Stamford Planning Board Regular Meeting – September 3, 2025
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Good evening.
Jimmy, can you hear me?
Hi, yes, we can hear you.
Um, I'm on the phone with Bill who is trying to get on.
Um I have not started the actual meeting yet, so all the attendees are just waiting for us.
Um, and Jay is here.
And I think potentially ready to chair the meeting, Jay.
He's on mute, I think.
Can you hear me now?
But I can't hear you.
Hey Jay, we can hear you.
Can't hear you, Lindsay.
No, Lindsay is speaking with some somebody else G.
Can you hear us?
I can hear you.
Okay.
Can you hear me?
Hey, Bill.
Or hey, can you hear you?
Thank you.
Lindsay's working to get uh Bill on the line here.
Gotcha.
Uh Jimmy, that's not my apartment that you're seeing, okay?
That's just the that's my dream.
You mean your yours is much bigger than that.
Maybe.
Well, this is one of my last three meetings.
Um she convinced you?
I I no, I I retired last week and then was unretired because uh Jennifer couldn't make it today.
So they've asked me to stay on for a couple of more weeks and since I could do with all the money we get paid.
I figured I'd stay on.
We appreciate you still staying on with us.
How many years you'll be on the planning board, Jay?
Um four terms, I guess close to 20.
Wow.
20 yes.
Well, it's funny.
When I moved to Stanford, I had been the Democratic chair in New Canaan.
Uh and I knew I knew the woman who was a democratic chair in Stanford.
And I said, did you, you know, there's something if there's anything I can do.
And she said, would you like to be on the planning board?
And I said, yeah, that sounds really good.
And I had lived in Stanford for a week and I was on a planning board.
Nice.
Are you still going to continue to be in Stanford or relocating?
No, no.
We've taken route here.
I'm leaving Stanford in a box.
Hopefully not quickly.
Almost there, planning board members.
Almost there.
Is there something about my uh the video on mine, uh Lindsay?
We can't see you, Jay.
You need to enable your camera, Jay.
On the top.
Thank you.
At least I wasn't thoroughly embarrassed when all it when all the people were on.
So we have a uh quorum.
Let's hope we get a couple more anyway.
Lindsay looks disgusted.
I should say discouraged.
Well, we had a trail trail run of the zoom a few weeks ago and we ironed out the kinks, but I guess not for everybody.
I'm a kink.
Looks like Bill's coming on.
Hello.
Sorry.
Hi.
Hi.
Robbie.
Robbie.
Um, okay.
Can you guys hear me?
Yes.
Can you hear me?
Yes.
Oh, and I cannot hear you.
Oh, so fun.
Okay, here we go.
Thank goodness.
Okay.
So Bill is on.
Bill.
Allow camera.
Allow Mike.
Maybe make a presenter.
Okay.
Thank you.
James.
Before you go, you put us on.
What is that?
12 with a whole bunch of asterisks 94 plus seven.
Is anybody else seeing that?
Um is it a number?
It says waiting in lobby, view lobby, and then it says 12 plus and then a bunch of asterisks.
94 plus 7.
Nobody else sees that.
Let me cut.
No, I mean the folks waiting in the lobby are waiting to be let into the meeting when I press start.
We have not officially started the meeting, so they don't see us or anything.
So I don't know what that is.
I keep I keep trying to kill it and it keeps popping back up.
Well, maybe it's it's gone now.
Okay.
Um, so Jay, are you can you see me?
I don't it looks like I'm not pictured anymore.
No, but you need to you need to open the camera on the top of your screen.
Oh, okay.
So don't feel so bad now, Ravi.
I became the it was on.
I didn't never touch it and it went off, but okay.
There we go.
I think it's because you joined as a member of the public and you like weren't weren't allowed to.
All right.
So we're here.
We're mic'd.
We're on camera.
Um who's chairing the meeting today?
Jay, you're we are prepared.
You have the script that I wrote for Ravi.
You I do not.
You do not.
Okay.
I I emailed it to you.
Let's see.
Uh at 540.
Let me I have a 551 email from you, but not a 540.
Let me just go down the five.
It says PB0902 meeting Ravi script.
Do not have it.
Okay.
What is what is necessary in a script other than indicating this the meeting of the planning board of today and the present are so and so so and so so and so.
Umly other thing would be that one of the agenda items got uh the applicant asked to move it forward um in the agenda.
So that's all it is.
Um it uh I don't have a packet for 225.
Is that been canceled?
235.
No, that is on the agenda for today.
Okay, uh missing from my packet, I believe.
Okay, so I'd I'll I think I can wing it.
Okay.
Did other members get that?
Yep.
Yeah, okay, cool.
All right, um, yeah, so the only thing would be to move up uh the RMS Hotel 909 Washington Boulevard in the agenda, and I can I can tell you when to do that.
Um just the top of the ZB referrals will do the capital authorizations first.
Gotcha.
Okay.
Okay, I I suppose I can wing the uh the lead in.
I don't think there's anything nothing is legally required for me to say.
Am I correct?
Right, right.
Yep, I think you're good to go.
Yeah, there's no just opening the meeting and the time and uh who's here.
Yep.
Okay, so it should be in your email too.
I just resent it to you.
Okay.
All right.
Uh everybody ready for me to start the meeting.
Yes.
Okie dokie.
All right, everybody's being admitted.
Okay, and you can start the meeting.
Okay.
Um, this is the regular meeting of the Stanford Planning Board.
It's Tuesday, September 2nd, 2025.
The time is 6.42 p.m.
Um, I am Jay Tepper.
I am the vice chair sitting in for the chair, Jennifer Godzano, who could not make it today.
Also in attendance are regular member Jeremy Linder, uh Secretary Ravi Subramanian, and uh alternate uh William Levin.
Um the first item is site and infrastructure improvements project number CP 3443.
Total request 84,672 and 84 cents.
The appropriation is for funds from a settlement agreement to remediate the rain gardens that were installed as part of the North Parking lot at the Storm Stanford Museum and Nature Center.
Do we have anybody speaking on that?
Yes, we have Lou Castlow.
And there we go.
Hi, Lou.
Good evening.
Uh thank you for letting me in.
Um the request is uh to um receive a check for 84,672 and 84 cents.
As you as the chairman indicated, this was part of a settlement agreement uh that followed the construction of a parking lot project up at the Stanford Museum and Nature Center years ago.
Uh the there are two rain gardens.
The design of the rain garden um uh had some uh issues uh that prevented the vegetation to um to grow.
Uh so that does the designer um um worked with the city to um fund this um uh remediation and um if you have any questions, be happy to answer them.
I have one Lou, you say it's a settlement agreement, uh agreement between who and based on what is it's a settlement agreement between three parties, the city, uh the designer, Tai Su Kim Partners, and Crosso, the Grosso companies, which was the contractor.
So the parking lot and rain garden project was completed uh years ago.
Um, and basically the rain garnet is the is the or the two ponds or areas of collection for the runoff from the parking lot.
And um the water is designed to infiltrate the ground, and uh there's also vegetation in the rain garden that's supposed to be growing, but based on the you know, the design detail, um there was some some issues with the ability for the garden to be uh you know to to grow the vegetation and also to drain the water properly.
