741 Colonel Ledyard Highway

Ledyard, Connecticut 06339

TOWN OF LEDYARD

Inland Wetland and Water Courses

Commission

Meeting Minutes - Final

Chairman

Justin DeBrodt

Regular Meeting

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

7:00 PM

Council Chambers -Hybrid Format

CALL TO ORDER

Chairman DeBrodt called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Annex Council

Chambers and on Zoom.

II.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

III.

ROLL CALL AND APPOINTMENT OF ALTERNATES

Chairperson Justin DeBrodt

Commissioner Dan Pealer

Present

Vice Chair Beth E. Ribe

Commissioner Michael E. Marelli

Commissioner James Thompson

Alternate Member Robert Graham

In addition, the following were present:

Zoning & Wetlands Enforcement Official, Hannah Gienau

Land Use Assistant, Anna Wynn

IV.

APPROVAL OF ADDITIONS TO AND/OR CHANGES TO THE ORDER OF THE

AGENDA

None.

CITIZENS PETITIONS (NON-AGENDA ITEMS ONLY)

None.

VI.

PRE APPLICATION DISCUSSION AND/OR WORKSHOP

None.

VII. PUBLIC HEARINGS/APPLICATIONS

IWWC#25-5SITE - 19, 29 & 39 Military Highway (PARCEL IDS: 91-1590-19, 29 & 39),

Gales Ferry, CT - Agent, Brian Smith, Esq., Robinson & Cole - Applicant/Owner: C.R.

Klewin LLC for approval of regulated activities associated with construction of a 278-unit

multifamily residential housing development & associated site improvements. (Submitted

2/24/25, Date of receipt 3/4/25, PH orig. scheduled to open 4/1/25, PH rescheduled to open

4/22/25, PH must close by 5/26/25, PH Cont. to 5/6/25, PH Cont. 5/27/25 with 2-day ext. time

granted to 5/28/25, PH Cont. to 7/1/25 with 36-day ext. time granted to 7/2/25, PH must close

by 7/2/25. DRD 65-days from close PH).

Attorney Brian Smith, One State Street, Hartford, CT, representing C.R. Klewin, LLC, stated

that he had submitted a letter requesting a continuance for application IWWC#25-5SITE

previously marked as exhibit #38-1 and #38-2. He spoke to the application sitting before

DEEP and that they need more information from the applicant. Commissioner Ribe and

Attorney Brian Smith clarified the timeline of the DEEP applications. Attorney Brian Smith,

the Commission and staff all discussed which site plan had been submitted to DEEP for

review.

Hannah Gienau read exhibit #40 into the record with questions submitted by Land Use

Director, Elizabeth Burdick.

The Commission discussed when they would close the public hearing and when they would

be receiving information from both the applicant, the intervenor and their own consultants.

Jeff Board, Bohler Engineering reviewed exhibit #34 with the Commission and noted

changes made for drainage and various features of the site. Hannah Gienau read for the

record exhibit #28 noting comments provided by DyMar. Attorney Brian Smith spoke about

the application process at the state level.

Richard Ross of Epic Clean Tec provided information on the data collection the company

will be doing to submit for DEEP. Jeff Board continued to make comments on the details of

the site plan. Attorney Smith and the Commission continued to discuss the timeline

information would be submitted to them and details contained in the plan.

Attorney Wilson Carroll of Cohen and Wolf, 1115 Broad Street, Bridgeport, CT,

representing the intervenor, Gales Ferry District, stated that the intervenor’s experts are

prepared to testify at this meeting or if the public hearing should be continued.

Zoning Enforcement Official, Hannah Gienau, read her staff report into the record marked as

exhibit #41. The Commission continued to discuss if they would have sufficient information

submitted for the record if they were to continue the hearing.

