The former Ford’s Sunoco station, center, as it will look after proposed renovations to make it a gas station/convenience store. (Submitted image)
By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE
The Middlebury Economic and Industrial Development Commission (EIDC) at its March 1 special meeting unanimously approved, with conditions, the appearance of renovations to a gas station at 550 Middlebury Road. It also reported receiving seven responses to the streetscape and zoning regulations request for quotations (RFQ) that went out for bids in January.
Land use attorney Neal White and architects Ronald Zocher and Ian Scott represented Mir Sabbir Ahmed D/B/A Sabbir Properties LLC, owner of the former Ford’s Sunoco gas station. Ahmed intends to renovate the property into a gas station/convenience store, a change in use that requires Planning and Zoning (P&Z) site plan approval. Zoning regulations require that the EIDC performs an architectural review of building construction and provides a letter of recommendation before P&Z can approve the plan.
Commissioners reviewed four full-color renderings of the building and property as viewed from all sides, and also an A2 elevation diagram and a site plan with notes. Scott described the traffic flow, landscaping, and building appearance. He said the building exterior was thin brick veneer with vinyl siding and polyvinyl choride trim in the color scheme shown in the color renderings. Vinyl fencing will surround the dumpster.
White said he listened carefully to comments at the Jan. 26 EIDC meeting and also at P&Z meetings regarding the appearance of the building and the property. Members questioned a third gasoline pump that did not have a canopy over it and were told by Scott that setback issues prevented extending the canopy that far. Ahmed said he wanted to extend the canopy over the third pump if allowed to do so, and commissioners agreed fire-suppression apparatus for that pump could be unsightly if not contained within a canopy.
The architectural appearance of the station was unanimously approved with three conditions: the applicant will make a good faith effort to extend the canopy over the third pump, the sidewalk will conform to area standards as determined by P&Z and governing regulations, and the street lamps will match the appearance of those used at Middlebury Station at 489 Middlebury Road.
Chairman Terry McAuliffe told commissioners seven bids were received by the bid deadline in response to the Streetscape, Design Guidelines and Zoning Regulations RFQ that went out for bids in January. The RFQ said the design guidelines and streetscape plan will be used in conjunction with a comprehensive update to the town zoning regulations to help obtain the best possible and most feasible building and site designs. The bids will be evaluated in a selection process to be coordinated with P&Z and the first selectman’s office. The entire project is estimated to cost about $100,000 with $30,000 already appropriated for the zoning regulation update.
In other business, McAuliffe said he had begun technical work on the new EIDC website and needed help with content. Commissioner Ted Mannello agreed to obtain at least five high-quality widescreen photos of important commercial businesses in Middlebury such as Timex, Middlebury Edge, Middlebury Consignment and the Moore-O’Brien building for use on the web site, commissioner Frank Mirovsky agreed to obtain “quality of life” photos of Middlebury, commissioner Mark Petrucci agreed to develop a “top 10 reasons to bring your business to Middlebury,” and commissioner Todd Anelli agreed to develop a visual means of describing the commercial property available in town.
The next regular meeting will be Tuesday, Mar. 22, at 6:30 p.m. in the Town Hall Conference Room.
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