NEWINGTON - A number of Newington Junction residents still have quality of life concerns pertaining to Transit-Oriented development-the issue that has prompted members of the Town Planning and Zoning Commission to explore special permit regulations for the CT FasTrak busway station area.

       Members of the public packed Council Chambers for the TPZ’s August 10 special meeting, with none of the attendees speaking out in favor of a draft regulation that would establish a special permit process for applicants pursuing mixed-use development.

       The heavily residential district has been billed as a more complicated endeavor than the mixed-use regulations set up for the Cedar Street/Fenn Road area-home to Newington’s other second CT FasTrak station.

       Neighborhood residents worry about the impact of increased traffic flow, as well as people.

       â€�"I cannot believe that development would not impact our quiet neighborhoods,” said Newington Junction resident Kathleen Kaiser.

       Francis Avenue resident Cara Santoro warned against establishments such as bars, which she says are bound to cause noise pollution and other problems.

       â€�"You can have noise at any hour, trouble, or even vandalism,” Santoro said.

       Residents said that streets in the area already suffer from problematic traffic volume.

       â€�"Try to sleep there at night,” said Frank Skibo, a Stoddard Avenue resident. â€�"You can’t. There’s traffic, even at night. And you’re only going to get more.”

       TPZ commissioners have expressed a desire to focus any mixed-use development on the industrial portion of the Junction and steer clear of residential neighborhoods.

       â€�"I don’t want to see any residential neighborhoods devastated,” said Commissioner Stanley Sobieski. â€�"This is totally different than Cedar Street-this is like 99 percent residential. And that should impact what we do.”

       At the end of the hearing session-the Commission will pick it up again when it reconvenes in September-Vice Chair Dominic Pane wondered if the TPZ should do anything at all in the area.

       â€�"I want to protect the residents,” Pane said. â€�"There’s not much vacant land. It’d be hard to redevelop the area without affecting them.”

       The process is an important one, but it’s even more important that the town get it right, said Town Councilor Gail Budrejko during the public comments segment.

       â€�"If we don’t make this concerted effort, we’re going to get what others want,” Budrekjo said. â€�"I think this is a necessary exercise.”

       She’s not against the proposed regulations, but suggested a few revisions that include an emphasis on green space and provisions to discourage development that adds an excessive amount of traffic.

       Residents expressed particular opposition to any kind of high density housing development. The types that qualify under mixed-use includes housing, but only at 10 units per acre.

       The regulations should focus on bringing job creating entities to the area in order to expand the tax base without increasing the demand on the schools and town services, Budrejko said.

       The regulations drafted by Town Planner Craig Minor call for incentives for applicants with projects that include â€�"at least one of each of two or more” of retail, office, industrial, and residential types.

       Incentives include less mandatory landscaping and/or on-site parking, as well as reduced front, side, and back yard setbacks. In order to be eligible, applicants must prove that there is a need for the proposed type of development, a public benefit, as well as a potential to improve vehicle and foot traffic flow.

       The special permit process would include a public hearing for each application that comes before the Commission.