MOTION to grant the extension of time for the public hearing on application

IWWC#25-5SITE

APPROVED AND SO DECLARED

Beth E. Ribe

RESULT:

MOVER:

James Thompson

SECONDER:

DeBrodt, Pealer, Ribe, Marelli, and Thompson

Graham

AYE:

NON-VOTING

MOTION to continue the public hearing to the IWWC Special Meeting on July 15, 2025

RESULT:

4-0 APPROVED AND SO DECLARED

MOVER: Ribe

SECONDER: Thompson

AYES: 4 Ribe, Marelli, Thompson, Pealer

NAYES: 1 DeBrodt

NON VOTING: 1 Graham

Discussion & Decision: IWWC#25-5SITE - 19, 29 & 39 Military Highway (PARCEL IDS:

91-1590-19, 29 & 39), Gales Ferry, CT - Agent, Brian Smith, Esq., Robinson & Cole -

Applicant/Owner: C.R. Klewin LLC for approval of regulated activities associated with

construction of a 278-unit multifamily residential housing development & associated site

improvements. (Submitted 2/24/25, Date of receipt 3/4/25, PH orig. scheduled to open 4/1/25,

PH rescheduled to open 4/22/25, PH must close by 5/26/25, PH Cont. to 5/6/25, PH Cont.

5/27/25 with 2-day ext. time granted to 5/28/25, PH Cont. to 7/1/25 with 36-day ext. time

granted to 7/2/25, PH must close by 7/2/25. DRD 65-days from close PH).

TABLED

RESULT:

VIII. OLD BUSINESS

IWWC#25-11SITE - 8, 9 & 11 Colby Drive, Ledyard, CT, (Parcel IDS: 68-520-8, 9 & 11) -

Applicant/Agent, Norm Eccleston for Owner, Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Connecticut

Inc. for regulated activities associated with construction of a multi-family residential

affordable housing development per C.G.S. §8-30g for 16 single-family and 11 duplex

dwellings & associated site improvements, inc. the extension of Colby Drive. (Submitted

5/27/25, Date of Receipt 6/3/25, DRD 8/6/2025)

Nancy Levesque and the Commission reviewed the maintenance plan for the application.

Hannah Gienau entered her staff report as file document #11 for the application and read in

into the record for the Commission. Staff, the applicant and the Commission discussed the

various proposed conditions of approval suggested by staff including the application being

signed by the property owners of 16 Highview Terrace. They discussed the intersection of

the easement and the application. Staff and the Commission concluded that they would not

condition approval on the additional signature.

After giving due consideration to all relevant factors, including those in Section 6 of the

Ledyard Inland Wetland Regulations and Section 22a-40 of the Connecticut General

Statutes, I move to APPROVE Application #IWWC 25-11SITE, submitted by the Applicant,

Norm Eccleston Habitat for Humanity of Eastern CT, and the Property Owner Habitat for

Humanity of Eastern Connecticut, Inc. , for regulated activities to construct a multi-family

residential housing development per C.G.S §8-30g for 16 single-family dwelling units and

11 duplex dwellings and associated site improvements, including the extension of Colby Dr,

grading, utilities, drainage structure maintenance, detention basins, and Soil Erosion &

Sediment Controls (SESC), as more fully described in a plan entitled “Habitat for Humanity

Multi-Family Residential Affordable Housing Development Per C.G.S §, lots 8,9,11 Colby

Drive Ledyard, Connecticut, dated May 19, 2025”.

1. Soil erosion and sediment controls shall be installed prior to the start of work and

maintained in good working order until any disturbed soils are permanently stabilized with

vegetative cover.

2. Prior to the start of any work at the site, the Ledyard Wetlands Enforcement Officer shall

be notified and shall conduct an inspection to verify soil erosion and sediment controls have

been properly installed.

3. Any future proposed changes to the proposed site plan submitted as part of this

application shall be reviewed and approved by the Wetlands Official and/or the IWWC.

APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS

Beth E. Ribe

RESULT:

MOVER:

James Thompson

SECONDER:

DeBrodt, Pealer, Ribe, Marelli, and Thompson

Graham

AYE:

NON-VOTING

IX.

NEW BUSINESS

None.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS

IWWC Regular Meeting Minutes of June 3, 2025

MOTION to approve the IWWC Regular Meeting Minutes of June 3, 2025 as submitted

APPROVED AND SO DECLARED

Beth E. Ribe

RESULT:

MOVER:

Michael E. Marelli

SECONDER:

DeBrodt, Pealer, Ribe, Marelli, and Thompson

Graham

AYE:

NON-VOTING

XI.

CORRESPONDENCE

None.

XII. REPORTS

WEO Staff Report of July 1, 2025

Hannah Gienau briefly discussed her staff report with the Commission.

XIII. ADJOURNMENT

Commissioner Thompson moved the meeting to be adjourned, seconded by Commissioner

Ribe. The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,