Special permits sought for projects

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This land at 1188 New Haven Road is where developer Tom Haynes plans to build a new, larger Planet Fitness. -REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
This land at 1188 New Haven Road is where developer Tom Haynes plans to build a new, larger Planet Fitness. -REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

NAUGATUCK — The Zoning Commission opened public hearings last week on three proposed projects seeking special permits.

Iftikhar Ahmad, of the Naugatuck-based HZM Petroleum Corp., has applied to build a gas station and a 7,500-square-foot commercial building with three units located at 1198, 1202, and 1204 New Haven Road. The project will be located on a 1.67 acre parcel of land, according to the application.

According to the site plan, the middle unit will be about 3,100 square feet and will house a convenience store, which will service the gas pumps. The two end units will be approximately 2,200 square-feet and are expected to be used for retail.

The unit on the left side of the building will have a drive-through window. Town Planner Sue Goggin said the applicant hopes to see a bank use that unit.

Construction of the project is expected to be completed within six months of receiving all of the necessary approvals from the borough, according to the application.

Seymour-based developer Tom Haynes, owner of 1224 New Haven Road LLC, is looking to build a 17,000-square-foot building and add additional parking at 1186 and 1188 New Haven Road, a 15.18 acre lot. In the past, the property had been used as a driving range and a drive-in movie theater.

There is currently a 10,000-square-foot Planet Fitness gym on the property. According to the site plans, the gym would move into the new building and a new tenant would be found for the current building.

Haynes said in the application if he receives all the appropriate approvals from the borough, he expects the project to start sometime in the fall and wrap up in the winter of 2016.

A Better Way Wholesale Autos, which is currently located at 423 Rubber Ave., is looking to move its operations to two adjoining parcels of land at 18 and 30 Raytkwich Road in the borough’s industrial park.

The two parcels are 12.4 acres in total. According to the site plan, the lots will house a two-story, 22,300-square-foot footprint building as well as all of the vehicles for sale that are parked outside.

The car dealership had originally stored all of its vehicles on the General DataComm lot at 6 Rubber Ave. However, after the borough purchased the property in 2013, it requested the car dealership to move the vehicles. The vehicles are currently located on the former Risdon Manufacturing Company property behind the Naugatuck Recycling Center off of Andrew Avenue.

All three public hearings were continued to the Zoning Commission’s Sept. 16 meeting.