Inland Wetlands Commission to Hold Special Meeting on Grace Farms

The New Canaan Inland Wetlands Commission is scheduled to hold a special meeting on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Sturgess Room at the New Canaan Nature Center to discuss an application that would allow the owner of the Grace Farms property on the north side of town near the Pound Ridge border to build a new church and community center. The meeting will be open to the public, but no public comments will be taken.

The application also seeks permission to conducted related improvements, including "library, office, dining/living, gymnasium, bathroom and foyer buildings/structures" and "modify existing barn as well as parking areas, access drives, drainage improvements, grading and landscaping."

According the New Canaan Advertiser, residents opposed to the project believe that the plans would have "adverse environmental impacts, including negative impacts on the wetlands" because of the 63,000 cubic yards of fill of that would be added to the property during construction. Engineers of the project denied during a Jan. 14 meeting that the fill could potentially contaminate the area, which was a concern of one of the neighboring property owners.

If the commission does not come to a decision on the application on Thursday, another special meeting is scheduled to be held on Feb. 11, according to the Advertiser.