OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Stanford Zoning Board Meeting - December 15, 2025

Zoning Board — Tuesday, December 16, 2025
BodyStamford, Connecticut
SessionZoning Board
DateTuesday, December 16, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:11:56

Transcript — Verbatim
0:02

All right, let's give it a minute so that I can let everybody in.

0:08

Okay.

0:08

Give us the word.

0:10

Yep.

0:20

Okay, I think we can start now.

0:24

Okay.

0:26

I'd like to welcome everyone and call tonight's zoning board meeting to order.

0:30

I'm David Stein, Chair of the Zoning Board, and it is 6.44 p.m.

0:35

on December 15th, 2025.

0:39

Apologies for the uh delay in getting the meeting started.

0:43

Uh, the members of the board and the staff are holding this meeting by Zoom video conference.

0:49

The public is in attendance both on the video conference and by teleconference.

0:54

I'd like to do a roll call of the board and the staff.

0:58

Uh Bill Morris.

1:00

Here.

1:01

Roseanne McManus.

1:02

Here.

1:03

Jerry Bozak.

1:05

Here.

1:06

Uh Ralph Glessing.

1:08

And Vanita Mater.

1:10

Yeah.

1:12

Good.

1:12

Well, you have everyone.

1:14

Um during tonight's meeting, the microphones for the board will be on throughout the entire meeting.

1:21

The applicant's mics will be on during the public hearing when their application is being heard.

1:27

However, I would uh ask applicants to please mute their mics when not speaking in order to reduce background noise.

1:35

The first part of tonight's meeting is the public hearing during which the public has an opportunity to speak.

1:41

Each member of the public will be muted until it is your turn to speak.

1:46

Here's the procedure for the public to let us know that you would like to speak.

1:51

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.

2:00

If you called in on one of the telephone conference call phone numbers, please press star nine, and this will raise your hand, and then press star six to unmute when it is your turn.

2:13

When members of the public speak, please give us your name and address for the record and whether you are in favor of or opposed to the application.

2:22

The board requests that members of the public limit your comments to three minutes so that everyone will have a chance to speak.

2:28

And we'll let you know when you get to three minutes.

2:31

And at that point, we would ask you to uh conclude.

2:35

Uh if you have trouble getting on for some reason, please send an email to Vanita and she will do her best to uh get you on to speak.

2:45

And her email address is V as in Victor, V Motor, M-A-T-H-U-R at Stanford C T.gov.

2:58

Tonight's meeting is being recorded and it will be posted on the zoning board's website.

3:04

And you can find the agenda for tonight's meeting and all of the meeting applications and other materials by going to our website at www.stanfordct.gov slash zoning.

3:20

And now we have um the first two applications for tonight continued from uh November 24th.

3:32

Uh we have application 224-18 Continental Family Holdings LLC by Michael Cake, 11 Summer Street.

3:44

This is a zoning map change relating to 23 Berry Place.

3:48

Applicants proposing to rezone 23 Berry Place from the current MG Manufacturing General to the proposed RM1, multiple family district, low density design district, and RMF, multifamily residence design district zoning district.

4:08

The second application, uh also for 23 Berry Place is 225-23.

4:15

This is the site and architectural plans and or requested uses and special permit.

4:21

Applicant is also Continental Family Holdings LLC.

4:25

The applicant is proposing to construct 60 townhouses and a 185-unit apartment building with a total of 450 parking spaces and associated amenities.

4:44

Good to see you again.

5:02

Um, in the meantime, you've provided some additional materials to us.

5:07

In fact, I saw that um we got some today, and I'm not to admit I haven't not had a chance to review them, so I'm not sure what they are.

5:16

Um, and there's been a staff report and a TTP report issued.

5:21

So um why don't you um just um um take it away and um tell us uh about what we've received and any responses uh you have to the reports.

5:36

Thank you, Mr.

5:37

Stein and members of the board.

5:39

Um for the record, my name is Michael Cakeis.

5:42

I'm counsel for the applicant on both of the applications before you.

5:47

And as the chair indicated, when we last uh met the hearing was postponed uh until tonight, uh, in particular to give TTP an opportunity uh to respond to the latest traffic report which had been submitted by SLR.

6:06

I would note for the record that I'm joined this evening uh by Len DeAndrea and Derek Dunay uh of the D'Andrea Engineering Firm, Ravi Ahuya is on.

6:18

We have representatives from SLR, our traffic consultant, and Matt Pop as well.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Planning and Zoning█████████████████████████████████████████████46%
Urban Design██████████████14%
Procedural███████████11%
Affordable Housing████████8%
Traffic██████6%
Public Engagement████4%
Transportation Safety███3%
Parking██2%
Community Engagement█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Stanford Zoning Board Meeting - December 15, 2025