So um the design was modified, and the funds are being used to restore that to remediate those two areas so that that so this functions the way it was intended to function.
Okay.
Any questions?
Yeah, I'm just go ahead, Luke.
I was gonna say the check has already been received by the city.
Okay.
Yes.
Um Jeremy, you had a question.
Yeah, Lou, I just have one question.
Um, is this going to cover all of the project or is there going to be additional funds from the city required for this?
No, this remediate this this amount covers the full remediation uh that's required.
Great, thank you.
Any further questions?
Can I have a motion on item CP 3343?
Moved by Jeremy.
The pictures are small, seconded by Bill.
All in favor, signify by raising your right hand.
Carry unanimously.
Lou, thank you.
You're welcome.
Next item on the agenda, which has been moved up.
Oh, we uh Lindsay, do we have to request a change in uh the items on the agenda?
So there was an there was a late, there were a lot of changes to the agenda.
Um there was uh a late edition for supplemental capital appropriation for Northrup Park.
Um did folks get that agenda update, Leslie.
Yeah, it came out.
Uh Jeremy, you got it.
I didn't I didn't get it.
I didn't get a hard copy, but I got it in my email.
Okay.
Yeah, it should have only been through email.
Um since it was added, I think Friday.
Um it was noticed appropriately on the agenda.
Would folks Ravi, Bill, and Jay, who did not see it come through.
Um I could either forward that to you right now, and Lou can give you a presentation on the project.
Um, and you guys can continue to vote on it tonight.
Um, or we would have to put it on a different agenda.
Or we would have to put it on a different agenda.
So I have no agenda.
I'd like to get the opinion from the other board members.
Does anybody have a problem?
Jeremy, that's thumbs up, Ravi.
Yeah, can you just can you just show it on the screen?
The uh the uh the uh you know the topic we're talking about.
I think that should be fine.
Yeah.
I can give you an overview when you're ready to take it up.
Let me make sure I have the right one.
Yep, okay.
Here you go.
There we go.
Okay.
All right.
Can you can you see that well enough?
Please.
Can you see that well enough?
Yeah, that's fine.
Okay.
So Lou, take it away.
So this is a um a request to um uh approve a payment made by Eversource Energy for $15,000.
The the um the contribution is uh basically an exchange for an easement, a permanent easement that Eversource requires that goes through Northrop Park.
Um Lindsay, could you scroll down till you get to the map?
There's a there's a drawing there on the bottom.
It's way down there, okay.
Yeah.
So this is uh Northrop Park, which um basically is very close to Stark School.
Uh it's basically the park that's tucked in between Schofield Avenue and Glenbrook Road, and um the uh area that uh is shaded.
It's it's kind of a rectangular area here.
Uh that's the permanent easement.
And what this is is uh Eversource is um designed and in the process of constructing a five-mile um uh underground transmission line project that connects two substations.
There's a substation at Cedar Heights, and there's one in Glenbrook.
And this is all towards you know, resiliency of the network and you know upgrading their infrastructure.
So um the issue here is they couldn't do it within the city's right-of-way of the streets.
There's too many utilities already uh in the area of Glenbrook and Schofield Avenue.
So they basically have their uh utility uh um, you know, sort of cutting through the park there, and um, you know, it's on the underground conduits for the uh the connections that they need.
Um so when the area is completed in terms of construction, that area can be turned over to the city, but this does give the uh EverSource the right to go in and maintain and you know their utility uh over time.
So the amount of this is to accept $15,000.
That's what it's for, yes.
And it's not city funds, so yep, it's not city funds.
It's a check that EverSource cut directly to the city that's being uh deposited once the uh appropriation is approved into the Northrop Park uh capital project account.
There's some future work that's proposed here for playground rehabilitation, etc.
That's what this account is for, and uh that's where the money is being uh deposited.
If there are no questions, I'll accept a motion on what the number is.
Moved by Bill.
Seconded by Ravi, all in favor, signify by saying aye, raising your hand, carried unanimously.
Thank you for your time taking this item up.
Lou, thank you.
Lindsay, do we need a motion to move 225-30 up in the uh in the on the agenda?
We we do, yes, please.
There's been a request to move the application 225 slash 20-29, Long Ridge LLC and toll northeast uh V Corp 120-C Longridge Road up to the top of the agenda.
Do I know hold on?
Hold on.
Sorry, excuse me.
Um the 120 Long Ridge Road applications were removed from the agenda.
Um the application that has been asked to move up in the agenda is uh ZB 225-323.
225-30.
Yeah, 30 RMS Hotel.
Yep.
My last, my last time chairing, and I had to blow it.
Moved by Jeremy.
Do we have a second?
Seconded by Ravi.
All in favor, signify by raising your right hand.
Bill carried unanimously.
Okay.
Now that was that was two, that was 225-30.
Yep.
So we moved it up in the agenda, and now we just have to read the agenda item into the agenda.
And then we can pass it over to Bill Hennessey.
Okay.
Wait.
So that was at we're discussing this one now, or we just moved to move it up.
Okay.
Yeah.
So that's the.
Next item on the agenda is ZB application 225-30.
Uh RMS Hotels.
One LLC 909 Washington Boulevard site and architectural plans andor requested use special permit.
Applicant is proposing to renovate the interior of the hotel to increase the number of guest rooms, create a restaurant courtyard, and amenities.
And we have Bill Hennessy speaking on this.
That's right.
Bill, are you there?
Uh sorry, hold on.
I thought I pressed make him a presenter, and I must not have done that.
He should be rejoining right now.
Here he is.
You're on, Bill.
There.
You can unmute yourself.
You're muted.
There you go.
Can you hear me now?
We can hear you.
Can you see me?
And Lindsay, would you be kind enough to let Karina Arendando uh have uh some control over this?
Surely.
Okay.
And while we're doing that, um I want to uh thank you, uh Mr.
Uh Tapper uh for uh allowing this and and your fellow board members for allowing this movement in the agenda.
It may seem small, but it's a very big deal to us.
Uh and Lindsay, uh, thank you for your help, and Mr.
Capalbo too, who is very gracious in allowing the uh uh uh the matter to move.
For the record, I'm William Hennessey.
I'm with the firm of Carmody Torrents, Sandak and Hennessey.
We're located at 1055 Washington Boulevard here in town.
Uh Karina Arendando, my colleague, is here.
Uh, and uh we're both uh representing RMS Hotel, Roman Numeral 1 LLC, which is the uh entity that owns the building known as 909 Washington Boulevard that we'll be focusing on tonight.
Uh we uh I think uh more colloquially 909 Washington Boulevard is known as the Lloyd Hotel.
It's a former YMCA building right outside the uh government center building.
If uh if we had been doing this as a live meeting, we could probably walk to a window and look out and see everything we're about to show you.
Uh Brandon Salvatore's principal of that entity, he's here tonight.
Um so uh it's a rather simple application.
We're seeking special permit approval to uh complete the uh conversion of this building at 909 uh to a hotel bursing.
Uh I'll take you through the history of this very quickly.
The building was originally built in 1973 at the early days of urban renewal to replace the YMCA building down on uh Atlantic Street that was being uh demolished.
