2007 Annual Report - Town of Wilton

During 2007, the ZBA heard twenty-fourapplications of which twelve were fullyapproved, seven were partially approved,three were denied and one was withdrawn. Ofthe twenty-four applications, six applicationsinvolved meetings of two or more sessionsof the Board. The Board also heard andupheld one appeal of the decision of theZoning Enforcement Officer. The majority ofapplications were from homeowners requestingdecreased setbacks for additions, decks andgarages or increased building or site coveragedue to undersized or narrow lots.Regular members of the Board in 2007 includedMichael Bilby, Chairman, Miriam Sayegh, ViceChairwoman, Lisa Chubinsky, Secretary, EricFanwick, John Gardiner and alternate membersJohn Comiskey, David Lattimer and Peter Shiue.During this time, the Board saw the departure ofMichael Bilby, Eric Fanwick and David Lattimer.Their knowledge, expertise and commitment tothe Board will be greatly missed. New membersjoining the Board in 2007 included BarbaraFrees, Daniel Darst and Peter Bell. In Decemberof 2007, the Board elected Miriam Sayegh tothe position of Chairwoman, John Gardiner, ViceChairman and Barbara Frees, Secretary.Miriam Sayegh, ChairwomanConservationCommissionThe Conservation Commission worksto protect Wilton’s natural resources bystewarding the Town’s 1,700+ acres of openspace, educating the public on relevant topics,and providing recommendations to other landuse boards on applications under review. Areasaddressed by the Conservation Commissioninclude preservation of habitat resources,significant trees, stone walls, steep slopesand other valued land features, as well as thepotential for trails and open space linkage.In line with the goals of natural resourcemanagement, the Commission partneredwith other Town entities to develop a WiltonCenter Tree Plan. Implementation of this plan isexpected in the spring of 2008.Beyond special projects, one of the principalresponsibilities of the Commission isstewarding the Town’s passive open spaces.Each Commissioner is a steward of one or twoparks and four to seven miniparks, reporting onneeds and coordinating routine maintenance.Wilton’s parks are located throughout the Townand are open to the public daily from sunriseto sunset. A Walker’s Guide to Wilton, whichprovides maps and directions to these andother area parks, is available for purchase atthe Conservation office.The Conservation Commission also works toeducate the public on conservation issuesand provides programs to help residentsprotect the environment. The Commission’snewsletter, published each spring and falland mailed to every residential address inWilton, presents articles to inform residents ofenvironmentally-friendly landscape practicesand to answer various questions. In 2007,the Commission focused on recycling trash,opportunities to recycle our electronics andLand Use & Public Works29