Madison P&Z approves two school demolitions, 6-0

Planning and Zoning · Meeting of August 6, 2026

Madison's Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6-0 to approve demolition of two vacant town-owned school buildings. Facilities representative Ben Whittaker told commissioners the former Town Campus Learning Center building will go to local fire departments for training before a controlled burn in early November, cutting demolition costs from roughly $400,000 to about $120,000. The former Ryerson Elementary School faces a longer 90-to-100-day asbestos abatement expected to go out to bid this fall, with demolition targeted for spring 2027 to finish before summer.

Both sites will be restored to lawn, retaining existing playgrounds and parking. Commissioners also unanimously approved a lot-line revision splitting an estate lot on Durham Road, represented by attorney Michael Iacurci, and scheduled hearings on a Mill Road cluster development and a redemption center.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,249 words

Source: the Planning and Zoning meeting of August 6, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.

The Full Article

Withdrawn pet-services applications

Background and stakes: Applicant David S. Klein had petitioned for a text amendment to Section 4.1.35 and a companion special exception for a property at 391 Durham Road to allow domestic pet-related services, including training, grooming, day care and pet-socialization meetups. Both items, #26-20 and #26-24, were on the agenda as public hearings.

The question before the body: whether to open the two scheduled public hearings.

Substantive content: Chair Carol Snow told commissioners at the outset that the applicant had withdrawn both applications before the meeting, so no hearings would be held. No written explanation for the withdrawal was in the agenda packet.

The deliberation: Snow's announcement drew a brief, informal exchange. "There must be a story, right, that we're not educated about? For another time, maybe," she said, drawing agreement from another commissioner off-mic. No further discussion followed.

Procedural steps and outcome: No vote was necessary; both applications are simply withdrawn and no longer pending before the commission.

Implications and what is next: The withdrawal removes, for now, a zoning question that had previously generated debate over neighbor nuisance concerns and precedent for similar businesses in residential zones, a point commissioners had flagged when amending the July 9 minutes later in this same meeting.

6-9 Campus Drive: Town Campus Learning Center demolition (#26-22)

Background and stakes: The roughly 13,000-square-foot "portable" classroom building served as the Town Campus Learning Center until the Board of Education vacated it following the 2024-25 school year; the building reverted to the town on January 1, 2026. Town facilities staff described it as a temporary modular structure from the early 2000s that is no longer fit for renovation or reuse.

The question before the body: whether to approve a site plan modification allowing demolition of the building and restoration of the site to lawn.

Substantive content: Ben Whittaker, representing the Town of Madison's facilities department, told the commission the all-wood structure will first be stripped of its HVAC units and rubber roofing membrane, then handed over to area fire departments for training exercises culminating in a controlled burn, expected in early November, timed around the adjoining athletic field's sports schedule. A contractor will then clear rubble and footings, backfill, and restore the area to grass. A required hazardous-materials survey found no asbestos; fluorescent light tubes were removed and recycled. Whittaker put the cost comparison plainly: "So we went from about a $400,000 project to demolished structure. If all goes well, we'll be probably around $120,000," he said, crediting the fire-training approach for the savings. Commissioner Janet Peckinpaugh asked whether the adjacent playground would also be demolished; Whittaker confirmed it would remain, located on the far side of a cul-de-sac from the building.

The deliberation: Discussion was brief and technical. Commissioner Mike Bugda asked about the building's construction material; Whittaker confirmed it was all-wood and cheaply built, with no formaldehyde or other chemical concerns identified in the hazardous materials survey. Commissioners also debated wording in the draft resolution's erosion-control condition, questioning whether "construction activities" should read "demolition activities." The commission ultimately left the language as "construction," with Whittaker's staff report noting the term is meant to cover ongoing site disturbance generally.

Procedural steps and outcome: Commissioner John Morgan moved to approve the application as detailed, with conditions requiring 48-hour notice to the zoning enforcement officer before any regulated activity and maintenance of erosion and sedimentation controls through construction and until the zoning enforcement officer is satisfied the site is stabilized. Commissioner Bugda seconded. The motion carried unanimously, 6-0-0. The approval's effective date is August 20, 2026.

Implications and what is next: The site will become a fire department training ground before reverting to open lawn, with no changes proposed to the adjacent basketball courts or playground.

980 Durham Road: Former Ryerson Elementary School demolition (#26-23)

Background and stakes: The application seeks to demolish the former Ryerson Elementary School, a roughly 22,000-square-foot building on a 53-acre parcel shared with the current Brown Elementary School, as part of the town's school renewal plan. The commission's land use staff report notes the town's Architectural and Conservation review body ("ACCA" per the staff report) reviewed the plans without comment at its June 9, 2026 meeting.

