Stamford Planning Board Regular Meeting - February 26, 2025 (Note: Agenda States Feb 25)
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Stamford Planning Board Regular Meeting - February 26, 2025 (Note: Agenda States Feb 25)
Discrepancy note: The official meeting materials (agenda and transcript) list the meeting date as February 25, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. However, the summary generation instructions specify the date as February 26, 2025 at 2:45 p.m. UTC. This summary uses the provided date but notes the conflict.
The Stamford Planning Board convened on February 26, 2025, to consider a capital budget additions, a supplemental appropriation, two zoning referrals related to a University and Research Overlay District (UROD), and a variance application. The meeting lasted from 6:30 p.m. to 9:59 p.m. Members present: Chair Jennifer Gadzenow, Vice Chair Jay Tupper, Secretary Ravi Subramanian, and Alternate Chet Salett (voting on all items). Tony Romano (City Representative), Lindsay Cowan, and Ralph Blessing also participated.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes Approval: The board unanimously approved the minutes of the February 11, 2025 regular meeting.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were received.
Discussion Items
Capital Budget – Three Mayor’s Requests
Chair Gadzenow explained that the Mayor’s office requested adding three projects to the capital budget. Tony Romano clarified that the Planning Board’s own budget recommendation is not affected; the addition simply allows the Mayor to consider these projects with a recommended dollar amount (or zero) in the budget book. After debate, the board decided to incorporate all three into its own recommendation.
- Haig Avenue Park (Project #001432, $300,000): Erin McKenna (Planner) presented the project, noting a playground for children ages 2-12 in Springdale. The community expressed enthusiasm; the total project cost is estimated at $600,000-$625,000, with $300,000 from ARPA funds. The board voted unanimously to include the project in the capital budget at the requested amount.
- East Side Library (Project #001404, $350,000): Bridget Fox (Chief of Staff) noted this is the third request before the board for architectural design of a satellite library branch. A prior Board of Finance hearing did not result in a second motion. The board unanimously approved inclusion in the capital budget.
- YMCA Acquisition & Renovations (Project #001429, $5,300,000): The board moved into executive session (all members present; no votes taken) to discuss sensitive real estate matters. After returning, the board unanimously voted to include the project in the capital budget, funded from capital non-recurring sources (cash), thus not affecting the safe debt limit. The total capital non-recurring recommendation increased from $50,000 to $3,350,000.
Supplemental Capital Appropriation – Citywide Storm Drains
Lou Casale (City Engineer) requested $500,000 for installation/replacement of storm drains, catch basins, and curbs. The current balance is $0 after ARPA funds were moved to other projects. Ravi Subramanian questioned the amount, and Mr. Casale explained it covers needs through July. The board unanimously approved.
Zoning Board Referrals – University and Research Overlay District (UROD)
Two related items: ZB #225-01 (text change to create UROD) and ZB #225-02 (map change to apply UROD in parts of Downtown and South End). Presenters: Leah Kagan (Economic Development Director), Jennifer Orlikoff (UConn Stamford Campus Dean), Robert Corbett (UConn).
- Purpose: Encourage UConn expansion, affordable faculty/student housing, and cultural/educational institutions. The overlay allows development bonuses (25% increased density, added height, reduced parking, no BMR requirement for affordable student/faculty housing) and transfer of development rights (TDR) from eligible uses (colleges, student housing, innovation centers, libraries, museums, etc.) to receiving sites (minimum 1 acre) within the district.
- Comments: Ravi Subramanian opposed, citing the ongoing 2035 Master Plan process and concerns about increasing density without broader planning. Jay Tupper raised concerns about the overlay’s boundaries extending into the South End, potentially exacerbating traffic and density. Chet Salett questioned the affordability definitions and the 25% threshold for eligible uses. Jennifer Gadzenow proposed three amendments: (1) add specificity to affordable housing thresholds for faculty/students, (2) make the public internet minimum standard updateable, and (3) clarify that an innovation center requires multiple support services. The text change passed 3-1 (Subramanian opposed). The map change passed 3-1 with the same vote.
