Stamford Planning Board Regular Meeting - April 9, 2024
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Stamford Planning Board Regular Meeting - April 9, 2024
The Stamford Planning Board held a regular meeting on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at 6:32 PM via Zoom and conference call. Chair Teresa Dell presided, with members J Hepper (vice chair), Jennifer Godzino (secretary), William Levin (associate), Stephen Perry (associate), Lindsay Cohen (associate planner), and Ralph Blessing (land use bureau chief). Michael Bacino arrived late; Michael Totillo was absent. The board approved minutes, authorized a supplemental capital appropriation, and issued recommendations on three zoning board referrals: a townhouse development, text amendments for cannabis/smoke shop regulation, and a cannabis retail facility.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes of March 26, 2024: Approved unanimously with no corrections. Motion by Jennifer Godzino, second by Stephen Perry; all present members voted in favor.
- Request for Authorization – Street Patch & Resurfacing (Project #C56182): A supplemental capital appropriation of $2,500,000 was approved unanimously. The funds are for milling, overlay, reconstruction, and drainage repairs. The current available balance is $645,726.65 with an unfunded balance of $790,097.16. Motion by J Hepper, second by William Levin; all present voted in favor (Michael Bacino had not yet joined).
Discussion Items
-
ZB Application #224-04 – 91 Hope Street (Joseph J. Capalbo II, representing RRIT, LLC): Applicant proposes 27 townhouses (condominium ownership) with on-site parking and landscaping. This follows a prior master plan change and zoning map change to RM1. Conditions from the approval letter included reducing units, decreasing parking, increasing green space, providing an outdoor amenity, traffic calming, and addressing BMR requirements. The applicant reduced parking from 139 to 95 spaces, added a playground and extensive landscaping, and offered three on-site BMR units (previously two with fee-in-lieu). The building footprint includes a retained single-family home. Traffic calming was addressed by removing one driveway on Hope Street. Board discussion focused on parking adequacy, usable open space, and EV charging compliance. Board members expressed mixed views: J Hepper supported the project; William Levin and Michael Bacino opposed due to insufficient usable green space and excessive pavement/parking. Jennifer Godzino and Chair Dell supported, noting the addition of BMR units and improvements. A motion was made to recommend approval with a condition that the developer consider wiring each unit for EV charging (except unit 27, which has no garage). Motion passed 3-2 (Teresa Dell, J Hepper, Jennifer Godzino in favor; William Levin, Michael Bacino opposed).
-
ZB Application #224-14 – Text Change (Stamford Zoning Board): Proposed regulations to more tightly control cannabis retailers and smoke/tobacco stores to protect public health, especially children. Key changes: prohibit these uses in CB and CN districts (near residential areas); prohibit on parcels directly abutting residential districts; prohibit within 1,000 feet of community centers serving children; lower smoke shop definition from 50% to 10% of retail area dedicated to tobacco products; reduce permitted window signage; add definitions for community center and tobacco sales. Ralph Blessing presented a map showing proposed restrictions. Board discussion included adding public parks and beaches to protected areas (moved by J Hepper). Member Jennifer Godzino clarified the 10% threshold. The motion to recommend approval with the addition of parks and beaches to sections 2C and 3E passed unanimously.
-
ZB Application #224-16 – Nautilus Botanicals EJVI, LLC & 1308 East Main Street, LLC – 1308 East Main Street: Applicant seeks a special permit and Coastal Site Plan Review for a hybrid cannabis retail facility (medical and adult-use) in the C-N zone. The existing building (former barbecue restaurant) will undergo interior fit-up and a small second-story addition (reducing flood risk). The site provides 21 parking spaces (zoning requires 16). Traffic study by Chris McLean showed negligible impact on nearby intersections (Level of Service A or B). Board members expressed support, noting ample parking and appropriate location. A condition was added (moved by J Hepper) that no signage be placed closer to the road than the front of the building; the applicant agreed to remove the existing pole sign. The motion to recommend approval with that condition passed unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public testimony was taken; the agenda items were referrals to the Zoning Board, which will hold public hearings.
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Minutes of March 26, 2024 (unanimous).
- Approved: Supplemental capital appropriation of $2,500,000 for street patch and resurfacing (unanimous).
- Recommended Approval (3-2): ZB Application #224-04 (91 Hope Street) with condition to wire units for EV charging.
- Recommended Approval (unanimous): ZB Application #224-14 (text change) with addition of parks and beaches to protected areas.
- Recommended Approval (unanimous): ZB Application #224-16 (1308 East Main Street) with condition removing pole sign.
- Announcement: ADU discussion is tabled; a meeting among Planning Board, Zoning Board, Board of Representatives, and land use staff will be held before further public discussion.
- Next Meetings: April 30, 2024 (regular meeting); May 14 and May 21, 2024.
- Member Departure: Michael Bacino announced he will step down at the end of April due to work and family commitments.
Meeting Transcript
My father's office was no longer across the street. I must that's it. Okay, we're lying. Well, you're you're back okay, Jay. So whatever you did, we got you, we got your sound now. We can we can basically start, Lindsay. I know Michael Bacino is coming, but he can't vote on the minute. So I think I'll just start it. And the minute you see him, you can uh transfer him over if he doesn't get on, okay? Good evening. I'd like to welcome everyone to the Stanford Planning Board. Tonight is a regular meeting. We are uh on the internet and conference call, and today is Tuesday, April the 9th of 2024. It is now 632. I'd like to uh welcome everyone to this evening. Um all the information was on the agenda on how to be on our Zoom webinar. You could join from a PC, a Mac, an iPad, an iPhone, or an Android service. You can also come on a mobile phone or buy a regular phone, and all the information as I said was on our agenda. Uh this evening, uh present is uh I'm Teresa Dell. We have uh I'm the chair, we have J Hepper, who is our vice chair, we have Jennifer Godzino, who is our secretary. We have William Levin and Stephen Perry, who both are our associate uh members of the board. We have Lindsay Cohen, who is our associate planner, and we have right now Ralph Blessing, who is also our land use bureau chief. Uh coming this evening will be Michael Bacino. He will be a few minutes late. He was tied up uh coming in from the city. I am not sure if Michael Totillo will be in tonight. I do know his secretary had left me a message last week that he would not be here, but I don't remember if that also included this evening. So if he comes, Ms. Cohen will let both members uh onto the um meeting tonight. So the first item on our agenda are the draft minutes for Tuesday, March the 26th of 2024. Uh the only two members who were not here last week were Michael Bacino and Michael Totillo, so everyone else uh is able to um to vote this evening. So all members will be able to vote. Um so did anyone have any questions or corrections to the minutes from March 26th? Okay, with no corrections being needed, then may I have a motion to accept the minutes for Tuesday, March the 26th. By Jennifer. May I have a second, second by Stephen? All in favor, show of hands. Passes unanimously. As we do have a forum, uh, since uh Michael Bacino is not here, uh Bill and Stephen, you will be voting on the next item on the agenda, which is a request for authorization. This is a supplemental capital project appropriation request, street patch and resurfacing project C 56182. The total request is 2,500,000. This is to um accept the engineering Stanfords, which includes milling, overlay, reconstruction, associated fixes to public streets and associated surface replacements for the drainage system. Uh Lindsay, do you see anybody on the attendees list who might be speaking on this? I don't uh I don't either, but I do see Michael Bacino on the attendees list. Thank you. I don't see anyone else. If there is someone, can you put your hand up so we realize that you'll be speaking on this? Okay. I think this is fairly self-elvident. They require the additional money for street paving, and this is similar to what we've done on various capital project appropriations for street patch and resurfacing.
openpublica.com