Farmington Business Buzz: Brew Pub Considers Depot Place Site; What Has Become of the Felt Factory?; Residents Oppose Cell Phone Tower

Farmington has a bustling business community. Here's the latest buzz in the business world:

• Farmington's Town Planning and Zoning Commission has approved a building on Mill Street's former ball bearing plant for art gallery, shop and office use, according to retiring Town Planner Jeffrey Ollendorf. The site, located directly across from Dunkin' Donuts in Unionville, had four preserved buildings. Two will be used commercially, another will become residential housing, and the corner of the property was "sold off for the new Walgreens," Ollendorf said. The fourth building was previously approved for "14 residential units," he said. The building is still owned by the same person, who will lease it to a developer to seek out businesses for the property, he added.

• Did you or your kids ever tour the former felt factory next to Union School? The commission previously approved the now vacant structure for "just over 90 units of housing in a mixture of larger buildings and townhouse units," Ollendorf said. However, pollution on the property caused by a "mothproofing agent" will be costly to clean up, so the project has been stalled, he said. 

• The state of Connecticut would like to lease "the former depot building at Depot Place" in Unionville out "for a pub to an operator from Simsbury," according to Ollendorf. However, the details are not finalized and Ollendorf said that "there may be a parking problem to overcome" with the informally proposed project. 

• Mildred Marks has asked the commission for permission to allow her to raise six hens at her 60 Lake Garda Drive property. There will be a public hearing for the application at Wednesday's commission meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Hall Council Chambers.

• Sylvie Binette has applied for a special permit and site plan approval to open a daycare center at 742 and 746 Plainville Avenue. There will be a public hearing at Wednesday's commission meeting.

• New Cingular Wireless is seeking to put wireless equipment at 500 South Road at the Westfarms Mall. AT&T owns New Cingular Wireless.

• Many residents expressed their opposition against another informally proposed New Cingular Wireless cell phone tower on Plainville Avenue at a public information session the cell phone company hosted on July 16. AT&T is hoping to install the tower to provide service to a dead zone along the state road (Route 177).  AT&T has not submitted an application with the Connecticut Siting Council, a state agency that has jurisdiction over cell phone tower applications. Members of the public ask that AT&T consider alternative options. Ollendorf said that "it appears that ATT will hold off on making the application until the suggested alternatives have been vetted."

What's the buzz in the Farmington business community? If you know of something else we haven't mentioned, tell us in the comments or post a Board and we may include it in a future edition.