Mountain Development’s revised multifamily plan adds conservation easements and pump storage; Stratford wetlands commission tables pending engineer review

Attorney Chris Russo and civil engineer Manny Silva presented revisions to a contested Mountain Development Corp application for a four‑story multifamily building near a Stratford wetland. Russo said the revised submission increases conservation easements by roughly 60,857 square feet (about one acre) in upland review areas, submits an eastern box turtle protection plan prepared by LandTech, and expands sewer‑pump storage capacity to improve redundancy.

Russo told commissioners the majority of the building sits more than 100 feet from the wetland and that only a small corner approached the 100‑foot line; he said the additional conservation easements would "box in" the limits of disturbance and conserve land in perpetuity. The applicants also expanded pump‑station storage from 4,000 to 32,000 gallons and proposed keeping a generator and increasing pump redundancy from a duplex arrangement to a four‑pump configuration. Manny Silva described the system as a series of 4,000‑gallon precast tanks with a separate pump chamber containing two duplex pumps on rails; alarms and alternating pump operation would trigger additional pumps as flow increases, and cellular alarm notifications can alert the property manager.

Commissioners raised concerns about maintenance, failure modes and long‑term oversight. Several members asked how tanks and pumps would be inspected and replaced if they deteriorate; candidates’ responses included annual maintenance logs, yearly camera inspections of tanks, and the possibility of filing maintenance reports with the town. Commissioners also questioned hydrology and slope issues; one commissioner warned that filling and mechanical systems can make a wetland dependent on engineered systems and described the wetland as the headwaters of the Bruce Brook stream system.

Applicants said they would accept annual inspection reporting and that the design includes best management practices, an infiltration‑based retention pond sized to infiltrate within 72 hours, hydrodynamic separators and a treatment train to cool and filter water before it reaches the wetland. Given outstanding questions and the need for the town engineer, John Casey, to review revised drainage materials, the commission voted to table the application pending Casey’s comments.

The applicant agreed to return with final documents and indicated willingness to add inspection and maintenance reporting conditions. The commission did not approve or deny the application; it postponed final action pending the engineer’s written review and any required permit modifications.