Farmington P&Z Approves Big Y Supermarket, Country Club Expansion & Towing Lot in 4-Hour Meeting

FARMINGTON PLANNING & ZONING APPROVES THREE MAJOR PROJECTS IN 4-HOUR MARATHON MEETING ☕

By Jack Beckett The Farmington Mercury

On February 9th, the Farmington Planning and Zoning Commission proved that municipal democracy takes approximately four hours to accomplish what could be explained in four minutes. After a meeting that lasted until 10:30 p.m., they approved three projects, settled multiple neighbor complaints, and learned more about parking lot drainage than anyone really needed to know.

RELENTLESS PERFORMANCE EXPANDS: PARKING MATH EDITION

First came Dr. Peter Insarello of Relentless Performance, who wants to expand his physical therapy business into Building Four at 170 Scott Swamp Road. His pitch was straightforward: more therapists, more clients, more parking spaces to accommodate them.

The commission’s response: approximately 47 questions about whether nine specific parking spaces were “needed” or merely “theoretically helpful.”

After extensive discussion about setbacks, drainage coordination with the Department of Transportation, and which parking spaces could be “deferred,” the motion passed unanimously. Because apparently, nobody objects to people getting healthier. The application sailed through with conditions about operating hours (3-8 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays) and a requirement to work with DOT before construction.

COUNTRY CLUB ADDS LOUNGE: BRING TREES

Next up: the Country Club of Farmington wanted to add 2,379 square feet to its clubhouse at 806 Farmington Avenue—specifically, a men’s locker room and lounge.

This sparked 45 minutes of spirited debate about whether there would be a bar, whether food would be served, whether this was just an expansion of the existing card room, and whether anyone was worried about sound escaping into the neighborhood.

The real turning point came when someone asked: what about trees?

Suddenly, all nine members of the commission became landscaping enthusiasts. There was a large pine tree that needed to come down—everyone agreed. Someone suggested replacing it with a maple. Someone else worried that power companies would “lop it in half.” Another commissioner warned against invasive species like burning bush.

Chair Liz Sanford settled it: “If we take that big one down, we should place something back in there.” A consensus emerged around arborvitae plantings, lower shrubs, and possibly some ornamental grasses.

The applicant, Robert Rossetti of Rossetti Development, seemed relieved that he could solve his zoning concerns with plants. The motion passed with conditions about tree buffer maintenance, grading plans, and the relocation of the putting green.

Lesson learned: In Farmington, your ability to expand a building is directly proportional to your willingness to plant stuff that looks nice.

BIG Y SUPERMARKET: FOUR HOURS OF TRAFFIC DATA

Then came the heavyweight: a proposal to build a 50,200-sq-ft Big Y supermarket at West Farms Mall.

The applicant brought a full legal team, traffic engineers, and landscape architects armed with detailed PowerPoint presentations about “canoe islands” (decorative parking lot elements) and hydrodynamic separators (stormwater treatment devices). They promised downward-facing LED lighting, no light spillage, and locked shopping carts.

The traffic engineer presented data collected via video camera during peak shopping season (Thanksgiving through Christmas). Conclusion: traffic would be fine.

Jim Barbeau, who lives directly across on New Britain Avenue, disagreed. He described bumper-to-bumper gridlock every weekend, carbon monoxide in his backyard, and the impossibility of leaving his neighborhood without planning like a military operation. “I’ve yet to ever see any counters,” he said. “It’s not real.”

The applicant’s response: Your concerns are noted, but the State Traffic Administration will review everything. Also, we’ll have two deliveries per evening, finishing before 8 p.m. And yes, we’ll lock the shopping carts.

After the public hearing closed at 10:15 p.m., the motion to approve passed unanimously.

FARMINGTON MOTORSPORTS: EXPANSION WITHOUT PERMISSION (UNTIL NOW)

The evening’s final act: Farmington Motorsports, which has stored towed vehicles on 148 Brickyard Road since 2018—except that somewhere along the way, they expanded their operations by roughly 75% without officially telling anyone.

Commissioner Josh Davidson spent the next hour asking questions that painted a picture of gradual, undocumented growth:

Did you build the drainage systems from the 2018 approval? (No, not yet.)
Do you have shipping containers? (Yes.)
Are you aware that requires a special permit? (No.)
Do you store boats and campers? (Yes.)
Is motor oil a hazardous material? (It is what it is.)

Two neighbors spoke emotionally about the impacts. Lisa Bushard Ozaki, at 12 Rose Drive, described bedroom windows being lit up all night by tow truck spotlights. Craig Botker, at 14 Rosewood Drive, echoed her concerns about the site’s ongoing expansion.

Tim Vibert, the owner, acknowledged the lighting problem and said those spotlights had been removed.

What emerged was a business that’s been operating in a gray area for nearly a decade, but whose current application—to pave the parking lot and install proper stormwater management—is actually an improvement over the status quo.

The commission approved the application with amendments requiring:

Evergreen plantings on the eastern berm (to screen neighbors from lights)
A clear mandate that vehicles will not be parked on the unpaved eastern right-of-way

The motion passed with Commissioner Josh Davidson voting no.

THE VERDICT

Three approvals. A meeting that lasted past 10:30 p.m. One exhausted municipal government body. One exhausted public audience.

Democracy works. It just moves slowly—about the speed of a tow truck stuck in Farmington traffic.

About the Author

Jack Beckett is a staff writer at The Farmington Mercury. He watched this marathon P&Z meeting so you didn’t have to. You’re welcome. ☕

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This article brought to you by Farmington Storage — located at 155 Scott Swamp Road in Farmington, CT (860.777.4001). We’re the only facility in Connecticut with Museum air, and apparently the only place big enough to store your patience after a marathon Planning & Zoning meeting. 🏪❄️

Creative Commons License

This article, “Farmington Planning & Zoning Approves Three Major Projects in 4-Hour Marathon Meeting,” by Jack Beckett is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0.

“Farmington Planning & Zoning Approves Three Major Projects in 4-Hour Marathon Meeting”

by Jack Beckett, The Farmington Mercury (CC BY-ND 4.0)