Commission Approves Culver Street Sign Permit

Planning and Zoning · Meeting of September 23, 2026

Newington Planning and Zoning Commission approved a special permit for a freestanding sign at 69 Culver Street, requiring dimmable LED lighting to address glare concerns. Commissioners unanimously closed a public hearing continued from September 9 for applicant Pamela Brealey, owner of Culver Street Apartments LLC, then unanimously approved the permit with the lighting condition. Separately, Acting Town Planner Eric S.

Inkley read a September 22 letter from Mayor John Trister asking the commission to "explore changes to the Town's zoning regulations that would meaningfully strengthen the protections afforded to our open space parcels," including closing a municipal exemption and requiring two-thirds votes on open space permits. Commissioners took no vote, with Commissioner Woods and others saying they want a town attorney opinion first. Resident Rose Lyons, 81, tied the letter to a disputed Housing Authority proposal near the Mill Street Extension, asking, "Where are you going to give to the seniors that come after me?"

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,609 words

Source: the Planning and Zoning meeting of September 23, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.

The Full Article

Roll Call and Agenda

The September 23 meeting opened with a roll call that seated Chairman Sobieski and Commissioners Kaine, Herpe, Miner, Pastorelli and Woods. Commissioner Fox was absent, and the commission appointed Commissioner Gill to sit as the alternate in Fox's place, giving the board a full voting complement. The roll call also named a Commissioner Morales, whose attendance could not be confirmed from the audio, and included an unclear reference rendered in the recording as "Commissioner Bryce Davis," which may be a transcription artifact rather than a seated member. No changes were made to the agenda, and no one signed up for public participation on items not already listed.

Public Hearing: Freestanding Sign at 69 Culver Street (TPZ 26-18)

Background and stakes: This was the second and final session of a public hearing first opened September 9 on a special permit application under Section 6.2.5 of Newington's zoning regulations, covering a freestanding sign proposed for the Planned Development zone at 69 Culver Street. Acting Town Planner Eric S. Inkley read the original September 9 public hearing notice into the record as a formality before resuming testimony, noting the legal ad had run in local papers August 27 and September 3.

The question before the body: whether to close testimony and, later in the same meeting, formally approve the special permit, with or without conditions.

Substantive content: The applicant, Pamela Brealey, owner of Culver Street Apartments LLC, participated by phone or video link. She told the commission she had received and forwarded two additional photographs from the sign manufacturer's customer base: one showing a nearly identical sign built to the same specifications in daylight, and one showing a similar sign, with halo lighting, lit at night, located in Meriden. Inkley confirmed he had received the images only that day. Commissioner Miner sought and received confirmation that the sign's LED unit could be wired with a dimmable power supply if the halo lighting proved to create glare. Inkley reported that the revised staff report incorporated input from both the Newington fire chief and police department, both of whom preferred the sign stay illuminated overnight rather than shutting off at a fixed hour.

The deliberation: Commissioner Herpe, who had raised the glare question at the September 9 session, said the earlier back-and-forth had settled on dimming adjustments as an acceptable condition rather than a lighting curfew. He separately flagged, as a matter distinct from the sign itself, the physical condition of part of Culver Street, which he said has visible depressions and "penetrations" that the state Department of Transportation does not consider safe for sustained driving, and which he said prompts many residents to detour via a parallel route. He said he was confident the applicant's parent company would eventually address the pavement given its "long-term reputation and size." Commissioner Gill, who said he had missed the September 9 session but read the minutes, confirmed with staff that the sign's dimensions had not changed from the earlier proposal. No commissioner raised an objection to the application itself, and no members of the public, in the room or online, spoke for or against the sign when the chairman asked.

"No question. Just one clarification that the presenter last time said the unit could be compiled as, you know, slightly dimmable if the halo was affecting. That is correct. Yeah, we could use a power supply in there that's dimmable." [00:09:18] — Commissioner Miner, with Eric S. Inkley responding

Procedural steps and outcome: Commissioner Woods moved to close the public hearing on TPZ 26-18; the motion was seconded and passed on a unanimous voice vote. Later in the meeting, under new business, the commission took up the petition again. A commissioner moved to approve TPZ 26-18 "for the special permit for the sign on rent with one condition, that the lighting pack for the LED on the internal bulbs for this sign are dimmable," stating the application met the requirements of the Newington zoning regulations. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

Implications and what is next: The approval allows installation of the freestanding sign at 69 Culver Street once the applicant's electrical contractor pulls a permit through the town's building department portal, a process Chairman Sobieski confirmed does not route separately through the planning office. The pavement condition Herpe raised on Culver Street remains outside the commission's jurisdiction and was not made a condition of approval.

Approval of Minutes

A motion to approve the minutes of the September 9 meeting passed, with Commissioner Gill indicating he would abstain because he had not attended that session. This was a routine procedural item with no substantive discussion.

