MONROE, Conn. — Town Council members unanimously approved an engineering agreement Monday for Tighe & Bond, Inc., to review a hydrology report by the applicant for Sun Valley Glen, an eight lot cluster housing subdivision proposed at 1536 and 1564 Monroe Turnpike.
An evaluation by the applicant’s expert, Karen DeStefanis, vice president of WSP, concluded that the eight wells to be drilled for the housing “and associated infrastructure, will not likely have an adverse effect on groundwater quantity or quality for on-site or off-site users.”
The Planning and Zoning Commission agreed to hire a third party expert to review DeStefanis’ work and First Selectman Terry Rooney brought the proposal to hire Tighe & Bond, a Shelton engineering firm, to the Town Council for a vote on the contract.
Under the terms of the agreement, Tighe & Bond will perform the scope of its services for the lump sum fee of $ 6,000. Any additional public hearings beyond the one included in the scope of services will be billed at $750 per hearing. If the scope of work is increased for any reason, the lump sum fee will be revised.
On Monday night, Town Council Chairman Jonathan Formichella said the applicant, Jans Land Development LLC, will pay for Tighe & Bond’s services, though the town is a party to the agreement.
Prior to the Town Council’s vote, the contract proposal was reviewed by Town Attorney Frank Lieto and the Council’s Legislative and Administrative Committee.
The scope of Tighe & Bond’s services includes:
- Review the full Hydrogeologic Assessment Report and supporting materials prepared by WSP.
- Review letters from concerned neighbors.
- Review relevant regulatory and reference materials.
- Evaluate the appropriateness of the applicant’s assumptions regarding recharge rate selection, groundwater balance, consumptive use estimate, well interference, etc.
- Assess whether the conceptual model of groundwater flow direction and bedrock fracture system is supported by available information.
- Verify that the cited well-yield data were obtained appropriately and that additional supporting data could not reasonably be acquired.
- Independently review potential well interference using accepted analytical methods.
- Review whether the applicant’s hydrogeologic conclusions are technically sound and sufficiently supported.
- Review if there is a different impact related the potential development of an 8-lot cluster development subdivision vs an 8-lot conventional subdivision vs a 12-lot conventional subdivision.
- Prepare a written report of findings.
- Attend one public Planning and Zoning Commission meeting virtually to present findings and respond to questions.
Tighe & Bond is expected to complete its work within two to three weeks.
All respectful comments with the commenter’s first and last name are welcome.
