The North Branford Planning and Zoning Commission has denied the J.J. Sullivan Fuel Company’s proposal to build a sixty thousand gallon propane storage facility on Ciro Road.
Residents have long worried about the risks associated with such a facility and took those concerns to the commission Thursday night.
Safety and property values seemed to be the two biggest arguments against it. There were questions about realistic evacuation routes in case of a potential emergency, response times and traffic congestion.
“Who on this board will guarantee the safety of myself, my wife and my neighbors?,” one resident said.
Jeffrey Beatty is the attorney for the applicant and made a case for approval.
“Since the application satisfies all the criteria of your regulations, in my opinion, the only legally supportable conclusion to lawfully reach is the approval of the application,” Beatty said.
The commission engaged in their own back and forth but in a 3-2 vote, ultimately denied the facility.
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“I am so relieved that this didn’t pass because it really could have been a terrible disaster,” said Eleanor Michaud of North Branford.
There is still a change the attorney for the applicant could appeal the decision, but they did not comment on whether or not they plan to do so.
