Stamford Zoning Board Meeting - July 1, 2025
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Stamford Zoning Board Meeting Summary – July 1, 2025
The Stamford Zoning Board convened on July 1, 2025 (transcript references a continuation from June 30, 2025) to hear and vote on multiple applications, including flood compliance renovations, basement conversions, historic preservation plans, text amendments, and extensions. All votes were unanimous (3-0) unless otherwise noted.
Consent Calendar
- No items were explicitly designated as consent calendar; however, routine approvals are covered below.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments or testimony were heard during this session.
Discussion Items
- CSPR 1217 – 164 Dolphin Cove Key (Applicant: Kara Um Raguel): Proposed raising the dwelling, renovating the garage, and constructing a second story for flood compliance. Received favorable recommendations from the Environmental Protection Board (EPB), Engineering, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and the Harbor Management Commission. Approved 3-0 with conditions from those agencies.
- CSPR 1215 – 45 Taylor Street (Applicant: Cindy Garcia Diego for Rom Shape): Proposed converting an existing finished basement to laundry and storage, legalizing floor area within the Coastal Area Management (CAM) boundary. Received positive recommendations from EPB, Engineering, DEEP, and Harbor Management. Approved 3-0 with agency conditions.
- AC Leonard – 68 Leonard Street (Applicant: AC Leonard LLC): Site and architectural plans, special permit request, and addition to the cultural resources inventory. Staff presented conditions including historic preservation easement, surety bond for facade restoration, installation of a brass plaque, and compliance with HPAC, EPB, Engineering, Traffic, and Fire Marshal comments. Approved 3-0 with the listed conditions.
- Application 225-16 – Zoning Board Text Change (Graphics): A text amendment to add missing definitions, including “setback” and “setback line.” Approved 3-0.
- Application 225-17 – Zoning Board Text Change (Restaurants): A proposed text amendment concerning restaurant definitions. Board member Ralph indicated further review was needed to simplify language and avoid unintended consequences regarding entertainment definitions. The application was held for a revised draft to be presented at a future meeting.
- Application 224-04 – 91 Hope Street Extension (Applicant: Joseph Capelbo on behalf of RRI T LLC): Requested a one-year extension of time through August 13, 2026. Approved 3-0.
- Extension of Acting CEO Daniel Trapp: Approved an extension of the term for Acting CEO Daniel Trapp through August 13, 2025, pursuant to Section 1.C4 of the zoning regulations.
Key Outcomes
- All four votes (CSPR 1217, CSPR 1215, 68 Leonard Street, and 225-16) were approved unanimously (3-0) with conditions as noted.
- Application 225-17 (restaurant text change) was held for further revisions; Chairman will circulate a revised draft before the next meeting.
- Extension for 91 Hope Street and the Acting CEO’s term were also approved.
- Future agenda items include the GDP for John Stowers, a text change and GDP for a daycare on Palmer’s Hill (CLC), and an update on the McGee Avenue boat yard requested by a board member.
Note on Date Discrepancy: The system-provided meeting date is July 1, 2025, but the transcript states the hearing resumed on June 30, 2025. This summary uses the system-provided date but acknowledges the discrepancy.
Meeting Transcript
On the left can't trick me for that this recording. It says recording. Now it yeah, now there's the additional circle. We just need Mr. Bozak. Jerry, are you hidden back there? There he is. Okay. Um it though, Jerry. I'm here. Okay. Okay, it's 923 in the zoning board hearing of uh June 30, 2025 is resuming. Um we are now um on the regular meeting and uh we have the pending applications. The first one is CSPR 1217, Kara Um Raguel. I apologize if I got that wrong. Uh 164 Dolphin Code Key proposing to raise dwelling, renovate garage, construct a second story with associate improvements. Property is within the camp boundary. Uh Vanita, um you want to tell us about this? Sure. Um, so they're raising uh the house to make it flood compliant. Uh the we have positive recommendations on this from EPB. We have a letter dated June 3rd, uh 2025 from Lindsay Tomaswski. Um we have a letter from Vilera Capelle from engineering dated June 3rd, 2025. We have a deep report from Karen Michaels, dated May 9th, 2025. And we have the Harbor Management Commission report uh from Damien Nortelli dated June 4th, 2025. Okay. Um are there any questions from the board on this application? Comment was everybody favorable, Vanita? Yes, they were all favorable. Yeah, they had conditions um in the EPB engineering uh reports, um, but all favorable recommendations. You said it was engineering, EPB, deep and uh harbor management. Harbor management, yes. They right deep and harbor management don't provide conditions, they just make recommendations uh most of the time. Yeah. Okay. Uh can we get a motion to approve uh CSPR 1217 with the uh conditions and recommendations from engineering EPB DEEP and Harbor Management Commission. Sure, Mr. Chairman. I'll make that that uh that motion to I will second it to there. Good. Any further discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye aye. Okay, the application is approved 30. Um next we have CSPR 1215, Cindy Garcia Diego for Rom Shape, 45 Taylor Street proposing to convert existing furniture finished basement to laundry and storage. The property is within the cam boundary. Uh Benita. So this is subject to CAM because you know changing it to laundry and storage will um you know convert this to floor area, it will legalize the floor area that they have. Um other than that, there's no change uh on the site or the building. Um we have a positive positive recommendation from EPB uh dated June 4th, uh written by Pam Fausty.
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