At the last P&Z commission meeting, an application for final site plan and special permit from Closes Brook LLC (Closes Brook LLC is registered to James Hoffman and Doron Sabag) involved construction of a new single-family home of about 15,000 sq ft, plus associated accessory structures. There will be a 3,000 sq ft half-court basketball court in the basement, a detached garage, pool, pool house and tennis court.
Previously, the commission expressed concern about the large amount of earthwork. The applicant returned and clarified the area of work, cutting out what was superfluous and having tightened up the building envelope.
The property bounded by residentially zoned properties to the north and south. To the west are woodlands and the east is Closes Pond.
The parcel is 9.2969-acres in the RA-4 zone, having increased from 4.62 acres in 2016 in a lot merge.
A large house on the property was demolished over 10 years ago and today the site is now mostly lawn.
The property was last sold in December 2014 for $5,000,000.
Today, an access driveway remains and ends in a cul-de-sac that will be removed for a new driveway and motor court extending up to the new house.
The proposed half-court basketball court will be for the private use of the property owner’s family and guests only.
The new construction will be in essentially the same location as the old house, but with a focus on pervious pavers for the driveway and a rain garden to manage runoff.
The project also includes significant landscaping enhancements, such as a buffer zone near the pond and wetland, and the planting of numerous new trees.
The town already approved the design of on-site sewage disposal system for an 8 bedroom house and pool house.
The site is mostly vacant except for a row of trees along the existing driveway. The plans include preserving two mature trees by running the driveway between them and removing two smaller trees, replacing them with 17 new canopy trees and 10 evergreens. Wetland enhancements, including invasive controls and expanding the existing meadow, are also part of the plan. A steep, heavily vegetated slope will not be touched.
The application was unanimously approved with modifications.
The applicant had already addressed several of the commission’s previous comments regarding phasing plan and landscape plan. There were also changes to the pool house egress and now the pool house will not have a full kitchen, but rather a wet bar. The applicant explained the pool house was not intended to be an ADU, but rather a guest house.
Also, the landscape plan was revised to be consistent with Conservation Commission comments, the focus of which was dragonflies and the roosting opportunities for Connecticut bat species.
William Kenny said his firm William Kenny Associates, specialists in landscape architecture and ecological services, reviewed potential adverse impacts to state listed species that are rare or endangered, including four species of bats.
Specifically, he said the proposed development would not adversely impact the state listed northern long-eared, little brown, tri-colored, or red bats, or their potential habitats.
Mr. Kenny said based on his experience throughout the state in the past few years, it was a fungus impacting bats, and that the state has concerns about any property with large trees.
“We’re seeing this comment on pretty much all our projects. The trees aren’t causing these animals to be rare. It’s this fungus and this syndrome. They are very rare. If by chance they happen to be on your property when they’re breeding, pretty much during the growing season, the state doesn’t want you to cut down a tree that they may be using to rest and is providing them cover at that time. The state’s approach to this is to limit the removal of the trees during that breeding season and have the removal during the winter when they’re hibernating caves, mines or tunnels.”
In any event, Mr. Kenny said the site was mostly cleared and there were only plans to remove two trees and plant close to 40 new ones.
He said there were over 1500 native plants proposed to be planted.
As for dragonflies, Mr. Kenny said they use wetland habitat. “We’ve obtained our Wetlands permit. We’re doing habitat improvements such as removing invasive vegetation and adding native vegetation.”
“We’re improving the habitat,” he added. “We’re not developing in the habitat or having to fill to the habitat to put in a driveway or anything like that. We’re preserving and improving the habitat.”
P&Z chair Margarita Alban noted that Conservation recommended no mowing during the sensitive seasons, no application of fertilizers or pesticides and measures taken to prevent encroachment into adjacent conservation land.
Mr. Kenny said that language was already included in the wetland planting plan. He noted that there were areas that are currently lawn that would be converted to native meadow.
Mr. Kenny said in response to the commission’s request for more pervious surface, there would be pervious pavement around the pool.
There was no public comment.
The motion to approve final site plan and special permit with modifications was approved unanimously. Moved by Macri, Second by Welles Voting: Alban, Macri, Lowe, Jenkins (for Yeskey), Welles, 5-0.
Other applications from Aug 5, 2025 P&Z commission meeting:
Neighbor Complaints of Toyota Dealer Light Spillage Dominates P&Z Discussion of Application