The um the original building had a full uh uh panoply, uh I say the original.
This building as originally built had a full panoply of uh services that was typical of Hawaii 50 years ago, had a gymnasium, it had an exercise weight room, it had locker rooms, it had uh a pool, and it had well uh within the tower portion of the building, it had rooms that uh one could rent uh on a short or longer term basis.
There was 136 rooms when the Y operated.
And the Y operated very successfully for many, many years.
In 2008, the Y ran into some financial trouble, and RMS approached it at the time uh and came up with the idea that uh helped the Y for many years of converting the structure into a two-unit condominium.
So one unit would be the tower, which RBS purchased, uh RMS purchased and turned into uh a hotel with 96 rooms at the time.
And the balance of the building, the gym, the auditorium, the weight room, the locker rooms, and significantly the entirety of the basement, which had parking, was retained by the YMCA and used by the YMCA.
As I indicated, that happened in 2008.
And for a decade, the it was the home for a hotel known as uh Hotel Zero Degrees.
It was very, very successful uh and uh required certain um uh uh uh variances uh in order to uh operate just because of parking and no other reason.
At the time, the parking ratios for hotels, even of this uh size was uh I think it was 1.25 per room spaces per room.
Subsequent to that, the parking regulations for small the smaller non-full service hotels, the hotels without ballrooms and uh meeting rooms and extravagant uh open spaces, the smaller boutique hotels, uh changed to 0.5.
And uh that is the uh the regulation that pertains to this hotel.
Uh in 2019, this hotel underwent a complete uh gut renovation.
Uh, and the room unit uh number actually shrank from 96 to 94 units.
Uh and uh it took advantage of the then reduced parking ratios and other parking techniques to um uh enable it to uh exist.
And it has existed very, very successfully.
Uh it has it is and has the advantage of being a hotel that is connected to, physically connected with access doors to a public parking garage.
The Bell Street Garage was built around the same time as the hotel, and doors were installed so that one can physically walk from the Bell Street Garage right into the hotel.
And um that's been a the uh you know uh an interesting and very useful uh attribute for this, an amenity for this hotel.
Uh even so this hotel's always been operated, uh, even when it had very limited access to the YMCA garage as a valet garage, and uh valet parkers would take your uh car to either the garage if there was space or to the Bell Street garage around the other side.
Uh and there's never been a parking uh problem in all the years in the 18 years the hotel's been there.
And in fact, the parking ratios on the most aggressive parking days uh approach 0.3 spaces per uh room.
Uh all that is background because uh what brings us here is in the early uh months of 2025, the YMCA, which was still struggling, uh finally closed its doors.
And uh the balance of the building was purchased by RMS.
The balance of the building being the gym, the nauditorium, the locker rooms, the weight room, all of that stuff uh was purchased uh by RMS, and significantly the parking garage was purchased as well.
So that sort of solved any issue with parking, and it enables us to come before the board with uh what is known as a application for a footnote 23 uh special permit, which allows for the conversion of the hotel.
Uh uh Karina, why don't you go to the next slide and we can show folks what we're talking about here in terms of the well, I think everybody knows the location.
Let's just move to the um, is there anybody that doesn't know the location of this building?
I think everybody has to, right?
So what we see here is the Jay, you're on mute, so um uh good.
So what we see here is the hotel as it exists today, and you'll see the uh the tower, which is the hotel portion.
Uh to the left of that, Karina, could you just run the cursor over that?
This is not part of the hotel today.
This is the gymnasium area.
Below that, uh in the ground, and you can't really see it, but you'll see it in other images, is the access to the parking garage, which is underground and below the entirety of the building.
And to off to the right, you can see in the lighter shade concrete color, uh the uh uh swimming pool area of the Y.
And behind the tower was uh facilities like the weight room locker rooms and so forth.
And that tends to be uh a three-story uh building where the tower is uh taller, uh obviously.
So that's how it configures now.
So the hotel exists, but to the east of it, um between uh the tower and the parking garage, which you see the cursor on, and to the south of the uh tower, which is where the uh concrete-colored uh swimming area is, and to the north of the uh tower, which is where the gymnasium is, uh was all owned by the uh YMCA until very recently.
And now it's all owned by uh RMS.
And the plan is simply to convert that area into uh the hotel.
And in doing so, it will increase the unit uh the room count by 52 keys or 52 rooms, so it will become not a 94 unit hotel, it'll become a 146 uh room hotel.
Uh a portion of the auditorium, which is not visible publicly at all, it's in the center of that whole building, will be removed.
It'll be demolished and removed, and that will create a large light well, actually a courtyard.
There we see it there.
Thank you, Karina.
That green area.
It's presently building.
The plan is to demolish and remove it so that there's an open-air courtyard for which rooms and other uh uh amenities of the hotel, including the uh new restaurant that'll go in, can have access to and use.
And then uh taking up some of that space from the demolition, which is about 3,000 square feet, will be on the next level, an interstitial level, a new level of uh floor that doesn't presently exist.
And this will be inserted at the level, basically of the midpoint of the gymnasium.
When you think about it, the gymnasium's got a floor to ceiling height of about 30 feet, which of course a hotel room certainly doesn't need.
So uh what will go in there as a new floor, which will allow there to be rooms at the level of the existing gymnasium floor, as well as about halfway up that gymnasium.
And so outside of the building, the footprint of the building doesn't change.
The height of the building doesn't change, and the uh floor area of the building rises uh incrementally.
So the footnote 23 uh uh uh uh permit that we're looking for allows for a reduced parking ratio of 0.25.
I mean, excuse me, of 0.5 per room, which we can achieve if we do as it's allowed under the footnote uh by way of valet.
So we will achieve that parking ratio.
So for the first time ever, the hotel will be self-contained in terms of parking, and the um uh added floor area is permitted because uh hotels of this nature are allowed up to 6.0 FAR, even with the uh uh uh added FAR because of the uh gym floor being inserted, this hotel will still not reach 3.0 FAR.
So it's achieved basically half of its entitlement.
And that's what the new building will look like, much more attractive.
The uh the air area there that uh Karina is circling around Bell Street, uh will be uh sort of uh architecturally treated, this the same sort of rich uh wood like exterior as the uh hotel currently is, and that same wrap will take uh place uh on the gym, which will now have fenestration instead of a big black uh wall.
Um the outside of the building and the site plan will remain the same.
Uh all of that landscaping you see there and the treatment already exists.
There's another view of it.
Uh and we think um this is a uh terrific addition to the um to the uh downtown uh architecturally.
I will note uh there's a couple ironies here.
Um number one is that if this lot, which is 30,200 square feet was just uh 7,000 uh 5,200 square feet smaller, the parking ratio for this hotel would be zero.
And that's because the zoning board changed the regulations to allow for no parking at all for any commercial use in the central business district, unless smaller than 25,000 square feet.
And uh by the uh staff's own admission, 25,000 was sort of a nice comfortable number, but it was somewhat arbitrary, and there is no graduated parking density.
It's not like you get the first 25,000, it's not like taxes, where you get you know a certain ratio at a certain um uh scale.
Uh it's either all or nothing.
