AVON - The fight continued over a controversial proposal to build new homes in Avon.
There have been months of heated discussions to build the homes on Nod Road.
The Wetlands Commission voted to reject the application to build homes on the Blue Fox Run Golf Course but the developer, Anthony Giorgio said it will not stop him.
The commission voted 5-0 Tuesday evening. However, what was rejected was not the actual application for the development, but over a 2004 map that displayed where all the wetlands are.
“Forget which map it was. The soil scientist went out, they tested the soil. They determined where the wetlands were and they flagged them and we presented an application which had that very clearly delineated. For some reason, they didn’t believe what we said,” said Giorgio of Keystone Companies.
Commission members debated back and forth over the map and went against Giorgio’s research and studies.
Giorgio is looking to build a community of single-family homes on 50 acres of the golf course all while attracting down-sizing families and young professionals.
Nod Road residents like Cheryl Jackson said she is against the project.
“I don’t think young professionals want to come to Avon. I think they want to be in cities, west Hartford, new haven, and be also said that he doesn’t think there’ll be kids coming in but Avon has one of the public school systems,” said Jackson of Avon.
“There’s just too many developments going on and I think we need to save all the wetlands we can to keep open space open for the animals.”
Giorgio said the remaining acres would still be preserved.
“To the best of my knowledge, there haven’t been farm animals on that property for probably 50 years. To the best of my knowledge, people are still going to kayak on the Farmington River. Now if they walk across the golf course to get to the river, they’re still going to have 18 holes of golf to walk across,” added Giorgio.
Giorgio said he will apply for a zone change in the next few weeks.
He will then face the Planning and Zoning Commission to push his project forward.