resources to construct an extension sufficient for their own needs, but is unlikely to have any incentive to design that extension at a scale suitable for commercial growth among other properties in the Route 5 South corridor.
It is time for us all to recognize that development pressure in the Route 5 South corridor has outstripped our town’s ability to plan for it.
Instead, we should to embrace the opportunity King Arthur has presented us, using their initiative to fashion a wastewater extension -- and concomitant zoning regulations -- “concentrating growth” where this community feels such growth would be most appropriate.
Creating a district to be served by this wastewater extension, and the attendant zoning regulations to govern development within that district, has the added benefit of requiring public votes at both the Planning Commission and Selectboard. These votes ensure those in our community who feel strongly about these changes have an opportunity to be heard and place ultimate responsibility for these changes with our elected officials where it belongs.
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good. If we can’t manage to make something more of this opportunity, then it’s time to ask what we’re planning for.
As a means to these ends, we pose the following specific questions and respectfully request the Planning Commission and/or Selectboard to provide written public responses so all townspeople can participate in this discussion:
1. How would you determine whether it is in the interest of the town to concentrate more intensive commercial development along the Route 5 South corridor? How long might that take?
2. How would you determine whether a municipal wastewater extension from Hartford would be the most cost-effective way to facilitate a concentration of commercial development on Route 5 South, if so desired?
3. What changes are needed to create zoning and subdivision regulations to govern commercial development served by municipal wastewater instead of on-site septic?
4. If King Arthur decides to build a sewer extension privately and applies to the town for permits to construct this extension, are you confident we have adequate regulations on the books to fairly balance community and developer interests? If not, how long do you think it will take the town to draft, review and adopt these regulations?
5. If King Arthur decides to build a sewer extension privately and then seeks regulatory approval for a significantly more intensive use on their Norwich site -- more classroom capacity, parking for buses, and a subdivided parcel to host a restaurant -- what changes to our septic-system-based zoning/subdivision regulations would you hope to have in place in time to properly review that application? How long do you think it will take the town to draft, review and adopt these regulations?
6. If the Town of Norwich needs to revise our zoning/subdivision regulations to keep abreast of the development applications King Arthur’s plans will pose, how much more time would it take to draft, review and adopt regulations that could be applied to multiple lots on the Route 5 South corridor?
7. Can/should the town ask King Arthur to design its system to make future municipal use easier? Or is there any mechanism we could put in place so the town or other users could later tap into King Arthur’s system at a pre-determined price?
8. How would you determine where that concentrated commercial district should start and stop?
9. What are we waiting for?