So uh it matters little here, except for the irony is for the first time the hotel will be parked according to zoning, yet here we are requesting uh permission for that.
Um the building won't change in terms of height, the building footprint won't change at all.
Uh and uh the only thing that will change is the architectural treatment of the outside.
The other thing that will occur uh is the um the parking will be all valet, it will be in the basement.
We've spoken to TTP, they are satisfied with the valet plan.
They had a couple comments that we can easily accommodate.
And they've asked that a condition be added that for the life of the hotel, the valet uh be operated uh at all points when the hotel is open, and that is easy for us to achieve.
Um I will say that there's plenty of precedent for use of this footnote.
Uh it has been used successfully at the courtyard by Marriott.
It's been used successfully at the residence in.
In fact, it was the courtyard that gave rise to us uh creating this uh footnote.
Uh it's been used at the um hotel that is yet to be constructed at Veterans Park.
It's been approved and not yet used at the proposed hotel next to Curley's Diner.
And it's been uh approved and uh hopefully soon to be used at the hotel at 300 Main Street, um, which uh is uh the old um union trust headquarter building.
Uh so it's been a very, very successful tool, I would uh argue.
It has been um uh in each of those cases, uh, as far as I can remember, unanimously uh recommended for approval by your predecessors and in some cases you, and we'd hope you do the same thing here.
We're here to understand whether this uh conforms to the master plan, and we believe it does.
Karina, can you there we go?
We have two master plans sort of at work here.
This is an unusual moment in time.
We have the 2015 master plan.
Uh, and we're uh we believe that this uh certainly comports to that, as I've indicated, similar applications the same.
And you have all the reasons there in front of you why we think that's the case.
Uh this is the central business district.
This is walking distance to everything we want it to be walking to, most principally to the uh it'll be the hotel closest to the railroad station, the transportation center.
Uh and it is a hotel with 18 years experience in uh transit uh uh uh development.
Um, and then we have, and maybe by the time this gets to the zoning board, we'll have a new master plan.
So we took a look at your draft master plan uh and expected to find what we did find, which is uh again the MU4 category, uh the core category, if you will, similarly uh treats this uh property uh uh the same.
Uh it calling for uh better design, uh centralized location, uh, and um uh improved connections to the downtown and the uh uh south end.
Uh so with that, I'm happy to take questions.
Uh and uh once again I do appreciate your uh accommodating our uh timing problem tonight.
Do we have any questions from the board on 225-30?
Ravi Yeah, well, so uh just an incidental question.
I think I'm personally very sorry to see the laws of uh swimming pool uh for the community.
I think you know what happened with that proposal.
So you're just going to add 40 to 50 rooms without any fitness center and nothing else.
You're just going to no the hotel.
I could take you through all the floor plans of the hotel.
The hotel currently has and will have a slightly well, we'll have a redesigned and slightly larger exercise facility for the hotel guests.
It's you know, it won't be a public facility.
Uh it'll be uh, you know, your typical um, I'll call it upper scale.
This will be designed to be an upper end boutique hotel, just like it is now.
Uh and it will have that full complement of amenities for guests.
I see.
And the restaurant is going to be open to the public, you said.
Yes, that's the plan.
Okay.
Thank you.
Any further questions from the board members?
If not, I will entertain a motion on application 225-30 RMS Hotel LLC 999 Washington Boulevard.
Do I have a motion from the floor?
Move by Ravi.
Do I have a second?
Seconded by who's seconding.
Hold on.
Pictures are small.
Mr.
Linda by Jeremy, sorry about that.
Uh moved and seconded.
All those in favor signify by raising your right hand.
Carries unanimously.
Thank you all.
Thank you all for everything tonight.
Okay.
Now we'll get back to regular order on the agenda.
Next item, ZB application 225-15, Woodway Pines, LLC 9 and 15 Woodway Road and Zero 1321 and 1325 Hope Street.
Application is seeking to consolidate all five parcels into one and construct 20 towns, townhouse style units located in three separate buildings.
And we have Mr.
Capelbo.
Yes, sir.
You're up.
All right.
Thank you very much, Mr.
Chairman.
Good evening, board members.
My name is Joseph Capalbo.
I'm an attorney practicing law here in Stanford, and I represent the applicant tonight, Woodway Pines.
This property, this is for a property that's located on the corner of Hope Street and Woodway Road.
And uh can I try to share the screen, Lindsay?
Share.
Click share, then you click this screen that you want to share, and then click share again.
Yeah, but I think I have a little bit of an issue because it's saying that my privacy settings um are preventing that from happening.
Oh, that's happened with me before, and it's a pain.
Um you can set do you have a presentation you want to send it to me, and you can just say next, next, next.
Sure, I could do that.
You can email that to me.
Okay, I'll do that right now.
Yep.
Sorry about this.
If you want to um schedule a meeting with me on off hours to uh do a test run, happy to do that because the security settings are annoying.
If we come across something this difficult, Joe, we'd we do it immediately.
If it's impossible, it just takes a little while longer.
Um I'll get this.
Okay, it's on its way.
Okay, so in the meantime, uh this is uh as I said, for property on the corner of Woodway Road and Hope Street.
Um it presently consists of five parcels.
Um assuming that this application uh becomes successful, uh ultimately it will be consolidated into one parcel.
Um it is um across the it is in the um excuse me, it's in the master plan designation three district, which is the low density multifamily um district, which is intended to uh provide multifamily development and yet protect uh single family housing.
And in this particular area on the south and west sides of this property, it's surrounded by condominiums across the street on Hope Street is single family housing.
And as you'll see as I go further down the down the road here, this is this particular piece of property and this zoning designation and what's being proposed here is precisely what was intended to go on this site.
Um, as I said, the surrounding area across Hope Street is single family, right on the corner uh of Hope and uh Woodway is a gasoline station.
So on two sides of the gasoline station would be surrounded by this um particular project.
Umce all five uh parcels are combined.
Um the the application has filed an application to uh uh two applications actually, one for site and architectural plant approval and the other for a special permit.
And the idea is to allow 20 uh units, 20 townhouse style units to be built on this site.
And what's good about this particular application is that uh, as I said, it fits this site fits precisely into what the master plan designation is and what it was intended for.
There's no um setback uh uh issues, there's no variances, there's no text changes, there are no map changes, everything fits precisely as it's supposed to.
Um, as I said, there's 24 townhouse style units.
There is ample parking.
Uh there are 44 required parking spaces, uh, two for each unit, uh, one and a half for each BMR unit, and uh five additional uh visitor spaces for a total of 44.
We're providing uh 45 spaces.
Each unit is two bedrooms, two and a half, excuse me, three bedrooms, two and a half baths, has its own two parking spaces and is two and a half stories in height.
Um the property is very well screened and very well maintained.
Um there we go.
Is that it?
All right.
Um I guess if you go to the aerial map, uh Lindsay, uh the best thing to do would be um the the area that we're talking about is right on the corner, and it's and it's difficult to tell now from the site, but it's right on the corner of Hope and um Woodway Road.
And right now it looks like an area that's um all trees.
But if you look uh both to the east and to the south and all around that area, you can see a number of different condominium complexes.
And that's because they're all in the same master plan designation, um, which is intended to provide the precise type of application and the precise type of development that we're proposing tonight.
