Discover Church seeks town approval to use small open-space strip for parking connector; council asks planning review

Discover Church representatives and planning staff asked the Hampden council at a workshop whether the town would consider conveying a narrow open-space/stormwater easement so the church could create a walkway/connector and expand parking by combining an adjacent purchased lot with town property.

Amy Bridal, director of planning and development, explained the church had purchased Lot 3 and proposed a connector across a small strip of town-owned open space to access parking. Bridal said staff and public-works engineers want deed restrictions and an easement protecting any stormwater infrastructure; she also noted that her research of the 1987 subdivision plans showed no mandated recreational open-space designation for the parcel in question.

Alexandra Trujji of Discover's leadership team said the church had completed wetlands and survey work and would not disturb the stormwater features, adding that they would "put in the deed restrictions that we will not touch the stormwater system" and grant the town an easement to access and maintain the drainage.

Several residents raised concerns about precedent and drainage. Albie Valcourt asked bluntly, "If you're gonna sell these open spaces, does that mean every single open space within the town of Hamden is gonna be open to sale?" Another resident and councilors queried how selling a drainage easement could affect the town's open-space ledger and whether impervious-area accounting could be double-counted when parcels are combined.

Staff and councilors responded that the town has, in limited past cases, conveyed parcels for specific public-benefit reasons (widening a cul-de-sac, providing frontage) and that open-space decisions are handled case-by-case. Planning staff and council emphasized the need for robust public notice and abutter outreach in the planning-board and site-plan processes, and they asked the church to pursue the formal minor-subdivision amendment and planning-board hearings required.

Council consensus at the workshop was to allow the Discover Church proposal to proceed to the planning board subject to required public hearings, site-plan review, deed-restriction language that preserves stormwater function, and appropriate abutter notification. No sale or transfer was approved at the workshop; any conveyance would require future formal council action following the planning and public-notice process.

The next procedural step is the planning-board public hearing for the minor-subdivision change; if the planning board approves, the council would later consider any deed description or conveyance requests.