Stamford Zoning Board Meeting - September 10, 2024
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Stamford Zoning Board Meeting - September 10, 2024
Note: The transcript indicates the meeting was called to order on September 9, 2024 at 6:30 PM, but the provided instruction states the meeting took place on September 10, 2024. This summary uses the instructed date.
The Zoning Board met virtually via Zoom to address administrative items and a major text change application for the River Bend Center. The board approved three administrative items and heard public testimony on the proposed zoning regulation amendment.
Consent Calendar
- No consent calendar items were discussed; all items were handled individually.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Angelo Bochanis (545 Bedford Street) spoke in favor of the text change, citing the master plan's support for TOD and housing needs.
- Monika Twalk (37 Hanrahan Street) opposed the text change, arguing for preserving industrial space for future manufacturing jobs.
- Steve Karst (1477 Hope Street, business owner) opposed the plan, citing traffic safety concerns, five fatalities in the area, and aquifer protection issues.
- Kathy Klingler (21 Friar Tuck Lane) opposed the development, stating it would harm Springdale's village character and increase taxes without community input.
- Paula Waldman (110 Old North Stamford Road) opposed the density, raising environmental and drainage concerns.
- Chris Dawson (81 Bangle Road) supported the text change, highlighting TOD benefits and the need for housing near transit.
- Barry Michelson (Idawood Drive, representing Stamford Neighborhood Coalition) opposed, arguing the project is dense, increases traffic, and the city should not relinquish commercial space.
- Gina Calabrice (300 Seaside Avenue) opposed, noting congestion on Hope Street and the lack of infrastructure to support additional density.
- Joyce Orgera (88 Gay Moore Drive) opposed, citing traffic spillover onto neighborhood streets, danger to children, and emergency service delays.
- Alex Mayor Smith (66 Summer Street) supported the text change, citing the housing crisis.
Discussion Items
- Modification of Condition #4 for 210 Long Ridge Road (Application 223-98): Luke Buttenweiser (TTP) presented a request to allow the applicant to pay $400,000 to the city in lieu of constructing off-site sidewalk and traffic improvements. The city will use the funds along with a $1 million state grant to complete the work estimated at $1.4 million. The board discussed the process and approved the modified condition.
- Extension of Application 223-28: The board granted a one-year extension to November 14, 2025, for a previously approved application.
- Shared Parking Arrangement at 504 Glenbrook Road (Administrative Review): Attorney Lisa Feinberg presented a request for a shared parking arrangement to allow a child daycare center in 2,600 sq ft of vacant commercial space. The daycare would use five parking spaces (tandem and single) from the existing 56-space lot, which is underutilized. The board approved the arrangement subject to compliance with §12i conditions before zoning sign-off.
- Text Change Application 224-1-1 (River Bend Center, LLC): Rick Redness presented a proposed amendment to the HTD (High Technology Development) zoning regulations to allow residential development (multifamily, senior, homeownership) in the 36-acre River Bend Center, a mixed-use industrial park with 65% vacancy. The presentation covered density, traffic, environmental, and tax impacts. The board discussed key elements: floor area ratios, setbacks, buffers, parking, and off-site improvements. The public hearing was closed after public testimony; the board will deliberate on the text change at a future meeting.
Key Outcomes
- Approved (5-0): Modified condition #4 for 210 Long Ridge Road, allowing payment in lieu of construction.
- Approved (unanimous): One-year extension for Application 223-28.
- Approved (unanimous): Shared parking arrangement at 504 Glenbrook Road, subject to §12i conditions.
- Public Hearing Closed: The text change application for River Bend Center was heard and closed; the board will continue deliberation at a later date.
Meeting Transcript
David, we can get started. Okay. I'd like to welcome everyone and call tonight's zoning board meeting to order. It is 6 30 on September 9, 2024. I'm David Stein, Chair of the Zoning Board, and the 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 telephone. First, I'd like to do a roll call of the board and the staff. Bill Morris. Here. Roseanne McManus. Here. Jerry Bozak. Here. Raquel Smith Anderson. Raquel. I'm here. Okay. Ralph Blessing. Present. And Vanita Mater. Here. Okay. The board's microphones will be open throughout the hearing tonight. The applicant's microphones will be open during the public hearing while their application is being heard. However, I would ask the applicants to please mute their mics for not speaking in order to reduce any background noise. After we get through a couple of administrative items, uh the first part of tonight's meeting will be the public hearing portion during which the public will have the opportunity to speak. Each member of the public will be muted until it is your turn 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. If you called in on one of the telephone conference call phone numbers, press star nine, and that will raise your hand, and we will see that.gov slash zoning.gov. Um before we do, I'd like the minutes to show that uh Raquel Smith Anderson is seated as a voting member for tonight's meeting. TJ H senior living LLC, zero Long Ridge Road, aka 210 Long Ridge Road, site site and architectural plans and or requested uses. And also there's a request from traffic the traffic department to modify one of the conditions of our approval to provide that the applicant instead of doing certain sidewalk and traffic work would give a check to the uh city at the time of building permit. Um so that the city would have the work done. Um so that'd be in lieu of the the applicant doing it. Um so um let's start with uh the change of condition uh number four uh on our previous approval. And I see we have uh Luke Buttenweiser from the uh traffic department from TTP. Luke, you wanna take us through what's being requested here? Yes, thank you, uh Chair. Um so the uh transportation traffic and parking department in 2021 completed uh design plans that were subsequently approved by the Connecticut Department of Transportation for the construction of a sidewalk along the west side of Longridge Road from Bullshead up to River Ridge Cork, which is essentially where that Sonoko gas station is. Um associated with that sidewalk work is new pedestrian traffic signals, new crosswalks, and new bus shelters. Um since then the city has received a $1 million grant from the state of Connecticut um to uh construct this. And um this request tonight is instead of the applicant building the section of sidewalk in front of their um property frontage, it's to have a check conveyed to our department um to build the sidewalk directly, as the current engineers um estimate is 1.4 million dollars. So uh between the state grant and the um developer being loop, uh it'll be 100% um paid for, not by the city, I should say. And um, we are um planning on starting construction of the sidewalk this spring um in 2025. So um this is the opportune time for us right now for the sidewalk construction. If you have any questions, um happy to answer. Thank you. Now, Luke, the um original approval also included uh a certain amount of traffic work um that the applicant would do. Um is that traffic work included in the work the city will now do? Yes.
openpublica.com