Stamford Zoning Board Meeting - July 23, 2024
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Stamford Zoning Board Meeting - July 23, 2024
The Stamford Zoning Board met on July 23, 2024, at 6:35 p.m. via Zoom to consider several applications, including a special permit for a UConn dormitory, a map and text change for 1600 Summer Street, a site plan for 91 Hope Street, and a text change regarding non-conforming uses. The meeting included public testimony and board discussions, but no final votes were taken; all hearings were either closed or continued.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Application 224-28 (1385 Washington Boulevard): Mike Moore, incoming president of Stanford Downtown, spoke in strong support, noting that UConn's growth benefits downtown businesses and vibrancy. Chris Dawson (Bangle Road) also spoke in support, citing UConn's 60% growth and positive community relationship.
- Applications 224-08 and 224-26 (1600 Summer Street): Angelo Bochanis (545 Bedford Street) spoke in favor of the text change, urging the board to streamline office conversion policies to address excess office space near downtown.
- Applications 223-23 and 224-04 (91 Hope Street): Multiple residents opposed the project. Diane Srini (3 Nash Place) raised concerns about traffic, sight lines, and the need for a new traffic study. Susan Bell (Hope Street) worried about traffic and water shortages. Lori Doyd (6 House Avenue) opposed density and height. Monique Katwal (37 Hanrahan Street) opposed due to flooding, traffic, and parking. Angelo Bochanis (545 Bedford Street) spoke in favor, calling the project a smart low-density development near transit.
- Application 224-10 (Non-conforming uses text change): No public testimony was taken; the item was presented but not opened for public comment.
Discussion Items
- Application 224-28 (1385 Washington Boulevard): Attorney William Hennessy presented the special permit for UConn to use an existing eight-unit apartment building (46 beds) as a dormitory. No physical changes were proposed. The Planning Board had recommended approval. The board asked about parking (17 spaces provided, exceeding the 16 required). All board members expressed support, praising the project's alignment with downtown vitality. The public hearing was closed, and a vote was promised later that evening.
- Applications 224-08 and 224-26 (1600 Summer Street): Attorney Ray Mazio presented a revised text change creating a "CG North" zone with reduced height (85 feet, with a possible 10-foot bonus for adaptive reuse), lower building coverage (70-80%), and simplified setbacks. Board members (especially Bill Morris and Roseanne McManus) expressed concerns about the height being too tall for the area north of North Street, preferring a 75-foot base. They also questioned the definition of "substantial renovation" for adaptive reuse. The applicant offered to limit the zone to lots of 2 acres or more. The board decided to close the hearing but leave the record open for staff to provide revised language addressing height concerns.
- Applications 223-23 and 224-04 (91 Hope Street): Attorney Joseph Capalbo presented a revised plan reducing the number of townhouses from 27 to 26, eliminating the existing house, and lowering the grade by three feet to reduce building height. The new plan has 16 units with side garages and 10 with under-garages. Parking (95 spaces, including 9 EV spaces) and stormwater management were addressed. Board members asked about EV parking requirements, fencing (6-foot white vinyl), and requested cross-sections to verify grades. The public hearing was closed, and the application will be on the next agenda for deliberation.
- Application 224-10 (Non-conforming uses text change): Ralph Blessing presented a comprehensive text change to update regulations for non-conforming uses and buildings. Key points: codifying grandfathering, allowing changes to more conforming uses (with ZEO guidance), and establishing a formula for converting non-conforming floor area to residential units (e.g., in R5 districts, 50,000 sq ft building yields 26 units instead of current 62). Board members questioned the need for a "less non-conforming" step and the density formula. The discussion was ongoing; no public hearing was opened.
Key Outcomes
- Application 224-28: Public hearing closed; the board indicated it would vote on approval later that night.
- Applications 224-08 and 224-26: Public hearing closed; staff will provide revised language on height; board will deliberate at a future meeting.
- Applications 223-23 and 224-04: Public hearing closed; the applicant will provide cross-sections by Thursday; the application will be on the July 29 agenda for deliberation.
- Application 224-11 (River Bend text change): Continued to the July 29 meeting.
- Application 224-19 (Parking text change): Continued to the July 29 meeting.
- Application 224-10: The board continued discussion; no public hearing was opened. The item will likely be taken up at a future meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Benita, would you make me a co-host if you haven't done it yet, please? You should be co-host. Okay, thank you. Roseanne, I see you still have two uh your name up there twice. Computer issues. Yeah. Okay. We can get started, David. Okay. Um, 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 35 p.m. on July 22nd, 2024. The members of the board and the staff are holding this meeting by Zoom video conference. The public is in attendance both by Zoom video conference and uh through the telephone call-in numbers. Uh first, I'd like to do a roll call of the board and the staff. Uh Bill Morris. Here. Bill, you're here, right? Yes. We're not. You can hear him again. There we go. Um Roseanne McManus. Here. Uh Jerry Bozak. Present. And uh Raquel Smith Anderson uh just indicated she is uh trying to log in. Um and now uh for the staff, uh Ralph Blessing and uh Benita Matter. Yeah. Uh the board's microphones will be open throughout tonight's hearing. The applicant's mics will be open during the public hearing when we're discussing their application. However, I would ask the applicant to please mute their mics for 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'd like to speak. 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 came in on one of the telephone call-in numbers, please press star nine on your phone, and this will raise your hand and then press star six to unmute when it is your turn. If you have a problem trying to uh raise your hand uh or otherwise uh when you want to speak, send an email, please to Benita Matter. Um she's V M A T H U R at Stanford C T.gov. And um she will uh try to work it out. Uh when members of the public speak, please give us your name and address for the record. The board requests that members of the public limit your comments to three minutes so that everyone will have a chance to speak. Tonight's meeting is being recorded and will be posted at the zoning board's website. And you can find the agenda for tonight's meeting as well as the meeting applications and other materials by going to our website, which is at www.stamford ct.gov slash zoning. Uh and now we will proceed with the uh public hearing. Uh first item we have is uh application 224-28, Seabright Properties LLC, 1385 Washington Boulevard special permit. This special permit is to allow UConn to use the existing apartment building for dormitory modification. Um we keep losing you, David. Okay, I'm having some. I have the planning board letter.
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