Stamford Zoning Board Meeting - December 12, 2023
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Stamford Zoning Board Meeting - December 12, 2023
The Stamford Zoning Board convened on December 12, 2023, at 6:30 PM via Zoom under Chair David Stein. The meeting included public hearings and a regular session for several applications, resulting in approvals for a parking lot, a historic preservation project (continued), a map change, and a daycare expansion.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Rock Rim Country Club Parking Lot (223-35): Sorel Baruchin (553 Old Long Ridge Rd) spoke in favor but asked for assurance that the lot would not be converted to other uses. Cynthia Russell (1374 Rock Rim Rd) opposed, citing noise, loss of wooded buffer, drainage, and wetland concerns.
- Taylor Street Historic Preservation (223-36): Terry Adams (15 Liftin Pl) supported but raised drainage adequacy. Kathy Kligler (21 Friar Tuck Ln) supported and asked about affordable rent amounts. Cynthia Bowser (30 Rose Park Ave) supported but expressed concerns about traffic and parking on Mission Street.
Discussion Items
- Application 223-35 – Rock Rim Country Club Parking Lot: Proposed creating 65 parking spaces at 0 Long Ridge Rd. Rick Redness presented. Original pickleball component removed after neighbor concerns. Board discussed drainage, landscaping, lighting, and buffer. Condition that plans be approved by Engineering and EPB. Applicant noted neighbor letter of support.
- Application 223-36 – GNT Taylor Street: Historic preservation of 18 Taylor Street and infill of 13 new units (total 18). Lenny Brayman presented. Board discussed parking (23 spaces with EV), drainage, materials (slate gray roof, AZAC, cedar siding), blank walls, and affordable units (two BMR units at 50% AMI, max rent $1,927). Chair requested windows on blank walls; applicant agreed. Application closed to receive revised plans and engineering confirmation letter.
- Application 223-25 – Map Change at 251 Gray Rock Place: Rezoning from RH to PD. Ray Mazio presented. Withdrawal of associated text change and site plan noted. No public comment.
- Application 221-22 Mod – Balasha Campbell Daycare Expansion: Expansion from 12 to up to 32 children at 110 Prospect St. Falasha Campbell presented. Board supported, noting state regulation.
Key Outcomes
- Application 223-35 approved 5-0 with conditions including EV spaces, plan updates, and no access drive to Long Ridge Road.
- Application 223-36 closed; applicant to submit revised plans and engineering sign-off letter by end of week; to be prioritized for next meeting.
- Application 223-25 approved 5-0.
- Application 221-22 Mod approved 5-0 with conditions: max 32 children ages 2–5, hours 7am–6:30pm, eight designated parking spaces with signage, and compliance with engineering comments.
- CSPR 1179 (133 Stanford Ave sunroom) approved 5-0.
- Minutes of November 27, 2023 approved 4-0.
- Next meeting: January 8, 2024; December 18, 2023 meeting cancelled.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, let's do it. I'd like to welcome everyone and call tonight's zoning board meeting to order. I'm David Stein, Chair of the Zoning Board, and it is 6:30 PM on December 11, 2023. Members of the board and the staff are holding this meeting by Zoom video conference. The public is in attendance both on video conference and by teleconference. First, I'd like to do a call of the role of board and staff. Bill Morris. Here. Jerry Bozak. Here. Raquel Smith Anderson. Here. And Ralph Blessing. Here. Okay. During tonight's meeting, the board's mics will be open throughout. The applicant's mics will be open during the public hearing for their application. However, I would ask the applicant to please mute their mics when not speaking in order to reduce background noise. The first part of tonight's meeting is the public hearing during which the public will have an opportunity to speak. Each member of the public will be muted until it is your turn to speak. Here's the procedure for the public to let us know that you want to speak. If you came in through Zoom, please use the raise your hand function and you will be unmuted when it's your turn to speak. If you called in on one of the telephone conference numbers, phone numbers, please press star nine, and this will raise your hand and then press star six to unmute when it's your turn to speak. Please send an email to Ralph Blessing.gov. And Ralph will uh do his best to get you on. For members of the public, when you speak, please give us your name and address for the record and whether you are in favor of or opposed to the application. We do request that members of the public limit your comments to three minutes so that everyone will have a chance to speak.gov slash zoning. It's application two two three-three five, Rock Room and Country Club Inc. 2949 Long Ridge Road, special permit and general development plan. Applicant is proposing to create a new parking lot and modify ZB application 21917 to include zero Long Ridge Road as part of the special permit use. During its regularly scheduled meeting held on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, the planning board reviewed the above captioned application referred in accordance with the requirements of the Stanford Charter. Applicant is proposing to create a new parking lot and modify ZV application number 219-17 to include zero long rich road as part of the special permit use. Richard Redness, Redness and Mead representing the applicant made a presentation and answered questions from the board. After some discussion, the planning board unanimously voted to recommend approval of ZB application 223-35, and that this request is aligned with the intent of the master plan categories to provide space for uses that support the surrounding neighborhood. Specifically, the application is aligned with master plan category number 15, open space conservation overlay purpose to protect open spaces for active and passive use, and also aligned with the master plan category number one residential, very low density single family purpose to allow for uses compatible with residential uses such as clubs. Sincerely Stamford Planning Board, Teresa Dell Chair. Thank you. Yes, I am. Okay. Please proceed. Sure. If I may screen share. And can you see my screen? No, yeah. Yeah. We see you. Oh no. Hold on. Let me try again. I will try again.
openpublica.com