NEWINGTON - A modification to an East Cedar Street/Russell Road development project will be the subject of further Conservation Commission review and public hearings.

       That was the unanimous decision made by the Commission at its Jan. 20 meeting, during which applicants from Amara Community Living presented a couple of adjustments--the elimination of a concrete containing wall in favor of a vegetative slope and a pavement reduction--to its plan for the regulated wetland area that sits 50 feet from where they want to build senior housing.

       The meeting was well attended by members of the public. Commission Chair Jeff Zelek cited that, amongst other concerns expressed by Commissioners, further deliberation would be needed.

       â€�"I think there are members of the public seeking to speak out about this,” Zelek said, looking out at the rows of chairs, none of which were empty.

       So the Commission will continue to consider the proposal to take out a 5 foot high wall separating the buffer zone from the development area and replace it with a vegetative slope and reduce impervious surfacing from 19,000 square feet of concrete pavement to 9,000 square feet.

       Both measures are expected to reduce the project’s impact on the surface water wetlands, said Clinton Webb, Amara’s environmental scientist for the project.

       â€�"I think you should approve them as proposed tonight,” Webb said to the Commission, â€�"because you’ve spent a lot of time on this in the past, and we’ve taken away a lot of the impact to the wetlands.”

       The Commission will decide that for themselves, but it is looking into other aspects of the project as well. One concern that was raised was the height of the building, which will be five stories.

       â€�"The sun is coming up in the east and you’re shadowing the wetlands,” Zelek said. â€�"I’d like to have a map of the effect of depriving the wetlands of sunlight.”

       He pointed to the Swamp Cottonwood, a tree species that was discovered in the area during the hearings regarding the Toll Brothers development application not far from where Amara wants to build.

       How long the process will take is yet to be seen, but Amara and Mike Frisbie of Hunter Development, which got the original approval for a development project in 2009, may already be backpedaling, Brecher said.

       â€�"I would say at this point, they’re taking a step back to reconsider the whole thing,” he said. â€�"They definitely want to go forward in Newington, but I think they’re going to have second thoughts if it’s going to take this long.”

       Frisbie had originally planned a development that included a hotel, gas station, a medical office, and retail outlet at the former Lowell Manufacturing property, but partnerships with those looking to add the hotel fell through, and tough economic times stretched the delay. Then, Amara came into the picture with its proposal for an assisted living community.

       The gas station--another factor into determining the project’s impact on the nearby wetlands--has also been removed from the plan for now, Brecher said.

       Deputy Mayor Clarke Castelle, who attended the Conservation Commission meeting, says that while he does not blame commissioners for taking precautions regarding the wetlands, he hopes to see the modifications approved.

       â€�"I was a bit taken aback by the less than welcoming tone of Committee members’ comments, since the project seems so worthwhile on so many different levels,” Castelle said. â€�"I wish that they had adopted an attitude that was a little more positive--more along the lines of ‘let’s see if we can’t work together to make this project work.’”

       The $54 million development would top the town’s grand list with a $1.3 million property tax return, Castelle said. The $37.2 million CL&P building is the current highest generator of tax revenue for the town.