The question before the body: whether to approve the site plan modification to demolish the school and stabilize the site with lawn.

Substantive content: Whittaker told commissioners the project involves a more extensive abatement process than the Campus Drive project because of a larger quantity of hazardous building materials, confirmed in response to a question from Bugda to be asbestos throughout the structure. The abatement is expected to take 90 to 100 days, with bidding this fall and work beginning in spring 2027. Structural steel and all foundations and footings will be fully removed and backfilled with clean fill; the town will retain the central parking lot to continue serving the existing playscape, which remains town property. Utility work is already under way: gas service has been severed, electric service is being transitioned next month from the building to a new power pedestal using the existing Eversource transformer, and the water meter has been pulled, with a temporary water service to be installed for abatement activities. Whittaker said scheduling the work to finish before the busy summer season could save the town "20 percent or more."

The deliberation: Bugda's line of questioning on abatement scope and utility termination points was the only substantive exchange; Commissioner Bob O'Connor asked about the amperage of the existing electrical service, which Whittaker estimated at 600 amps, three-phase. Commissioner Michelle Clark, present as an alternate, raised a clarifying question about condition language on inspection notice timing (48 hours versus 24 hours as initially read aloud), which the commission corrected before voting.

Procedural steps and outcome: Commissioner O'Connor moved to approve the application with conditions; Commissioner Bugda seconded. The motion carried unanimously, 6-0-0, with conditions requiring 48-hour notice to the zoning enforcement officer and maintained erosion controls through construction and demolition activities until the site is stabilized. The effective date is August 20, 2026.

Implications and what is next: The Ryerson site will remain partially paved to continue serving the playscape and sports field, while the bulk of the building footprint returns to graded, seeded lawn, with construction targeted to begin by spring 2027 and conclude before summer.

Pending applications scheduled for August 20 and beyond

Background and stakes: Several applications already in the pipeline required no discussion but needed procedural votes to schedule or continue hearings. These include #26-10 (a four-unit apartment building at 397 Durham Road, applicant David Klein), #26-15 (Garnet Park Road Bridge replacement over Bailey Creek), #26-26 and #26-27 (two Madison Center Phase 3 downtown alteration applications along Boston Post Road, Britton Lane and West Wharf Road), and #26-29 (an 18-home cluster development on Mill Road by SWPG River Road LLC).

The question before the body: whether to continue, table, or schedule public hearings for these applications.

Substantive content: The commission confirmed, without debate, that #26-10 is continued to August 20, 2026; #26-15 is tabled to August 20, 2026; and #26-26 and #26-27 already have hearings scheduled for August 20, 2026. For #26-29, Commissioner John Dusza moved to schedule a public hearing for August 20, 2026, seconded by Bugda; the motion carried unanimously, 6-0-0. Chair Snow noted aloud that "August 20th looks like a big meeting."

The deliberation: None of these items drew commissioner questions or public comment at this meeting.

Procedural steps and outcome: All items are set for further action on August 20, 2026, either as continued hearings or newly scheduled ones.

Implications and what is next: August 20 will be a consequential meeting for Madison Center's downtown streetscape work, a 397 Durham Road apartment proposal, the Garnet Park Road bridge, and an 18-lot residential cluster development on Mill Road, all converging on a single agenda.

Eagle Meadow Section 1 lot line revision, Durham Road (#26-31)

Background and stakes: The application stems from the settlement of Herta M. Halliwell's estate. Halliwell's center lot at 1563 Durham Road, part of the Eagle Meadow Section 1 subdivision, is to be eliminated and divided between the two adjoining lots owned by her sons, at 1557 and 1577 Durham Road.

The question before the body: whether to approve the lot line revision consolidating three lots into two.

Substantive content: An attorney representing the applicants, identified in the minutes as Michael Iacurci (the transcript audio rendered the name as "Michael A. Kersey"), explained that the center lot's residence no longer exists but a detached accessory shed remains. He told the commission the shed would maintain minimum side-yard setbacks under the new lot line and said the revision would actually bring the property more into conformance by eliminating a standalone accessory structure on its own lot.

The deliberation: Commissioners' questions were limited to confirming the mechanics of the revision; one commissioner asked for confirmation that the application consolidates three lots into two, which the attorney confirmed, describing which existing property lines would be eliminated and where the new line would run.

