beagenda

MINUTES

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WATERTOWN ZON= ING BOARD OF APPEALS

PUBLIC HEARING

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WEDNESDA= Y, JUNE 27, 2007 - 7:30 P.M.

WATERTOW= N HIGH SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY CENTER

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APPLICATION #851 - ERICH WEIHRAUCH=

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PRESENT:        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;       Bruno Disisto, Secretary

            =             &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;          John Griffith, Vice Ch= airman

  &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;       Enrico Sarandrea, Chai= rman

ABSENT:        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;         Roger Mitchell

        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp; Phil Roger, Acting Secretary

ALTERNATES PRESENT:<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:2'>        &= nbsp;     Gary Swingle

  &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;       Cynthia Tun

ALTERNATES ABSENT:            &= nbsp;   None

OTHERS PRESENT:      = ;            &n= bsp;     Moosa Rafey, Assistant Zoning Enforcement Officer

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1.         = Call Meeting To Order

            Mr. Sarandrea, Chairman, Called the Public Hearing to Order at 8:21 p.m.

2.     &nb= sp;   Roll Call

            Mr. DiSisto, Secretary, executed the Roll Call.

            Mr. Sarandrea, Chairman, asked Mr. Swingle to sit in for Mr. Roger, in his abse= nce.

            Mr. Sarandrea, Chairman, asked Ms. Tun to sit in for Mr. Mitchell, in his absen= ce.

            Mr. Disisto, Secretary, read aloud the Legal Notice for the record as follows:<= o:p>

"Legal Notice

            The Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of Watertown will hold a Public Hearing at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 at the Watertown High School Technology Center, 324 French Street, Watertow= n, CT to hear and act upon t= he following applications:

WATERTOWN ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

PUBLIC H= EARING

APPLICAT= ION #851 - ERICH WEIHRAUCH

JUNE 27,= 2007

Page 2

            Application #851 of Erich Weihrauch requesting for a 20 foot height variance to permit = the installation of a wind turbine to be 55 feet high located on a residential property at 360 Straits Turnpike, Watertown, CT in an R-30 Residential Zoni= ng District.

            Section 23.5.2 of the Watertown Zoning Regulations permits maximum height of 35 feet for a structure in an R-30 Residential Zoning District.

            At this Hearing interested persons and written communications will be heard. A copy of the application is on fi= le in the Planning and Zoning Office, 51 Depot Street, Suite 502, Watertown, CT.

            Dated at Watertown, CT this 14th day of June, 2007.

            Dated at Watertown, CT this 21st day of June, 2007.

            Bruno Disisto, Secretary

            Zoning Board of Appeals"

3.         Hearing of Cases=

        &= nbsp;   C.        Application #851 of Eric Weihrauch for 20 foot height variance to permit the installati= on of a 55 feet high wind turbine on a residential property at 360 Straits Turnpike, Watertown, CT.

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        &= nbsp;   The Public Hearing must be Closed by August 1, 2007, unless applicant grants an= extension of time.

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<= span style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Erich Weihrauch, 360 S= traits Turnpike, Watertown= , CT <= st1:PostalCode w:st=3D"on">06795
<= span style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>

Mr. Weihrauch: I myself started out w= ith Kurt Karpavich with a windmill. I got involved with it, I looked it up and I thought this was a great idea to provide an addition to our EID's, which is the Energy Independent District which Watertown according to the newspaper is a part of it, and by doing my part in keeping the air clean, producing energy, I believe I would do some = good for this Town. I also at this= point would like to say that all the money we spent on our schools, we could perh= aps make the same consideration like Naugatuck does, our roofs to make them solar ro= ofs, and make electricity and the amount of money the State of Connecticut has to give away is just hundreds of millions, and I think we as a Town should also take advantage and produce clean energy and it's actually cheaper than what= our roofs cost otherwise. Thank y= ou.

Mr. Rafey: = Did you send the notices to your ab= utting properties?

Mr. Weihrauch: = I did not yet. I do have their signatures, I didn= 't know what timetable there was.

WATERTOWN ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

PUBLIC H= EARING

APPLICAT= ION #851 - ERICH WEIHRAUCH

JUNE 27,= 2007

Page 3

Mr. Rafey: Then we cannot continue this Public Hearing tonight, you should have notified your neighbors.<= /o:p>

Mr. Weihrauch: Okay I did not do this on the right night. I spoke to my neighbors. Before the application I had their signatures that they approve of what I'm doing and I have very friendly neighbors. There are a bunch = of people in my neighborhood that really is a good click and I wasn't really a= ware I had to send them the notices.

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Mr. Rafey: No, I told you that.

Mr. Weihrauch: Yes, you told me, but I didn't know about the timetable, I definitely after the Hearing (inaudible)= .

Mr. Rafey: Okay, we'll just conti= nue the Public Hearing until next month, and at the same time you might want to schedule a site walk.

Mr. Sarandrea:<= /b> Yes, we'd like to come out and see= your property.

Mr. Weihrauch:<= /b> Any time.

MOTION: &= nbsp;     (Mr. Griffith, sec. Ms. Tun) to Recess the Public Hearing for Application #851 of Eric Weihrauch for 20 foot height variance to permit the installation of a = 55 feet high wind turbine on a residential property at 360 Straits Turnpike, Watertown, CT.

Discussion:       None<= o:p>

MOTION PASSED UNANIMOU= SLY

MOTION: &= nbsp;     (Ms. Tun, sec. Mr. Griffith) to Schedule a Site Walk for Application #851 of Eric Weihrauch for 20 foot height variance to permit the installation of a 55 fe= et high wind turbine on a residential property at 360 Straits Turnpike, Watert= own, CT.

Discussion:       None<= o:p>

MOTION PASSED UNANIMOU= SLY

WATERTOWN ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

PUBLIC H= EARING

APPLICAT= ION #851 - ERICH WEIHRAUCH

JUNE 27,= 2007

Page 4

Public Hearing Recessed at 8:26 p.m.

Respect= fully submitted,

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Enrico Sarandrea, Chairman

Zoning = Board of Appeals

  &nbs= p;         _________________= _________________

  &nbs= p;         Lynn M. LaForme, Minutes Secretary