Upcoming Petitions and Planner's Report

Inkley previewed three items for the commission's next meeting: a special permit for a gym use in the space formerly occupied by Fine Fettle, a site plan modification for the former Fastener building (referred to in discussion as "wood grain") to add loading bays, and a wireless facility application under state statute 8-24 for a radio tower. Inkley also distributed a one-page "Zoning Considerations" memo drawn from the town's master plan, intended to keep potential future text amendments in front of the commission for discussion during lighter agendas. Commissioner Herpe suggested the commission revisit a sketch of awning-pole signage in the memo, proposing a wrought-iron post design instead, describing it as "only a suggestion" previously discussed at the committee level.

Mayor Trister's Letter on Open Space Zoning Protections

Background and stakes: Inkley told the commission he had distributed a letter that morning from Mayor John Trister, dated September 22, which he said he could only print in reduced font because of a printer problem, and read it into the record at the chairman's request. The letter followed what the mayor described as "several months of collaborative work" among the Town Council, the town's Open Space Committee and town staff examining the durability of existing open space protections, and cited recent "conversations and organizing" in the community. Commissioners later connected the letter to recent controversy over a Newington Housing Authority proposal involving a parcel near the Mill Street Extension that carries an open space zoning designation; Chairman Sobieski said he suspected that dispute was the origin, though "there was no formal application" filed.

The question before the body: whether, and how, to begin exploring amendments to Section 3.25, the town's open space zone, and related sections, without a formal zoning petition having been filed.

Substantive content: The mayor's letter, citing Newington as "by most estimates, upwards of 90 percent developed," asked the commission to consider seven specific changes. First, closing what the letter called a "municipal exemption gap": Section 1.2.2.C currently exempts all municipal property from commission regulations, and the letter asked the commission to explore an explicit carve-out so that town-owned open space parcels cannot rely on that exemption to avoid open space zone rules. Second, completing a "mandatory open space map amendment" for town-owned parcels that the town's Plan of Conservation and Development open space plan designates as open space but that remain zoned PLR20, R12 or under the municipal exemption. Third, defining "undeveloped or underdeveloped," a term the letter said currently governs open space eligibility under Section 3.25 without any objective threshold, potentially tied to impervious coverage or building footprint under Section 9.2. Fourth, replacing open-ended accessory building language in Section 3.25.3(b) with a closed list of low-impact passive recreation structures and an absolute square-footage cap, on top of the existing 10 percent floor-area allowance. Fifth, requiring a written Conservation Commission and Open Space Committee impact report, entered into the public record before any hearing on a text or map change affecting open space parcels. Sixth, extending the commission's existing two-thirds-vote requirement, already used for certain waivers under Sections 6.64, 3.14.3 and 3.18.4, to special permits for golf courses, cemeteries and accessory buildings under Section 3.25.3. Seventh, requiring a recorded right-of-first-refusal covenant in favor of the town as a condition of open space special permit approval, and supporting the town's separate pursuit of third-party conservation easements. The letter also noted that under Connecticut General Statutes Section 8-3, any resident may petition the commission in writing for a regulation change, which would trigger a mandatory public hearing within 65 days, but said the mayor hoped the commission would begin exploring changes "without a formal petition."

The deliberation: Commissioner Herpe raised a process concern, saying the letter appeared unusually detailed for a body that "really works with land use situations," and suggested the commission wait for a permanent, seated town planner before taking it up, while cautioning against "duplication of effort" with other town bodies already examining the same question. Commissioner Gill said he wanted to "digest" the proposal given its length and asked whether it had been previously circulated; Inkley said it had not. Commissioner Pastorelli, who said she serves on the town's Open Space Committee, said there is community appetite for stronger protections and that the commission should be willing to engage with the request. Commissioner Woods, who said he has served on the commission for close to ten years, said he could not recall the commission ever entertaining a citizen petition for a zoning change on an open space parcel, nor ever removing an open space designation from a parcel. Inkley, responding, said a 2017 review establishing the open space zone is now being revisited because staff discovered some parcels were "erroneously designated" as open space, including some that are actually residential homes, which will require a separate map correction. Woods also questioned whether the commission has the authority to prevent a future commission from reversing any of these changes, comparing it to the Town Council's own limits, and said he was uncertain whether the commission could legally void the municipal exemption. Commissioner Miner agreed a legal opinion was needed and said he suspected the letter stemmed from the Mill Street Extension matter. Chairman Sobieski said he was "not against any of this" but wanted assurance the town would be protected from potential litigation before proceeding, and proposed that he and a town staff member referred to only as "Charlie" raise the matter with the town manager, with the possibility of a meeting involving the mayor, commission leadership and staff.

