Norwalk commissioners press developer to widen wetland buffer, protect trees at Singing Woods subdivision

Lendy Andrea, representing the applicant for S25‑660 at Singing Woods Road, presented revised subdivision and wetland-buffer plans and told the Norwalk Conservation Commission the team had expanded a proposed buffer and preserved a number of mature trees while tightening grading to limit disturbance.

The commission’s land‑use ecologist consultant, Andrew Delach of William Kenny Associates, said the 01/20/2026 revision increases the buffer by “approximately by 1,236 square feet,” ties it to the northern neighbor’s buffer and retains 11 trees ranging about 12 to 30 inches in diameter. Delach said the plan now sets the closest disturbance no nearer than about 20 feet only at one narrow point, and that most of the buffer is 30 feet or more.

Why it matters: commissioners said the plan still shows narrower protection than prior approvals on neighboring lots and that the commission’s upland review expectations have shifted in recent years. Members pressed the applicant for measured dimensions, a clearer nondisturbance line and stronger, permanent demarcation so the protections survive construction and later ownership changes.

Commissioners and engineers debated the site’s subsurface infrastructure. Commissioners asked whether the septic leach field could be relocated north of the proposed house to enlarge the upland buffer and reduce tree removals. Engineers explained the trade‑offs: soils, slope and health‑department setbacks constrain septic layout, and a longer leach‑field footprint or additional rows can push closer to regulated areas. One engineer summed up the constraint: moving the septic north could be possible “if you take away the drainage system,” but doing both on the same footprint would likely increase grading and the footprint of disturbance.

On demarcation and planting, applicant representatives proposed moving a line of large boulders outward and tightening grading limits to save specific trees. Commissioners asked that any agreed shift be shown on plans and recorded as a binding condition. One commissioner said the commission would consider a 45‑foot demarcation limit in the northerly area and urged the team to aim for a 50‑foot nondisturbance where feasible.

Next steps: applicants committed to provide supplemental plans with exact floodlines, measured setbacks, revised grading and a planting/demarcation detail before the next hearing. Staff confirmed the commission is scheduled to hear the continued application on Feb. 10. The commission did not take a final vote on the application at the Jan. 27 meeting.

Quote: Lendy Andrea said, “We certainly took a good hard look at that, and I think we’ve done a pretty good job,” while Andrew Delach described the revised buffer as increased by “approximately by 1,236 square feet.”

The commission asked staff to post the applicant’s written responses to Alexis’s memo and to include any binding conditions in the record prior to any approval.