Monday night's Ledyard Town Board meeting will include an opportunity for town residents to exchange opinions about a proposed comprehensive plan. While this is not a formal public hearing, the town has received the document from its planning board and invited residents to respond in writing if they had concerns.

“We might spend six or 10 months seeing what needs to be done,” town supervisor Mark Jordan said. “The public really shouldn't be involved at this point.” Jordan said a bunch of residents turned up at the last town board meeting on May 12 when the planning board had just presented the proposed comprehensive plan to the town.

“Really, members of the town board hadn't read it, yet,” he said. “Now they have.” Jordan said that when the town board meets on Monday, any residents can have their two minutes to speak. While the board hasn't accepted the proposed plan, it will likely accept it on Monday, then go through it for as long as it takes to make changes.

“It may take us two-and-a-half years,” he said, noting that most of the members of the town board are farmers and are pretty busy during the summer.

“It was a long time coming,” Jordan said. He estimated that the earliest the plan might be ready for a public hearing would be in the winter some time.

He said that the town did not have a comprehensive plan before this time. Commercial enterprises have to go in front of the planning board. Ledyard only has two commercial enterprises-MacKenzie-Childs in Aurora and a shoe factory.

In putting together its comprehensive plan, the planning board was positioning to increase commercial activity and provide needed services for residents by proposing the establishment of a significant commercial zone to be developed along State Rte. 90 and the intersection with Ledyard Road.

The idea of creating a new hamlet for the town, similar to the hamlet of Levanna, with a gas station/convenience store, pharmacy, medical center and other needed services is on the table with the hopes of encouraging new development.

Jordan stressed that the town had no specific plan to invite developers.

“You won't find many farmers around here ready to sell an acre to anybody,” he said.

Resident Brad Walp, who lives right near the intersection, wrote a letter to the town board, objecting to the creation of a commercial zone at this site. He also sent a copy of the letter to The Citizen. He is concerned about the property values increasing in the area and also voices concerns about a negative impact on the community. He said that the businesses the town says are needed to serve the community are already within driving distance of that intersection: the Village Market in Aurora, Wilcox grocery, and gas on the corner of Ledyard Road and Route 34B.

Walp also called into question the “pre-permitting” to attract commercial developers mentioned in the plan, which he called a “radical departure” from the present special permit process in effect.

“This commercial zone will significantly reduce regulation and control on the types of business to develop in this area,” Walp writes.

He also questions the establishment of high density housing, which he deems contrary to the moderate growth in Ledyard spurred by people wishing to live in a rural environment, not townhouses.

He states that, because of environmentally sensitive features of the area, an expensive environmental impact study will have to be made to determine the adverse impact of commercial development on the area.

The previous town board meeting was well attended by residents concerned about the suggested changes, and many are expected to attend on Monday.

Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net