Manresa Osprey LLC has asked Norwalk’s Conservation Commission and Inland Wetlands Agency to remove two small inland‑wetland pockets from the city’s wetland map, and the agency on Nov. 18 voted to schedule a public hearing on the petition for Jan. 13.

At a special meeting, the applicant’s attorney, Liz Sutchy of Carmody Torrance Sandak, and soil scientist Michelle Ford presented the petition and underlying field work. Sutchy said the petition (filed Sept. 24) seeks to declassify a roughly 2.8‑acre pocket near the entrance drive and a roughly 3.8‑acre pocket in the mid‑eastern part of the 129‑acre parcel at 25‑069 Longshore Avenue.

"This is filed per section 60a‑3b and 60a‑15 of the inland wetlands and watercourses regulations, the City of Norwalk," Sutchy said, noting the amendment will require a public hearing and statutory notices.

Michelle Ford, the project’s soil scientist, told commissioners that the site is unusually disturbed by historic coal‑ash fill and lacks the soil and hydrologic indicators that would support a jurisdictional inland wetland under Connecticut criteria. "I was not able to find determinant factors to call them regulated wetlands," she said, describing mixed silty‑sandy fill and the absence of sustained hydrology in the two pockets under review.

Several commissioners pressed for more focused documentation. Miss Knight and Commissioner Catherine asked for clarification on sampling depth and the sampling protocol; Ford said the team followed standard field practice (data forms typically document one representative pit per wetland system and the team dug multiple test pits to confirm boundaries) and that she examined soil horizons to about 18–24 inches given the disturbed conditions.

Commissioners also raised broader concerns. One commissioner said the discussion felt like "taking away any protections," urging care because declassification reduces regulatory safeguards. In response, the applicant noted that the project team has been working with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and that DEEP staff have walked the site. Elsa Lohman, representing eDesign, said the team has engaged DEEP and that DEEP "recognizes these are not classified as jurisdictional wetlands" based on the team’s evaluation.

Chris Murphy, identified to the commission as the project manager, framed the proposal as part of master planning for a private park open to the public called "Manresa Wilds." "We purchased the island a year ago ... this is cleaning up an incorrect designation on the site so that we don't reference things incorrectly moving forward," Murphy said, arguing accurate mapping will help future coastal‑site review and design work.

Staff told the commission that map amendments also require a minimum 35‑day advance notice to DEEP; the commission agreed the earliest practical public hearing date that met statutory notice requirements was Jan. 13 and voted to schedule the hearing. Before the hearing, commissioners asked the applicant to provide a concise executive summary, a decision flowchart tying Michelle Ford’s observations to the jurisdictional decision, and any supplemental materials that directly address the two pockets proposed for reclassification.

Next steps: the commission will advertise and make the application available per statutory notice timelines, accept public comment at the scheduled Jan. 13 hearing, and take formal action after the hearing and record review.