Procedural steps and outcome: Commissioner Morgan moved to approve the application, seconded by Commissioner Peckinpaugh. The motion carried unanimously, 6-0-0, with a condition that the accessory shed maintain minimum yard setbacks relative to the new lot line. The minutes list the effective date as August 30, 2026, pending filing of a signed mylar on the land records.

Implications and what is next: The three-lot Eagle Meadow parcel becomes two once the mylar is filed, formalizing the estate's division of the Halliwell family property.

Additional receipts scheduled or tabled

Background and stakes: Three more applications needed only scheduling or tabling votes. #26-30 is an application by Rebecca Craft of Titan Services, LLC, on behalf of owner Sherwood Island 44 LLC, to install a standalone unmanned redemption center at 128 Samson Rock Drive. #26-32+CSP, filed by owners Nicholas J. and Nancy J. Robert, seeks to modify porch railings, a patio and a walkway at 908 Boston Post Road. #26-33+CSP, filed by JL Boure LLC, proposes EV chargers in a parking lot at 1321 Boston Post Road.

The question before the body: whether to set hearing dates or table the applications.

Substantive content and outcome: Commissioner Dusza moved to schedule the #26-30 public hearing for October 1, 2026, giving the applicant additional lead time; Commissioner Morgan seconded, and it carried 6-0-0. Commissioner Bugda moved to schedule the #26-32+CSP hearing for September 3, 2026, seconded by O'Connor; it carried 6-0-0. Commissioner Peckinpaugh moved to table #26-33+CSP to the September 3, 2026 meeting, seconded by Morgan; it carried 6-0-0.

Implications and what is next: All three applications return to the commission's agenda on either September 3 or October 1, 2026.

Approval of July 9 minutes

Background and stakes: Secretary John Morgan led a review of the prior meeting's draft minutes, which recorded debate on the now-withdrawn pet-services text amendment.

The question before the body: whether to approve the July 9 minutes as corrected.

Substantive content: Morgan identified a typo correction (changing "indicted" to "indicated" in Town Planner Erin Mannix's staff comments), an added reference to "text amendment" in a paragraph attributed to Commissioner Bugda, a Bugda name misspelling fix, and an expanded sentence in a paragraph attributed to Morgan himself, clarifying that the withdrawn text amendment's animal-run siting raised concerns about protecting residential neighbors from nuisances, future property use, and setting precedent for similar businesses in residential areas.

Procedural steps and outcome: Commissioner Peckinpaugh moved to approve the minutes as corrected, seconded by Dusza. The motion carried 6-0-0.

Implications and what is next: The corrected minutes preserve, for the record, the commission's substantive concerns about the now-withdrawn pet-services proposal, which could resurface if Klein refiles.

Adjournment

The commission adjourned at 7:25 p.m. on a motion by Commissioner O'Connor, seconded by Dusza, carried unanimously 6-0-0.

WHO WAS THERE

Carol Snow, Chair, present John Dusza, Vice Chair, present John Morgan, Secretary, present Mike Bugda, Member, present Janet Peckinpaugh, Member, present Bob O'Connor, Member, present Michelle Clark, Alternate, present Max Corroon, Member, absent Jeff Downes, Member, absent Erin Mannix, Town Planner, present Ben Whittaker, Town of Madison facilities department, presented #26-22 and #26-23 Michael Iacurci, attorney for the Halliwell family applicants (#26-31), presented the lot line revision application

ORGANIZATIONS AND DOCUMENTS REFERENCED

Eversource — utility whose transformer and 600-amp, three-phase service the town is reusing for the Ryerson demolition's temporary power pedestal (#26-23) Connecticut Water — utility that removed the water meter at the Ryerson site ahead of a temporary abatement-era service (#26-23) ACCA — town review body cited in the staff report as having reviewed the Ryerson demolition plans without comment at its June 9, 2026 meeting (#26-23) Madison School Renewal Plan — town planning document cited in the staff report as the basis for demolishing the former Ryerson Elementary School (#26-23) SWPG River Road LLC — owner/applicant for the 18-home cluster development on Mill Road, hearing scheduled for August 20, 2026 (#26-29) Titan Services, LLC / Rebecca Craft — applicant for the redemption center at 128 Samson Rock Drive, hearing scheduled for October 1, 2026 (#26-30) JL Boure LLC — applicant for EV chargers at 1321 Boston Post Road, tabled to September 3, 2026 (#26-33+CSP) Sherwood Island 44 LLC / JRI Advisors LLC — owner of the Samson Rock Drive property under the redemption center application (#26-30) July 9, 2026 minutes — prior meeting minutes corrected and approved at this meeting, including language on the withdrawn pet-services text amendment debate