Um if you go to the second, the next slide.
This is what's there now.
That's it's composed of five lots.
The lot in the far right corner, that is the gas station.
The other parcels, there are five parcels there combined.
They total 1.35 seven acres, I think, total.
Um, and then if you go to the next.
Once the property is developed, it would look like this, right?
Access will be on um Woodway Road and Woodway Road only, not on um Hope Street.
Um there's 20 units.
They're in um uh groups of uh six, which is uh five is the furthest point straight ahead, six to the right, six units, and nine to the left in buildings of three, right?
Um the um the property is if you go to the next uh slide again.
Property is very will be very well screened and maintained.
The as you can see, there's 12 trees being proposed along uh Hope Street.
The uh the um sidewalk will also be addressed along Hope Street, as well as the stone wall that exists there, which is in pretty rough shape.
Um there will be screening around the entire parcel uh and inside the parcel.
There is open space that complies with the open space requirements.
Um there's a bicycle rack, everything that's required is there.
Each unit, as I said, will be uh wired for EV.
And the units will look something like this.
If you go to the next slide, um, I'm not sure what the colors of these units will be yet, uh, but they're townhouse style units.
Um, and um, as I said, each one is three bedrooms, two and a half stories.
Um I guess the colors will be determined by you know, at the time by what market requires.
Um, they will be more than one color.
That's something this the staff has uh requested.
And um it's it's as straightforward an application as you can get.
And as I said, this is master plant category three.
It's in the RM1 zone.
It this is exactly what is uh uh uh intended for this particular piece of property.
There are no uh variances or no exceptions that are required.
The there is an application uh to under this uh zoning designation and under this uh master plan designation.
Um you can apply for up to 15 additional units because you're in a in a parcel that's greater than one acre, um, as long as you provide um BMR units on site.
In this particular application, we're asking for four additional units that would bring it up to 20, so that both additional um units, uh BMR units will be on site.
Um and the last thing I could say is that the uh traffic department requested that the applicant go out and get a uh traffic study done, a comprehensive traffic study done, which he did.
Uh the traffic study came back and said that it's not going to have any adverse impact uh in the on traffic in the surrounding area.
As you know, it's right on the corner of Hope and Woodway, and that's a three-way stop sign there.
All ingress and egress is out to Woodway Road.
And um the traffic department uh has also um evaluated that particular uh traffic report and has determined that there it's consistent with their um conclusions are as well.
So uh that being said, if you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them.
Um, but it's pretty straightforward.
Mr.
Tepper, you're on mute.
Sorry about that.
Um is the curb cut two cars wide or just one one cut for cars in both directions?
No, actually, it's 20 feet wide.
And you know, the big the big concern there is not so much the cars, but the emergency vehicles, right?
So they have to be able to get access.
So that the width of that whole area and the hammerhead turns that you see there uh were all uh result of working with the um uh fire department and the emergency access um issues.
Yeah, I was you know curious if a car was coming in and another car was going out, if there would be any problem there.
No, no, no, yeah.
Any other questions from the board members?
Jeremy first, then uh Bill.
Uh thanks, Jay.
Joseph, I just have one question for building two.
I'm just trying to understand that that will be parking in front.
This is one.
It looks like the other buildings sort of have two parking spots allocated per unit.
And I'm just trying to just understand the parking for that building too that's showing.
Yeah, so there are additional parking, there's additional parking for those units uh elsewhere, but there's only one space in front of those.
The other units all have these spaces at front.
But they also are allocated two units, two parking spaces.
Thank you.
Bill.
Um you mentioned that this project meets the open space requirements.
Do you have a plan or something that shows where that open space is?
Yes.
If you in fact, I think the plan that's in front of you, and it's difficult to see, but if you look at the box, the um the box at the top, though that details all the open space requirements and as proposed and where they're located.
And actually, all the way around these buildings is open space.
Well, there's even a playground.
There's a playground or yeah, there's actually a playground in the bottom left corner.
Uh it's difficult to see in these pictures, but there's a if you look at so that would be the I guess the south east, southwest in that corner, that's an actual playground there.
Okay.
And what what is the use of this stuff on the north?
Is that for each individual unit or is that a public area?
Yeah, so each individual unit has their own patio.
Uh, but I think that the uh the rest of it will remain uh common area.
Okay.
Okay.
Any further questions?
If not, I'll entertain the motion from the board.
Do we have a motion?
Ravi.
Move by Ravi.
Do we have a second?
Seconded by Jeremy.
All those in favor, signify by raising their right hand saying aye.
Thank you very much.
Okay.
Next item on the agenda.
Application 225-27.
Hoinenhoof properties, LLC 961 Long Ridge Road and 16 Wire Mill Road, site and architectural plans and or requested uses and special permit.
Applicant is proposing to construct nine independent living, three-bedroom dwelling units with parking landscaping and other related improvements.
You speaking on this one also, Joe?
Yes, sir.
Yep.
So for the record, again, my my name is Joseph Capalbo, uh, an attorney in Stanford.
Before you get started, do you have a deck for this one that you want to say?
I sent it to you.
Yeah, I did.
I sent it to you.
She'll show up any moment.
Um you know, this one's a little I'm a little excited about this one.
Recently, the zoning regulations were amended.
Uh, and they were amended in an effort to promote housing for seniors and those with disabilities.
And I think this is the first application that's coming forward um with that in mind, uh, and for that purpose.
Um, this is an application for a special permit filed in accordance with section four of the zoning regulations to permit in the an independent living facility at this site.
Um, this is property on the corner of Longridge Road and Wire Mill Road.
And you may recall this application came in uh maybe a year and a half or two years ago for I think condominiums in those days.
Um I think originally it was for 22 units, and then maybe it was brought down ultimately.
I think it was 19 or 18.
I don't remember what the number was.
Maybe it was down to 14 even.
Um but um this is a plan to construct nine individual residences, right?
So um they're not condominiums, they're actually single family homes built in accordance with the regulations.
Um, and it's restricted and it will be restricted by deed to seniors and those with proven disabilities as required under the regulation.
This property currently consists of two parcels of land.
It's a total of 95,000 square feet or a little more than that.
And it's um in the R10 zone.
There are currently two non-conforming commercial structures at the front of the site, which front on Wire Mill Road.
The area that's this is being proposed for is behind those.
It's an area that now is being used by the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation for uh staging, whether it's equipment or stockpile, you know, trucks and materials.
Um, but that will all go away.
So uh ultimately this will become um more in compliance with uh what the uh master plan designation is for this area.
Um and those activities will ultimately be removed.
This are properties abutted by it's the Merritt Parkway to the north, uh commercial um office space to the to the left.
I think it's an office campus.
There's some commercial to the south and to the east, is all single family housing in the R 10 zone, um, wire mill road, vineyard lane.
Um there is a uh significant amount of wetland, I would say significant, but there is uh a material amount of wetlands on this property.
This application first uh was referred to the environmental protection board.
Um an application was filed with them.
They've gone through this entire process and they have approved the app, the the plan that uh you'll see before you, hopefully, if it ever arrives on Lindsay's computer.
