The Planning and Zoning Commission last week accepted an application for a special permit and site plan modification for the Manor House Inn on Maple Avenue and set a public hearing for January 14. It also asked for additional documentation to be submitted.
The application seeks to modernize and enhance services at the inn, mainly by adding recreational facilities at the rear of the main building, constructing a new garage and two Nordic-style guest cabins, and upgrading the parking area.
In accepting the application, the commission listed seven additional documents it wants, including confirmation that there will be no problems with sewer and water services; existing documents pertaining to the 1996 special permit; a letter from P&Z’s counsel explaining the special permit; a letter from the Fire Marshal about indoor seating capacity; information about wetlands; a letter from the Public Works Department about the new driveway and parking plan, and a Class 3 License from the Torrington Health District.
The Manor House has been operated as a country inn since 1996 when the late Henry Tremblay received a special permit for it. A site plan is not available; it is unclear whether one was never submitted or whether it has been lost. The evidence for what the Planning and Zoning Commission approved 29 years ago is Tremblay’s December 12, 1995, letter to the commission requesting a permit for a country inn with both overnight and daytime guests “of no more than 150 people” on-site, up to 25 guest rooms, a restaurant, conference facilities, recreational facilities and “similar uses contributing to the comfort, convenience or necessity of the guests.”
The current owners have a valid permit, according to Zoning Enforcement Officer Stacey Sefcik, who says the application concerns only a site plan modification.
The hearing will be held at 6:45 p.m. at Botelle School. To view the application package of December 3, 2024, click here. For links to additional documents, click here and select from the options in the right-hand column.
A story that appeared last week included misstatements of fact. We regret the errors.