New Industrial Building Approved In Southington

SOUTHINGTON, CT — Southington's commercial tax base will soon grow a bit after zoning officials said "yes" last month to a new industrial building in Southington for a heating contractor.

The Southington Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6-0 last month in favor of a site plan application to build an 8,400-square-foot industrial building at 115 Pine St., Southington.

Already zoned industrial, the site is 1.14 acres, and it is already served by public water and sewer.

The building will have offices in the front, a main entrance, and four loading docks capable of handling trucks (though tractor-trailers are not expected to be used).

The property is owned by Lovely Development Inc. out of Plantsville, which is also the lead applicant for the site.

Severino Bovino, vice president of Southington-based Kratzert Jones & Associates, represented the applicant at the May 20 PZC meeting, where the commission ultimately said "yes" to the application.

He mostly answered technical questions from commission members before the PZC vote.

Bovino said the property would be for a "heating contractor," though no specific company names were mentioned in the application or the presentation.

He said the site is entrenched in a series of other properties zoned industrial, and buffers, such as fencing and landscaping, are planned to separate it from other sites and a residential site nearby.

"The property is surrounded by industrial zones," Bovino said. "Therefore, we provided a buffer and a vinyl fence."

Southington PZC Chairman Robert Hammersley said buffers were critical to neighbors, and he said, at times, such buffers have not been adequate at similar sites.

Hammersley asked for the buffer to be expanded beyond the 15-foot range, something Bovino said could result in significant building changes.

"My suggestion is we increase the size of that buffer in consideration of the residents that are there now and in the future," Hammersley said.

Ultimately, the PZC approved the site plan with a condition that the buffer area be increased from 15 to 20 feet, along with approval from the local health and water departments.

As a result, it was agreed to shrink the size of the building a bit to facilitate the requested expanded buffer.

For the minutes of the May 20 Southington Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, click on this link.

For all documents related to the 115 Pine St. application, click on this link.