"Mr. Chairman, just because we may be able to do it doesn't mean we want to do it for our own opinions at the commission. Let's get clarification." [00:28:17] — Commissioner Woods

Procedural steps and outcome: No motion was made and no vote was taken on the mayor's letter. The consensus among commissioners who spoke was to request a formal opinion from the town attorney on the legal questions raised, particularly around binding future commissions and narrowing the municipal exemption, before drafting any regulation language. Chairman Sobieski said he would raise the matter with the town manager and said a meeting involving the mayor could follow.

Implications and what is next: Any eventual amendment to Section 3.25 would require the commission to draft regulation language, refer it for legal review, and hold a public hearing under the commission's normal rulemaking process; none of those steps has been scheduled. In the meantime, Inkley said staff is separately auditing the town's open space inventory to correct mapping errors identified since the 2017 open space zone was adopted, a process unrelated to the mayor's proposal but running concurrently with it.

Public Participation: Mill Street Extension and Senior Housing

Resident Rose Lyons of 46 Elton Drive told the commission she has attended Town Council, Plan of Conservation and Development, Save Cedar Mountain and Save Mill Pond Park meetings for about 20 years and said she believed the mayor's letter was a direct response to public objections raised after the Newington Housing Authority proposed using a parcel zoned open space near the Mill Street Extension. She said she had not seen any record of town officials notifying the Planning and Zoning Commission, Town Council or town manager when the town's affordable housing study plan assigned follow-up responsibilities, and asked whether the Housing Authority, as an abutting property owner, had been notified of any zoning discussion involving that parcel. She said she is not seeking housing for herself at 81 but raised the question of where future seniors will find affordable options.

"I am a senior who's been here for 78 of my 81 years. I have looked for housing... I've gone to Rocky Hill. I've gone all over the place." [00:31:08] — Rose Lyons, Newington resident

Commissioner Remarks and Adjournment

Commissioner Woods closed the meeting by thanking town IT staff for enlarging the Zoom display and improving the camera's ability to follow speakers. No further business was raised, and the commission adjourned on a unanimous voice vote.

WHO WAS THERE

Chairman Sobieski, presiding. Commissioner Kaine, member, present. Commissioner Herpe, member, present (transcript audio also renders this name as "Harpy" and "Harvey" in different spots). Commissioner Miner, member, present. Commissioner Pastorelli, member, present (also rendered "Pasquarelli"); said she serves on the Open Space Committee. Commissioner Woods, member, present; said he has served on the commission for close to ten years. Commissioner Gill, seated as alternate in place of absent Commissioner Fox. Commissioner Fox, listed as absent. Commissioner Morales, named at roll call; attendance not confirmable from the recording. An unclear roll-call entry rendered as "Commissioner Bryce Davis" could not be confirmed as a seated member. Eric S. Inkley, Acting Town Planner, staff. "Maureen," apparent recording secretary who conducted the roll call; no surname given in the transcript. A staff member or official referred to only as "Charlie" was mentioned by the chairman in connection with consulting the town attorney; role unclear from the transcript.

Public commenter: Rose Lyons, resident of 46 Elton Drive, speaking on open space and housing history.

Outside party: Pamela Brealey, owner, Culver Street Apartments LLC, applicant for special permit TPZ 26-18, participated remotely.

ORGANIZATIONS AND DOCUMENTS REFERENCED

Culver Street Apartments LLC — applicant entity for the freestanding sign special permit at 69 Culver Street. Newington Housing Authority — cited by Rose Lyons and by commissioners as the likely origin of renewed scrutiny of open space zoning, in connection with a parcel near the Mill Street Extension. Newington Open Space Committee — cited in the mayor's letter as a partner reviewing the town's open space inventory; Commissioner Pastorelli said she serves on it. Newington Town Council — cited in the mayor's letter as pursuing its own parallel open space protections and a recent acquisition effort. CRCOG, referenced in the transcript as "CROG" — a commissioner asked whether the regional council had heard from other municipalities revising open space protections; Inkley said nothing on the topic had come through that channel. Connecticut General Statutes Section 8-3 — cited in the mayor's letter as the statutory basis requiring the commission to hold a public hearing within 65 days of receiving a resident zoning petition. Newington Zoning Regulations Section 3.25 (Open Space Zone) — the central section the mayor's letter asks the commission to amend. Section 1.2.2.C — the municipal property exemption the mayor's letter asks the commission to narrow. Sections 6.64, 3.14.3 and 3.18.4 — existing two-thirds-vote requirements the mayor's letter asks be extended to open space special permits. Town of Newington Plan of Conservation and Development open space plan — cited as the source document identifying parcels that should be zoned open space. Mayor John Trister's letter, dated September 22, 2026 — read into the record and the subject of extended commission discussion with no vote taken. Public hearing notice for TPZ 26-18 — read into the record establishing the legal basis for the continued sign hearing.