Goshen Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission: Process to Probe Alleged Illegal Dumping at Ike’s: ‘Painfully Slow’
10/01/26 7:15 p.m.
Present: Chair Lorraine Lucas. Vice Chair Tom Stansfield. Commissioners Ray Turri, Devin Stilson, and Adam Andrusia.
Excused absences: Commissioners Matt Wheeler and Dante Malanca.
Public Hearing – Ike's Auto Body, 225 North Goshen Road: The public hearing for Ike’s Auto Body, located at 225 North Goshen Road, continued with an update from Chair Lorraine Lucas at the Goshen Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission (IWWC) meeting. Enforcement Officer Marissa Wright is handling most of the communication related to checking on accusations of illegal burying of debris on the property.
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and Waste Engineering and Enforcement Division (WEED) have reviewed the complaints regarding the site but said so far there is not enough information to meet the legal standard for action from the state. In the meantime, the IWWC is exploring options for the Town. Most recently, the property was expected to be flagged by Oct. 5, as Commissioners discussed at this meeting after the formal public hearing.
“We do not have a lot more information,” Lucas said. “Hopefully after the 5th it’ll be marked and we’ll have a piece of paper, and we can go out there and take a look at it.”
Commissioner Ray Turri said he talked to First Selectman Seth Breakell and a Hartford lobbyist about the issue. “There was a change in commissioners at DEEP, so I asked our Selectman to send a letter … to the lobbyist,” Turri said, adding he has been out of town and has not yet gotten an update on the issue.
“He was trying to have a meeting with the new Commissioner, or with the Governor,” Turri said of the lobbyist, whom he did not name. Turri said he will follow up on the status of the letter and any action on the matter.
“I know this is going painfully slow,” Lucas said, noting several neighbors to the Ike’s site have attended IWWC meetings monthly for nearly a year. “We are approaching winter again, and this has been going on since last winter.” An attendee at the meeting asked whether this matter falls under IWWC jurisdiction and if the Goshen Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) should take a bigger role.
“We’re just looking for the wetlands because it’s only in our jurisdiction if they are within the wetlands,” Lucas said. “If they are not, it’s not our jurisdiction.
“Planning and Zoning then has to take it, because it is a Planning problem because they buried garbage,” she said. “I would personally like to see Planning and Zoning take a bigger step on this.” Commissioners voted unanimously to continue the public hearing at the Nov. 5 meeting after a motion by Vice Chair Tom Stansfield and second by Turri.
Old Business:
316 Sharon Turnpike, Richard Bette for Abby and Jonathan Yvon: This was an application for enclosure of existing deck, new deck, and mudroom entry. The application was tabled in September pending Torrington Area Health District approval. No one was present at this meeting to represent the property owners, so the issue was tabled once more. Stansfield moved to table the application again, and approval was unanimous after a second by Turri.
54 Tyler Lake Heights, Thomas Mariano for Nicole Mariano: Rebuild wall along the lake to mitigate unsafe, collapsing steps, and mitigate soil erosion into the water. A final review of the new wall and steps was done and presented. The panel voted unanimously to approve the application after a motion by Turri and second by Commissioner Devin Stilson.
106 Sandy Beach Road, Robert Hall IV: Add foundation under existing cottage (same footprint) as per engineered drawings, move deck and stairs to right front of house instead of center where it currently is, rebuild existing stone retaining wall on the water. The plan now includes all missing details regarding the footings, retaining wall dimensions, and approval from Torrington Area Health.
Following review, the Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the application via a motion from Turri and second by Stansfield.
278 West Side Road, Boy Scouts of America Housatonic Council: After the fact activity for a 20 X 30 storage building (existing wetlands permit). The plan changed to build a storage building. The application is complete and there are no additional updates. Stilson moved to approve the application, and Commissioners agreed unanimously after a second by Turri.
Agent determination
51 Paxton Court, Gar Wartels 26-15W: Convert an existing ground level porch under the existing deck into a four-season room. The existing porch sits underneath a newly built deck and four-season room. Three existing porch footers will be used, adding one new Techno Post Helical Footing. No foundation will be poured, and the project will be done within the existing land footprint. No new land is being used.
Zoning Enforcement Officer (ZEO) report
Wright was traveling and not present at the meeting, but Commissioners reviewed her report. They discussed the spraying of herbicides in Goshen, a topic that generated a long discussion at the September meeting.
Commissioners said they are interested to hear details from Wright’s meeting with Public Works Supervisor Garret Harlow regarding herbicides being used by the Town. “I’d like to know if they’re going to continue using that, or do it a different time of year,
or what was done was done, or what,” Lucas said. “I think we want to catch them before they do it next time. “We’ll see where that ends up,” she said.
The Commissioners approved the ZEO report following a motion by Stansfield and second by Turri.
Correspondence
After a discussion related to training, the Commission agreed to renew the IWWC membership with the Connecticut Association of Conservation and Inland Wetlands Commissions (CACIWC). The move was unanimous after a motion by Stansfield and second by Stilson.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:56 p.m. on a motion by Stansfield, second by Stilson.