Um each unit uh will be ADA compliant, and that means that the first floor will consist of a bedroom, uh a bathroom, uh a kitchen.
There are certain requirements that um that you need to have.
They will be on the first floor.
The second floor will also maintain two bedrooms.
In these units now, the individual um who will be living there, who will uh qualify to live there, has to be a full-time resident there, right?
So um, and that will ultimately be monitored.
I'm not exactly sure how that's going to be monitored, whether it's going to be done federally or on the local level, but ultimately that will be done.
Um there is uh when when an application was filed um a year and a half ago, there was a um traffic study done uh based upon 19 units.
Um at that time, they indicated that there was no adverse impact.
Um there that traffic study uh was um looked at again by the city's Department of Traffic and Parking in light of this new application, and again, with only nine individual single homes.
Um there's not anticipated to be any adverse impact.
Um the property will be extremely well landscaped after going through the uh budgeting of the EPB.
Um and um everything will again be built in accordance with the regulations, all the setbacks will be met.
Um it's actually a really nice application.
Um I wish the uh I wish it would show up because I'd love to show you what each house would look like.
Um, but it's it's it's an exciting application.
It's something different for the city and something useful for the city.
And uh I'm I'm happy that it's uh um before you tonight.
So your presentation hasn't come through, but I do have the presentation materials that I can pull up and go through, Joe, if that would be helpful.
Like the uh the meeting materials that you sent, like the landscape plan, the I think the landscape plan would be very helpful because it shows the layout and it shows the landscaping, and I think that would be very helpful to the board.
And there it is.
So as you can see, there'll be currently there are two um points of access on Long Ridge Road.
One of those will be closed.
There will only be one point of access, and then there will be one point of access on Wire Mill Road.
As you can see, there'll be nine individual homes clustered.
The areas around are either conservation areas or wetland areas.
Um again, you can see a significant amount of um foliage and trees that are required to be planted along Long Ridge Road and along Wire Mill Road.
It's already around along Wire Mill Road, it's already very well landscaped, but they'll they expect that to be improved as well.
Um and each house has a uh has parking for two.
Uh each house has its own garage and um and its own uh patio in the back.
The rest of it as again will probably be um um, you know, uh open space for everybody.
Um I think what will happen is these will ultimately be condominiumized uh and you know, sold accordingly based upon the requirements of the zoning regulations as to who they can be sold to.
That that by the way, that restriction gets recorded on the land records and it lasts forever.
It's not something that will go away uh after a period of time.
Is condominiumized a word.
I I don't know.
It's easy to roll off my tongue.
I don't know.
Bill was using a couple of words I'd never heard of before, so I I would have liked to have challenged them on one or two of them, but they sounded good.
Just a quick are the curb cuts both uh ingress and egress, or it's one in, one out.
Um that's a good question.
I think the uh long ridge is right turn only out.
Um the the best way to go out will be wire mill road, though, because there is a light on the corner of Long Ridge Road and Wire Mill Road.
Thank you.
Any questions from the board.
Hearing none, I will accept a motion on 227-225-27.
Do I have a motion on the floor?
Move by Ravi.
And a second, Jeremy looks like he's getting ready.
Seconded by Jeremy.
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
All those opposed, nay, carry unanimously.
Okay, next item on the agenda.
Application 225-28, 120 Long Ridge Road, LLC, 120 Long Ridge Road, Stanford, Connecticut site and architecture.
We took those ones off.
We took those ones off.
Um the last item on the agenda is the zoning board of appeals referral.
Okay.
68 done.
Last item on the agenda is ZBA application 018-25.
Joseph Jacob Elbow, the second Esquire, representing Christopher and Joseph Papello, 68 Dunn Avenue variance of Table 2, appendix B.
The applicant owns a single family dwelling of on an 18,985 square foot lot, and is requesting two variances to allow for a future two lot subdivision.
Application is requesting A allowance of a lot of 8,975 square feet in lieu of 10,000 square feet required, and B frontage of 50 feet in lieu of the 75 feet required.
Mr.
Capalbo, you on this one?
Yes, and I'm sorry about that, Mr.
Temper.
I know it's your last night, and I'm probably the last person, the last face you want to see, but you know, here we are.
So you know, I I wish I wish I could show you the subdivision application.
This this property, Dunn Avenue was subdivided in 1924, and it was subdivided.
I I there's got to be close to 100 parcels, and each one is 50 by anywhere from 140 to 150 feet.
So all the lots are roughly 7,500 square feet.
And in fact, I think at one time the zone there was uh R7 and a half, but it has since been changed to R10.
And this particular, this is in this particular instance, this particular parcel, there are actually two of them.
And um, way back when, and when I say way back when, I don't know, in the 1920s or 30s, when this parcel was bought, the individual at that time bought two parcels, each parcel 50 by 150, and he bought 25 feet of a third parcel.
So he had 125 foot of frontage, built a home, and that home has been there ever since.
Okay.
Today, um the individuals who own this house today would like to go back and subdivide this parcel.
Now, um, generally what happens is when you have a parcel of land that becomes legally non-conforming in single ownership, and they're adjacent to each other under the zoning regulations, they merge as a matter of law.
Okay.
In this particular case, for some reason, that never happened.
And as a result, the owners of these parcels have been paying for two parcels this entire time, two tracts of land.
Now, this particular individual would like to subdivide this property back so that there are two tracts of land, again, officially two tracts of land, so that he could put another single family home up.
In doing so, we could do this two ways.
We can just draw a line right down the middle, and each side would be a little bit non-conforming as to frontage.
But the better way to do it is what we are what we are proposing is that one lot be completely conforming and the other lot have a frontage of 50 feet and an area of over 8,000 square feet.
And in doing so, that particular lot would require two variances.
But the variances would be one for 50 foot frontage, which is the frontage that everybody else has on Dunn Avenue, and two, a lot of 8800 square feet, which is bigger than the average of 7500 square feet that's on Dunn Avenue because of the extra parcel that was purchased years ago.
So at the end of the day, this complies with the master plan designation.
It complies with the almost completely complies with the zoning designation and is completely consistent with every other house that's there.
Uh and uh it allows them to make up for the taxes that they've been paying on this lot for the last two years that they've not been able to develop the last two years.
I should the last many years.
Um it's pretty straightforward.
And if you have any questions, I'll be happy to try to answer those as well.
Can't can't hear you, Mr.
Tepper.
Any questions from the board?
Bill.
Does the staff have a recommendation on this proposal?
Uh I yeah, so you did note that I didn't include this in my um memo to the board.
I was kind of waiting to hear back from Joe because the records that I have going through the tax assessors records, um, have the lots as as currently separate lots.
So I wouldn't even know how to go about doing a subdivision application when everything that I have says they're already separate lots.
Granted, the lot it line is different than what would be requested in the future.
Um that's a story for another time.
Um this application here.
I Joe has a point that the lots were developed uh, you know, and originated from a time before the current zoning.
Um, however, the zoning R10 is what it is today, and they would be undersized for that R zoning.
Um, I don't know if you guys can tell from my memos to the boards on ZBAs, but I find most ZBA applications to not really be uh solid applications.
Um not stating a hardship really.
So I don't really see what the hardship is here.