Zoning Board of Appeals Referral – 68 Spruce Street Variances
Applicant Juan Paredes (representing Andrzej Rutkowski) sought variances for a three-story, two-family dwelling on a 4,540 sq. ft. lot (requires 5,000 sq. ft.). Variances included reduced side/rear setbacks, tandem parking, and front-yard parking. The applicant noted prior negotiations with neighbors, an easement agreement, and a mirrored and shrunk building design to increase setbacks. The board approved the variances 3-0 (Salett abstained).
Key Outcomes
- Minutes approved unanimously.
- Capital budget additions approved unanimously: Haig Avenue Park ($300,000), East Side Library ($350,000), YMCA Acquisition ($5.3 million from capital non-recurring).
- Supplemental storm drain appropriation approved unanimously ($500,000).
- Zoning text change (UROD) approved 3-1 with amendments (Subramanian opposed).
- Zoning map change (UROD) approved 3-1 (Subramanian opposed).
- 68 Spruce Street variances approved 3-0 (Salett abstained).
- The board directed staff to finalize the capital budget transmittal letter by Saturday (March 1), incorporating the added items and noting ADA/accessibility recommendations.
- Next regular meetings: March 11, March 25, and April 8, 2025.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. Tonight is the uh February 25th meeting of the Stamp Foot Planning Board. Um I am Jennifer Gadzenow, Chair. Um we have present Jay Tupper, Vice Chair, uh Ravi Subramanian, our secretary, and Chet Salett, one of our alternates. Um, and everyone will be voting on all items this evening. Um first on our agenda is the approval of the planning board minutes from our prior meeting, February 11th, 2025. Um are there any uh questions about or amendments for the minutes for February 11th? No. Okay. Um hearing none, may I have a motion? Uh motion from Jay to approve. We have a second, second from chat. Um, all in favor, please raise your hand and pass this unanimously. Thank you. Um the next item on our agenda is uh a number of uh capital budget related items, uh requests from the mayor for consideration to be added. Um we have a speaker to invite uh or to promote on that. Yes, uh Erin McKenna was just promoted and she'll be rejoining as a panelist in one second. Can I ask one question while she's doing that about what um about these three? Is it uh standard operating procedure that after the mayor weighs in on the on the planning recommendations, it we have to vote on those things again? Um yes, I I would like to read the um if I may, the uh section of our ordinance uh C8 uh dash 206. Is that okay? Yes, sure. Okay, it says uh the uh just to get this on a record, the planning board shall thereupon prepare its capital project budget and submit it to the mayor on or before the first day of March. The mayor may revise this budget, but may not include any new projects without first submitting them to the planning board. If the planning board is opposed to such new project, uh that fact shall be recorded by the mayor when submitting recommendations to the board of finance and board of representative. Uh the capital projects all consist only of the proposed uh defined in section C 1104. Um so we it we'd normally do a couple of these every year where they're where where we have some changes to the budget request um based on progress. Um these are three that were submitting for you guys today. Um if possible, um can we promote Matt, director of operations, and um and Bridget Fox, Chief of Staff. Um they may have some more information they they may want to add as we present these three projects. Um and then just uh to uh I guess clarify on the the part of the ordinance that you just read out, Tony. So that just means that in order for any of these projects to be considered for funding, they have to be added to the project list, but as the planning board, we don't necessarily have to decide tonight to put in any funding for them, correct? No, so this I'm sorry, uh hang on one second, excuse me. I'm not saying that's decided. I just for uh administrative purposes, just wanted to clarify what counts as adding them to the budget. So this this wouldn't affect the planning board budget. This would affect the mayor's budget. Um so I see doesn't uh touch your numbers at all. Got it. So this would just be adding them as items for consideration. We are not being asked to recommend appropriation of funds in the budget we submit to the mayor. No, this is this is just to amend the capital budget with these three projects at the mayor's level. So when we when we print these books on your column, these three projects will show a zero, and then the mayor would have a dollar amount, and that would you know okay. Okay. Ravi, um question about that administratively. Yeah. So we don't need to consider the safe debt limit etc when we review this three edition. So we are already above a safe note limit by a few million dollars. I think 440 was 45 or something like that. Yeah so under I'm sorry go ahead Tim so my understanding Rabbi again is that we're being asked to add these three items in as items for consideration but at but we're not as the planning board actually going to recommend any dollars to be allocated to these.
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