Goshen Planning & Zoning Continues to Focus on POCD

12/15/25
Present: Lu-Ann Zbinden, Shilo Garceau (Z), Chris Hurlburt (A) and Jerrold Abrahams (A,Z). (Z=Zoom A=Alternate)
Excused: Jon Carroll, Dustin Mosely(A), Jared Denis, and Patrick Lucas
Others: Spencer Musselman, Land Use Official and Lori Clinton, Clerk

Vice Chair Zbinden called the meeting to order after a delay of some 40 minutes due to technical issues. Alternates Hurlburt and Abrahams were seated.

The primary activity of the commission involved their ongoing efforts to edit and update the town’s Plan of Conservation & Development (POCD), begun last Spring. Work at this particular meeting focused on the Economic Development and Roads and Circulation components of the plan.

At the conclusion of the discussion, acting chair Zbinden stated: “I think we're going to have to do a little bit more intense review and a little bit quicker.”

& Enforcement Officer Musselman concurred: “We have a lot of sections to go through and a lot of more controversial sections like Housing. So I think we really need to put a move on the next couple of months. We have like three months to get those done before we go to public comment period. Then we have to notify the COG (Northwest Hills Council of Governments) and then have a public hearing on the whole…project.”

Zbinden said the Commission would accelerate the pace of the work by holding two meetings per month for the next few months.

In Zoning Enforcement Officer Musselman’s report he stated that he was due to speak with the Forsaken Lands, LLC’s attorney regarding the issues at 54 Bare Hill Road. The attorney, Christopher Russo of the Hartford law firm Pullman & Comley, was present and introduced himself during Public Comments.

Musselman also provided an update on the alleged illegal dumping at 225 North Goshen Road. “I sent out two cease and desist orders, one for Wetlands, one for Planning and Zoning. Based on the evidence I've seen, it dug like a 30-foot-deep pit and had been burying construction materials in it within a wetlands. And [they've] been bringing containers in full of stuff and leaving empty.” He further stated that “DEEP has not been very helpful in this.”