MONROE, Conn. — Town Fair Tire wants to move into the former Rite Aid pharmacy building at the corner of Route 111 and Cross Hill Road to offer its customers a supermarket experience, while shopping for new tires. But residents living in the nearby neighborhoods on Cross Hill, Mon-Tar Drive and Pepperidge Road worry about the smell of rubber, the sight of bay doors facing their properties, the whirring sound from hydraulic wrenches, and dealing with increased traffic congestion in the area.
These concerns, as well as the potential impact on residential property values and wells, were expressed in a Planning and Zoning Commission hearing held at Monroe Town Hall on April 2, which was continued to May 7.
Town Fair Tire, whose main business is the sale and installation of passenger and light truck tires and custom wheels, has been in business for over 55 years and operates 125 stores. The proposed Monroe location would have around 15 employees.
The hours of operation would be Monday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and it would be closed on Sundays.
Jim Rotondo, a professional engineer with Pereira Engineering LLC of Shelton, led the presentation for the applicant, Town Fair Centers of Connecticut LLC, which would rent the space from the owner, Five Hundred Eight Monroe Turnpike.
“Town Fair Tire would be within the existing footprint of the building,” Rotondo said. “There are no planned additions to the building. Interior renovations include a sales area to the front of the store, service areas to the back, and a receiving area on the middle of the side of the store.”
The 1.71-acre-property at 508 Monroe Turnpike is located in a Business-2 zone. Town Fair Tire is applying for a change of use from an existing pharmacy retail building to an automobile service shop.
Rotondo said an existing two-story office building, which is also on the site, will not be changed and has nothing to do with the application. However, there is a request for shared parking.
The town requires 73 parking spaces for the use and there are currently 58. Rotondo said they could stripe the parking lot for more spaces, bringing it to 63, but said Town Fair Tire does not need any additional spaces beyond that.
Rotondo said there would be no outside storage trailers on the property. The application calls for a minor modification to the existing driveway, adjacent to the proposed overhead doors, in order to access the service area. The existing exterior lighting plan would stay the same.
Interior renovations include four new overhead doors and one pedestrian door installed in the rear or easterly side of the building to access the store’s service bays, according to Rotondo.
Town Fair Tire’s installation center would consist of six bays — five bays for tire installation and one bay for alignment. All work would be done inside the service center and no customer vehicles would be stored inside or outside the store overnight, the plans say.
The inside of the store would be like a showroom for the tires with a waiting area that has a TV and magazines.
John Wypychoski, director of real estate and development, said Town Fair Tire does not work on anything larger than pickup trucks and SUVs.
Water company opposition
Raul Almonacid, an environmental analyst for Aquarion Water Co., expressed concerns over potential environmental risks from the proposal.
In a letter on March 18, he wrote:
This site is located within the Far Mill River Watershed which supplies water to Aquarion’s Far Mill and Trap Falls Reservoirs. Aquarion is against any zone change that would lead to more intense use than what the site currently allows.
We believe that the proposed land use has the potential to negatively impact the Beardsley Brook, which is down gradient and adjacent to the property. The Beardsley Brook flows toward the Far Mill River, which is the main tributary of the Far Mill Reservoir in Shelton.
Almonacid also expressed concerns over automotive repairs, “which increases likelihood of solvents and other chemicals, along with increased volume of vehicles, that could leak oil and gasoline and other hazardous chemicals which during rain events end up in the brook.”
In response to Aquarion’s letter, Rotondo said there would be no automotive repairs at the store, including no oil changes, no auto body repairs, tune ups, brakes, shocks, mufflers or front end repairs of any kind.
“We do sell tires and wheels, and provide the related services of installation, wheel balancing and wheel alignment,” he said. “We make all the necessary adjustments, but we do not sell or install any front-end parts.”
Rotondo said the existing stormwater management system within the parking area consists of a series of catch basins and piping to convey the collected runoff to its discharge point to the rear of the building.
“Prior to discharge, runoff is conveyed through a hydrodynamic separator water quality chamber and discharges into a sediment basin,” he said. “Runoff overflowing the sediment basin travels overland to Beardsley Brook to the east. The combination of the hydrodynamic separator and sediment basin removes oils and sediments from the runoff discharge prior to discharge into Beardsley Brook.”
Noise a concern
While presenting the application during the hearing on April 2, Rotondo said the store would have one tire delivery per day from the central warehouse in East Haven, adding deliveries of approximately 50 to 75 tires would be made during regular business hours and take about 30 minutes each time. There is an existing loading dock on the northerly elevation of the building, according to Rotondo.
Rotondo said traffic for the tire business would be less intense than the retail use for the pharmacy.
When commissioners asked questions, Dominic Smeraglino III, asked if the bays would be in the rear of the building facing residents.
Rotondo said that is the case and Smeraglino mentioned concerns from residents over noise from the hydraulic wrenches and asked if the bays would be air conditioned.
“In order to mitigate sound we can air condition the shop, so after the doors close, it automatically flows after the car pulls in,” Wypychoski said.
He said all work is done indoors, the air guns are muffled and are only used to take tires off, while a wrench is used to put tires back on.
“Will any work be done with the bays open?” Smeraglino asked.
