Stamford Zoning Board Meeting - October 8, 2024
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Stamford Zoning Board Meeting - October 8, 2024
The Stamford Zoning Board met on October 8, 2024, at 6:30 PM via Zoom. The board held an executive session on pending litigation, conducted a public hearing on a map change application for properties on Parker Avenue, and discussed a proposed text amendment on non-conforming buildings. The board approved the map change and the previous meeting's minutes.
Executive Session
- The board entered executive session at 6:40 PM and exited at 7:41 PM to discuss pending litigation in the matter of 900 Long Ridge Road property owner LLC vs. City of Stamford Zoning Board. No votes were taken. Participants included the zoning board, staff (Ralph Blessing, Vanita Matter), and corporation counsel (Cindy Anger).
Public Hearing - Application 224-21: Map Change for 37 and 41 Parker Avenue
- Applicant: 492 Glenbrook Road LLC, represented by Attorney Jason Klein. Proposal: Rezone two lots from R6 (one- and two-family) to VC (Village Commercial) to allow for future residential development (estimated 18–20 apartments) with affordable units. The planning board had unanimously recommended approval, finding it consistent with the 2015 Master Plan and Glenbrook/Springdale TOD feasibility study.
- Public comment: Scott Hollis (41 Fairmont Ave, Glenbrook Neighborhood Association) expressed concern that rezoning these two lots would isolate the adjacent lot at 47 Parker Avenue, potentially creating an unattractive property. Applicant responded they have not considered purchasing that lot and noted the rezoning has been identified as an opportunity for housing for nearly a decade.
- Board discussion: Members praised the applicant's previous redevelopment at 492 Glenbrook Road. Concerns about setbacks and protection of the neighboring lot were raised, but members felt those could be addressed at the site plan stage.
Discussion Items
- Approval of Minutes: Minutes from September 30, 2024, were approved 3–0 (one abstention by Jerry Bozak, who was absent for that meeting).
- Text Amendment Discussion: Section 10 – Non-Conforming Buildings. Staff member Ralph Blessing presented revisions in response to board concerns. Key changes: all conversions of non-conforming buildings from non-residential to residential will now require site and architectural plan approval (with public hearing); usable open space and parking requirements align with new construction, but relief can be granted administratively by the board. Board discussed how the amendment codifies existing practice. Staff will further analyze density standards for commercial districts (e.g., 460 Summer Street conversion) and bring revised text to the next meeting. No vote was taken.
Key Outcomes
- Approved map change (Application 224-21) to rezone 37 and 41 Parker Avenue from R6 to VC. Vote: 4-0.
- Approved minutes of September 30, 2024. Vote: 3-0.
- No action on text amendment; discussion continued to next meeting (scheduled for October 21, 2024) with potential vote.
- Next meeting public hearing: 460 Summer Street application.
Meeting Transcript
Let's give it a few minutes. I think we can start now. Okay. Benita, can you send me the link for the executive session? Sure. I'd like to welcome everyone and call tonight zoning board meeting to order. I'm David Stein, Chair of the Zoning Board, and it is 6:30 on October 7th, 2024. The members of the board and the staff are holding this meeting by Zoom video conference. The public is in attendance both on the video conference and by teleconference. First, I'd like to do a roll call of the board and the staff. Bill Morris? Here. Roseanne McManus. Here. Jerry Bozak. Present. Raquel Smith Anderson. And now for our staff, uh Ralph Blessing. Present. And Benita Matter. Good. We we have everyone. Uh the board's microphones will be open throughout tonight's hearing. The applicant's mics will be open during the public hearing for their application. However, I would ask the applicant to please mute your mics when not speaking in order to reduce background noise. Following our discussion of litigation, the next part of the meeting will be 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 would like to speak. If you came in through Zoom, please use the raise your hand function and you will be unmuted when it is your turn to speak. If you called in on one of the telephone conference call Zoom phone numbers, please press star nine and this will raise your hand. Then press star six to unmute when you are called on. Uh getting on or getting recognized, please send an email to Vanita who should be able to help you out. Vanita's email address is V Mater. It's V as in Victor. V M-A-T-H-U-R at Stamford C T dot gov. Um 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.gov slash zoning. Tonight's meeting will be recorded and will be posted at the zoning board's website. Uh Raquel Smith Anderson as a voting member for tonight's meeting. The first item we have is application 224-sorry. Let's try that again. First item we have is a discussion regarding pending litigation in the matter of 900 Long Ridge Road property owner LLC versus City of Stanford zoning board. That's application 223-34. Um site and architectural plans and or requested uses and special permit. Okay, so we're going into executive sessions. Um, members of the public uh will be out as soon as we can. But um, this could take uh I don't know, fifteen or twenty minutes. And um, then we will continue with the hearing. So uh board, please uh sign out of this meeting and sign into the uh executive session. Okay.
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