Uh Joe, did you have uh sure?
I just like to make a couple of comments.
Number one, uh, I'm moving forward tonight.
Uh, however, um this may all be moot, right?
Because there already are two lots there, and this may not even be a subdivision and may turn out to be a lot line revision.
We're we're trying to get a handle on what exactly this really is, right?
Because there's there's actually two lots here, right?
And there are there are there's case law that says, hey, look, if that's an approved subdivision, you can build a house on it.
So that's one issue, and we'll we'll get that straightened out.
The other point that I want to make is the hardship argument is something that has to go to the zoning board of appeals, and whether or not there is one at this point isn't really relevant.
What's relevant is whether or not this complies with the master plan designation.
And the master plan designation has this and master plan category two, which is uh single family housing.
And that's what we're proposing here.
And I think that what we're proposing is consistent with what's there and it's consistent with what the master plan says.
Now, the zoning board of appeals may have a different opinion because they have a different standard they're looking at.
And the truth is, you know, Lindsay and I will have more conversations about this, and it may never go that far.
But for purposes of this application and for purposes of tonight, um, I think we meet the you know the master plan criteria.
Lindsay, what are your thoughts?
Can I take a finer look at this?
I I think I personally would have liked to figure out the subdivision thing before moving forward with the variance application, because once we have the variance approved, um pretty sure that travels with the land.
Actually, you have five years to do it before the variance expires.
Is that right, Joe?
I think it's one year.
Yeah, one year you could ask for another year extension, but it's the the the zoning out the uh zoning board of appeals approval lasts one year.
One year.
Okay, so it doesn't travel with the land, so it's not like 20 years down the line.
They could act on this variance.
No, or five years down this line.
I don't know.
Um, and I would point out that this uh an application like this was filed, I think within the last 18 months or so to the zoning board of appeals on a similar situation on Dunn Avenue that the zoning board of appeals did approve.
We would have gotten that application.
Do you know the name?
It wasn't in 2025.
No, no, it was probably around 2022 or 23, I'm guessing.
I'm looking for it now.
Cuzco is the name.
I don't have it.
Cook so k you I might be saying it wrong.
Well, we're here we're here now with with the different board.
Um understood.
Let's see.
Go over that a little bit, or Joe, maybe you can speak a little bit more to whether or not this fits in with the 2015 master plan or anything you know about the 2035 comprehensive plan.
Um, I don't I know very little about the 2025 comprehensive plan.
I do know that this is in uh master plan category two, which is low density single family residential, which includes R7 and a half, R 10, right?
Anything under I guess RA3, RA2, and RA1, um, which would be residential uh very low density.
So uh after after category two comes category three, and that's multifamily.
So this fits precisely within the category um that it currently lies in.
Um and um um it, you know, it it's it's it's intended according to the master plan, it's intended to provide for and protect a suitable environment for single family dwellings as well as compatible uses, right?
Uh as may be permitted by special exception, being in general harmony and supportive of single family neighborhoods.
And we're just looking to build a single family house, which is obviously much needed in the city of Stanford.
By the way, I think it has all utilities there, uh water, sewer, electric, every everything is there.
Um I don't know if you know where Dunn Avenue is, but it's off of I think it's Cedar Heights, just behind it runs behind um parallel with uh high ridge road, like behind um Burger King in that area there.
Um that application uh that was priorly prior approved, if it means anything, was application 35-20.
It's on 58 Dunn Avenue.
This is 68.
Yes, sir.
Question here.
Are both parcels to have 50 feet instead of 75 foot frontage?
No, one is in complete compliance.
It's only it's only one of the um parcels that will have 50 foot.
The other parcel in all respects will be in complete compliance.
And other other units in the neighborhood, are there any uh comparables at 50 feet or is everything 75?
No, just about every parcel is 50 feet.
That's how it was uh originally subdivided.
Thank you.
The lots are basically 50 by 150.
I have a map.
You know what?
Um I could send you a map, um, the original subdivision map, Lindsay, if that if you find that to be helpful.
Um yeah, if you have the map number, I could also pull it up.
I could send it to you, or you if you want to pull it up, we could do that too.
The map here, I'll try to send it to you.
Okay.
Also, look, I'm just looking at the tax map too.
So it kind of would do the same thing.
Um what do you guys say?
Do you guys see nope?
Wrong window.
Okay, I sent you the original subdivision map.
And I'm gonna send you the proposed subdivision as well, I guess.
Okay.
Can you see this tax map?
Planning board members, yeah.
Um, so let's see, going back.
So the this is the lot, this 68 and this 68 Dunn Avenue uh is the lot in question.
Um, I guess according to some records, I am not sure which stake that these are one lot.
Um, as you can see, the records that I have have it as two lots, but so it does the reason why I'm bringing this up is that it does show that this type of short lot line with deep lots is typical of the area.
Um you can see along Dunn Avenue and Winter Street.
Um, although in Dun Court and Alpine, I guess as you move further away, they become wider and shorter.
Yeah, hopefully you'll be able to see the original subdivision map, which will show that all of those lots uh, you know, if there's a hundred lots there, 75 of them have a 50-foot frontage, right?
Um there are some with a little more than that, especially around curves and then different areas, but they're all pretty much the same.
Now, some people way back when might have bought two lots and they might have a hundred a hundred foot frontage in some instances, but most of them um you'll see are 50 feet.
It doesn't seem out of the ordinary for me uh uh in the entire area.
All right, I'm getting ready to share again.
So here I guess is the original.
Right.
That's the original subdivision map.
Okay, so and that's Dunn Avenue.
So this particular that's that's what's being proposed, right?
That's the existing house that will be on one lot, and that lot will be completely conforming.
That's the original subdivision map.
If you could if you could rotate it and blow it up a little bit, you can see that each lot has a 50-foot frontage.
And like you said, there are a couple of exceptions in there.
And what we're asking for is a lot with a 50-foot frontage.
And um the lot that we are proposing uh an area variants for is actually bigger than the lots that you see there in area.
Um what street was this across from?
Oh, this is Dunn Avenue.
So there's across from oh, you these lots are across from winter, yeah.
So if you go down your lots 90, 90 uh 9 and 98 and a little bit of 97.
Right across from winter, just just below.
And do you want to see the proposed in the future?
Sure.
And so what it would look like is is that so the top lot with the that's the existing house, and that would remain, and that lot is in full compliance in area and frontage.
The second lot, which is the lot below, will have only a 50-foot frontage, which is consistent with all the other lots, but it will also be larger because it has more area than the other lots.
And that would be uh that would allow us to build a house.
That would obviously have to comply with the setbacks for the R 10 uh zoning um designation.
and frontage the second lot which is the lot below will have only a 50 foot frontage which is consistent with all the other lots but it will also be larger because it has more area than the other lots and that would be uh that would allow us to build a house that would obviously have to comply with the setbacks for the R 10 uh zoning um designation are there any questions from the board so I guess yeah I do have one question Jay um Jeremy with the R 10 zoning in the proposed lot I presume they would be coming to us for a special permit on setbacks or would this new lot have a house placed you know behind the existing dwelling uh yeah what 68 Dunn Road yeah so there would be no uh application that would need to be filed for anything that that property that lot would accommodate a single family dwelling and meet all the setbacks that are required for the R10 zone okay thank you any additional questions from the board if not I will entertain a motion on ZBA application 018-25 do I have a motion moved by Ravi do I have a second seconded by Jeremy all those in favor raise their hand saying aye carried unanimously say thank you very much and Mr.