Wypychoski said no, and added that the air could shut off when the doors open. Asked about the appearance of the doors, Wypychoski said doors are two inches thick, insulated with one window in the center.
Smeraglino asked if the doors could be thicker to muffle the sound. Wypychoski said he believes doors could be two-and-a-half inches thick.
“We’ve done sound studies with other stores,” he said. “Once you get three feet outside the door you’re picking up other ambient noise. No noise comes out of the service area.”
Wypychoski said the closest house to the site is about 150 feet away and there is a wooded buffer.
Smeraglino asked to see a color rendering of what the renovated building would look like. “I’m going to be really strict on color,” he said.
The applicants said they will have one at the next meeting.
Commissioner Ryan Condon expressed concern over Aquarion’s opposition and wondered about the possibility of Town Fair Tire going out of business and an auto service, that does oil changes, moving in as a new tenant.
Town Planning and Zoning Administrator Kathleen Gallagher said conditions, including no oil changes, could be included in an approval, restricting a future applicant. “The reason you put the conditions in is because it’s in the watershed,” she said.
Smeraglino said he would also want restrictions against hydraulic fluid, brake fluid and auto sales.
Vice Chairman Bruno Maini agreed with Smeraglino’s concern over noise.
“The sound is something that really concerns me, because I’ve went to some Town Fair Tires and they are loud,” Maini said. “They are noisy and they don’t always close doors. A lot of people say one thing and do something else.”
Maini said he loved the fact that the applicant is offering noise mitigating strategies, but said once a store opens, the town couldn’t have any control over it. “You may intend to do that, but the upper brass may say, ‘too much money,'” he said.
Maini said he may be less concerned if the bays were in front of the building, facing Route 111 rather than residential homes. For the next meeting, Condon asked the applicants to bring a mock up of what the building would look like if the bay doors were facing 111.
Maini asked how often tires are removed from the property. Wypychoski said twice a week and the tires are stored in a 1,600-square-foot receiving area before pickup.
Commissioner Robert Westlund asked where the disposed tires end up. Wypychoski said the tires are taken to West Haven and sorted. Some are sold as used tires and a lot of tires are shredded up and could be used in pavement.
Westlund said he believes closing bay doors and using quiet compressors are great ideas and asked if impact drivers could be electric, but Wypychoski said those are stolen more easily.
“What about a noise barrier on the back of the property like you see on the side of highways?” Westlund asked about having something that would not be considered “unsightly.”
Gallagher said anything over six feet tall would be considered a structure and require a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Nicole Lupo, a commission alternate, said she likes the idea of a barrier wall.
“I’d like to visit some stores,” Lupo said. Of the Monroe proposal she said, “I’m all for growth in town and expanding the commercial tax base, but location is important.”
Though the applicant is not proposing a change to existing lighting on the site, Lupo asked for photos to see how it looks. Wypychoski said he could bring photos to the next meeting and do a survey.
Lupo also said it looks tight for vehicles to drive behind the building. Wypychoski said the traffic there would be one way.
Chairman Michael O’Reilly asked if the store could have bay doors that automatically open for cars and close behind vehicles that enter. Wypychoski said they could.
Public opposition
Neighboring residents who spoke during the public comments portion of the hearing were all opposed to the application.
One expressed concerns over the aesthetics and noise, and the “absolutely nauseating” smell of rubber that could permeate the area. She also said the existing buffer is small, putting up a wall for neighbors to see would be incomprehensible, and she worried about area property values.
Barbara Harlacker said she believes Main Street in Bridgeport or Trumbull would be more suitable locations for a Town Fair Tire than along Monroe Turnpike.
Harlacker, who said she and her husband, David, have lived in town for over 45 years, told the commission the business seems “basically industrial based” and unique to the Route 111 corridor. She expressed concerns over the wetlands, stream, traffic, and property values.
Gail Schaefer remembers when an old white house was on the property. “Every spring, crocuses came up on the hill and it was beautiful and it was quiet,” she said.
Schaefer said she understands development and growing the tax base, but is concerned over a business like Town Fair Tire being near residential neighborhoods. “It’s a good business, but I don’t think it belongs here in Monroe,” she said.
Joane Mesite asked if there has been an assessment of what would happen to residents’ wells should something, such as a spill, occur. She also expressed concern over traffic congestion.
William Schaefer said a Town Fair Tire opened on Kings Highway in Fairfield amid similar concerns as the Monroe proposal with similar answers given by the applicants. On a day with nice weather on March 30, he said the store kept its bay doors open.
“These impact wrenches are loud,” he said. “They have as much decibel power as a backpack leaf blower. You’re gonna hear it three feet away. And any assurances about the doors, I think you can just throw it out the window.”
Diane Bowerman, who lives two houses from the property, echoed the concerns of her neighbors.
All respectful comments with the commenter’s first and last name are welcome.
The comments and input from the neighbors, commissioners, and Aquarian are all being taken into consideration and a re-design addressing all the concerns is being worked on.
Route 25 is a much better location for the town and for the person opening the business. It is not a good fit for route 111 which is not an industrial zoned area of town like route 25 is.
I don’t mind this kind of business coming to our town but i agree with the last comment route 25 would be a better fit for this kind of operation. It would be nice to see a restaurant on the site.