Goshen Planning & Zoning Commission Approves 777 North Street Special Permit

04/02/25

Attendance: Chairman Jonathan Carroll, Vice Chair Lu-Ann Zbinden, Town Planner Janell Mullen, Land Use Enforcement Officer Spencer Musselman, and Commission members Patrick Lucas, Cynthia Barrett, Shilo Garceau, and Alternates Jared Denis and Jim Withstandley.

On Wednesday, April 2nd, Goshen’s Planning and Zoning Commission held a Special Meeting in lieu of their regular March 25th meeting, which was canceled due to a scheduling conflict with a Town Meeting.

Old Business;  Commission briefly reviewed Steve Dutton and Charles Mallory’s special permit application for the 777 North Street property to be designated as a country club and used for vintage and collectible automobiles storage of the Lime Rock Group Association. Before the application was reviewed, Carroll noted that he had previously responded to emails from Zbinden and Lucas regarding corrections and recommendations to Dutton’s memorandum for the application. Zbinden suggested that the property should be prohibited from washing vehicles inside or outside, establishing any kind of outdoor storage, and hosting more than six outdoor events annually. She further suggested that no signage of the property should be visible from state roads save for Route 63, loud track vehicles should be trailered to and from the property, merchandise deliveries should be limited, and that only residential curbside waste removal would be allowed on the property.

Mullen raised a point of order; “This should be open discussion and not something that occurs over email. The point of a public meeting is that all of these discussions are very public.” Zbinden noted that their emails were directed toward staff and copied to Carroll.

After a brief review and discussion of the application, Lucas motioned to approve Dutton’s application with additional conditions:

• The site will be improved in accordance with the site plan prepared by Colby Engineering and Consulting, LLC.
• Lighting will be installed in accordance to elevation drawings found in the site plan.
• Modifications to the site plan will be brought to Land Use Enforcement Officer Spencer Musselman and Torrington Area Health for approval.
• Erosion and sedimentation measures will be inspected by Musselman prior to the construction of a parking area and other future improvements.
• No maintenance or washing of vehicles will be performed on the property.
• No liquor will be sold nor will a liquor permit be acquired for the property.
• All club vehicles and trailers will be parked inside at all times..
• Operational hours will remain consistent from 6 am-8 pm with exterior lighting aligning with said hours.
• Shipping and warehousing of products, spare parts, or merchandise will be prohibited on the site.
• No more than six events will take place on the property annually and only occur within the property’s hours of operation.

This was unanimously approved. In Public Comment, Dutton thanked the commission for their approval and claimed that he and the Lime Rock Group Association will strive to be cordial with Goshen residents, “Our goal is to be good neighbors. Our goal is to make sure that–I know some folks were against this idea and maybe not to win them over but to at least let them feel comfortable after some time has gone by.”

Mullen alerted the Commission that work on the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) has been halted since November 2024 and that Goshen only has $20,000 dedicated to improve the POCD by May 2026. “...I have deliberated with Spencer and the First Selectman about actually getting that done in time in that budget,” Mullen explained. “So any further discussion, hemming and hawing over these proposals, it’s really not the most valuable use of our time. This work is very important. It’s done once every ten years.” Mullen will be meeting with First Selectman Todd Carusillo and Musselman to begin to plan how POCD workshops will be conducted.

Musselman then conducted his ZEO report. Four zoning permits were issued to Mackenzey Melk at 100 Holmes Road for the construction of a new dwelling; William Coyne at 67 Milton Road for the construction of a new detached garage; Osamah Palwala at 618 Beach Street for the construction of an addition to a deck; and Paul Bigelow at Hilltop Road for the construction of a new dwelling. Musselman further announced that about 20 houses are being built in Goshen currently.