Tepper thank you for all your time and effort over the years I thank you Joe appreciate it thank you been a long time yes sir you don't have to rub my age in you look good thanks by Joe um that being the end of regular business am I correct Lindsay uh the next regularly scheduled planning board meetings are September 9th 2025 a regular meeting and a public hearing on the comprehensive plan September 16th 2025 regular meeting and public hearing on comprehensive plan adoption and October 7th 2025 on the capital budget anything from any board members Bill uh yeah I'm wondering why was the the two applications for 120 pulled for today's agenda uh I I'm not too sure honestly I I don't I don't know so um they just asked they is that can I have one do you know is that north or south of where they're building that mosaic project I could I looked at the materials I couldn't figure out exactly where it was I know it's and how it relates to the mosaic project but and I'm not to look into it I think 120 is a a large ish uh um office park with several different buildings and mosaic was one of them so it could be in the same office park area but I have to I have to look into the application um and when I do I can give you a call or it looks like it's gonna be maybe rescheduled to when I'm not here so I would I had hoped to be here for that one but for whatever reason it's not on tonight so you you can't access us from where you will where you will be Bill you she was talking about having a meeting in the middle of the day I I'm on gonna be on a road trip I think it would be almost impossible um but I'm not sure when it's gonna be rescheduled to I'm gonna be back in about 12 days so it's anyway anything further from any of the board members if you want to look at the application and send me your comments and or send the planning board your comments and thoughts on the application we can um read that into the record or and or the planning you know the planning board would be aware okay I'm not sure I'm gonna have time because we're we're leaving tomorrow morning so I'm sure these other fine gentlemen will be able to uh and women will figure it out well if you do have time to take a look and want to just call like jot down notes in an email or anything your thoughts and it whatever you know happy to just take a look thank you anything else from any of the board if not I will declare the meeting of September 2nd 2025 closed thank you it is 58 bye thank you thank you
Stamford Planning Board Regular Meeting – September 3, 2025
The meeting was held virtually via Teams. Vice Chair Jay Tepper presided in place of Chair Jennifer Godzano. The board considered two supplemental capital appropriations, three zoning board referrals, and one zoning board of appeals referral. All items were approved unanimously. Note: The agenda and transcript list the meeting date as September 2, 2025, but the user instructed to use September 3.
Supplemental Capital Project Appropriations
- Site & Infrastructure Improvements (CP3343) – $84,672.84: Funds from a settlement agreement (city, designer Tai Su Kim Partners, contractor Grosso Companies) to remediate rain gardens at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center north parking lot. The check has already been received. Approved unanimously.
- Northrop Park (CP4000034) – $15,000: Payment from Eversource for a permanent easement through the park related to a five-mile underground transmission line connecting substations at Cedar Heights and Glenbrook. Funds will be deposited into the Northrop Park capital project account for future playground rehabilitation. Approved unanimously.
Discussion Items
- ZB Application #225-30 – RMS Hotel I, LLC (909 Washington Boulevard): Attorney William Hennessey presented. The hotel, currently 94 rooms, will expand to 146 rooms by converting former YMCA space. A new courtyard will be created by removing an auditorium, and a restaurant will be added. Parking will be valet in the basement garage, meeting a 0.5 spaces-per-room ratio under Footnote 23. Building height and footprint unchanged. The board approved the special permit unanimously.
- ZB Application #225-15 – Woodway Pines, LLC (9 & 15 Woodway Road and 0, 1321 & 1325 Hope Street): Attorney Joseph Capalbo represented. Consolidation of five parcels (1.357 acres) into one to construct 20 townhouse-style units (three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths) in three buildings. 45 parking spaces provided, including two per unit and five visitor spaces. Access via Woodway Road only. Traffic study showed no adverse impact. Approved unanimously.
- ZB Application #225-27 – Horn & Hoof Properties, LLC (961 Long Ridge Road & 16 Wire Mill Road): Attorney Capalbo presented. Construction of nine independent living single-family homes restricted by deed to seniors and persons with disabilities. Each unit is ADA-compliant with first-floor bedroom and bath. Previously approved by the Environmental Protection Board. Traffic study updated for nine units showed no adverse impact. Approved unanimously.
- ZBA Application #018-25 – Joseph J. Capalbo II for Christopher & Joseph Papallo (68 Dunn Avenue): Request for two variances to permit a future two-lot subdivision: (a) lot size of 8,975 sq ft instead of 10,000 sq ft required, and (b) frontage of 50 ft instead of 75 ft. The lot currently has 125 ft of frontage; the proposed subdivision would yield one conforming lot and one undersized lot consistent with the neighborhood’s 50 ft frontages from a 1924 subdivision. Staff noted uncertainty about lot status but the board found consistency with the master plan. Approved unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- All five agenda items (two capital appropriations, three zoning referrals) were approved unanimously by the board. The ZBA referral was recommended for approval.
- The board noted that ZB Application #225-28 (120 Long Ridge Road) was removed from the agenda; no reason was provided.
- Next regular meetings: September 9, 2025 (Regular Meeting & Public Hearing on Comprehensive Plan), September 16, 2025 (Regular Meeting & Public Hearing on Comprehensive Plan Adoption), and October 7, 2025 (Capital Budget).
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. Jimmy, can you hear me? Hi, yes, we can hear you. Um, I'm on the phone with Bill who is trying to get on. Um I have not started the actual meeting yet, so all the attendees are just waiting for us. Um, and Jay is here. And I think potentially ready to chair the meeting, Jay. He's on mute, I think. Can you hear me now? But I can't hear you. Hey Jay, we can hear you. Can't hear you, Lindsay. No, Lindsay is speaking with some somebody else G. Can you hear us? I can hear you. Okay. Can you hear me? Hey, Bill. Or hey, can you hear you? Thank you. Lindsay's working to get uh Bill on the line here. Gotcha. Uh Jimmy, that's not my apartment that you're seeing, okay? That's just the that's my dream. You mean your yours is much bigger than that. Maybe. Well, this is one of my last three meetings. Um she convinced you? I I no, I I retired last week and then was unretired because uh Jennifer couldn't make it today. So they've asked me to stay on for a couple of more weeks and since I could do with all the money we get paid. I figured I'd stay on. We appreciate you still staying on with us. How many years you'll be on the planning board, Jay? Um four terms, I guess close to 20. Wow. 20 yes. Well, it's funny. When I moved to Stanford, I had been the Democratic chair in New Canaan. Uh and I knew I knew the woman who was a democratic chair in Stanford. And I said, did you, you know, there's something if there's anything I can do. And she said, would you like to be on the planning board? And I said, yeah, that sounds really good. And I had lived in Stanford for a week and I was on a planning board. Nice. Are you still going to continue to be in Stanford or relocating? No, no. We've taken route here. I'm leaving Stanford in a box. Hopefully not quickly. Almost there, planning board members.
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