The Stanford Zoning Board convened via Zoom on December 15, 2025, to continue hearings from November 24th and act on several completed applications. The board addressed significant residential redevelopment proposals, approved specific site plans and text changes, and granted time extensions for pending special permits.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes from the December 1st, 2025 meeting were reviewed and approved unanimously (3-0-1).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Supporters:
    • Jason Kennard (150 Southfield Ave) expressed strong support for 23 Berry Place, arguing the project offers the highest and best use of the vacant industrial site, will attract stable downsizers, and protect against a worse alternative of heavy industrial use (e.g., Amazon fulfillment centers).
    • Chris Maria (39 Keith St) expressed support for residential over heavy industrial, noting the traffic is already busy and praising the design and landscaping.
    • Sophia Spigaro (556 Fairfield Ave) expressed definite support, viewing the project as progress that will lead to infrastructure improvements and increased property values.
    • Joe Sandolo (556 Fairfield Ave) expressed support, stating structured condominiums are a far better choice than commercial/warehouse and bring economic benefits.
    • Father Carlos (535 Fairfield Ave, St. Clements Parish) expressed support, noting the site previously housed 400 employees without congestion, arguing that residential is necessary for the parish's survival, and stating the project addresses a critical need for housing.
    • Salvatore Zarella (Keith St) clarified that while he does not favor industrial, he opposes the proposed density volume being five times greater than adjacent developments, citing mathematical comparisons of square footage per unit and traffic studies he claims are flawed (specifically excluding the skating rink).
    • Darlene Calvillo (Monroe Place) expressed opposition, citing concerns about reduced parking, traffic congestion on residential streets, and the existing overflow issues from the nearby arena.
    • Jennifer Tortolani (109 Burrwood Ave) expressed concern regarding the amount of traffic generated and the time required to resolve it, given past congestion from other nearby developments.
    • Pam Castello (15D Lane) expressed concern about parking and the cumulative impact of two nearby large projects on Fairfield Avenue, suggesting an independent traffic study.
    • Audrey Iscaro (581 Fairfield Ave) expressed concern about traffic speed and volume, and potential issues with pet ownership, though agreeing residential is better than industrial.

Discussion Items

  • Application 224-18 (Continental Family Holdings) - 23 Berry Place:
    • The applicant, represented by Michael Cake and engineers from D'Andrea Engineering, presented revised plans in response to board concerns. They eliminated 16 three-bedroom units, reducing total density and creating a larger open space courtyard (increased from 6,400 sq ft to 11,500 sq ft). They also reduced parking by 24 spaces (total of 420 sq ft reduction in impervious surface) and expanded green space, including a dog run and playground.
    • Traffic: The applicant agreed to all conditions from TTP (Traffic and Transportation Planning), including signal timing improvements at Melrose Place/Fairfield Avenue and rebuilding Melrose Place. Traffic consultant Neil O'Linski (SLR) stated the single driveway would operate at Level of Service A.
    • Zoning: The applicant argued the proposed RMF (multifamily residence) district is consistent with surrounding RMF zoning (19 acres nearby) and industrial uses, refuting the staff report's suggestion of R5. They offered to deed-restrict the property if the board requested to limit maximum density to 185 units, rejecting the potential for the bonus 40 units/acre under R5.
    • The board continued the hearing to January 5, 2026, for deliberation and voting.
  • Application 225-24 (492 Glenbrook Road, LLC) - 37 & 41 Parker Ave:
    • The applicant, represented by Jay Klein, presented updated plans addressing board and staff comments. Changes included elevating the ground floor 2 feet above grade, adding ASAC paneling to create a "base, middle, top" design, adding cornices and brackets to the roofline, and increasing sidewalk widths (6 ft on Glenbrook, 5 ft on Parker).
    • The board requested additional items for the next meeting: dimensions for the open space exhibit, calculations for bike/vehicle parking, a materials board, and a revision to the facade showing faux windows on the south side near the property line. The board also requested Vanita prepare conditions.
    • The board continued the hearing to January 5, 2026.
  • Application 225-29 (120 C Long Ridge) - Toll Northeast V Corp:
    • The applicant submitted a written memo addressing comments. The board approved the application, voting 4-0.
    • Conditions: The board imposed conditions requiring the recording of the revised map before building permit, payment of a BMR fee-in-lieu (approx. $3.68 million), submission of open space plans prior to CO, 10-year maintenance of trees, and financial contributions to TTP for traffic safety and ped improvement. The public access amenity space (PAS) timing was discussed, settling on compliance prior to the issuance of the final Certificate of Occupancy.
  • Application 225-34 (1241 East Main) - Text Change:
    • The applicant submitted a revised draft clarifying height exemptions. The board approved the text change (4-0).
  • Application 225-35 (1241 East Main) - Site Plan:
    • The application was approved to convert a vacant office building into 84 residential dwelling rooms.
    • Conditions: The board approved conditions requiring 115 self-parking spaces (12 EV), bundled parking (all residents), 15 Class A/9 Class B bicycle parking, and street tree planting. The board discussed the bundled parking policy, noting its proximity to a residential neighborhood.
  • Application 225-37 (Harbor Point) - Bath House:
    • The board continued this application to January 5, 2026, noting the project does not require a Planning Board letter.
  • Time Extensions:
    • 300 Main Street: Extension of time granted from February 25, 2026, to February 25, 2027 (4-0).
    • 223-48: Two-year extension granted to February 20, 2028, correcting a clerical error in the previous request (4-0).

Key Outcomes

  • Approved:
    • Application 225-29 (120 C Long Ridge Road) with conditions.
    • Application 225-34 (1241 East Main Street) Text Change.
    • Application 225-35 (1241 East Main Street) Site Plan.
    • Time extension for application 300 Main Street (1 year).
    • Time extension for application 223-48 (2 years).
  • Continued:
    • Application 224-18 (23 Berry Place) - Deliberation scheduled for Jan 5, 2026.
    • Application 225-24 (492 Glenbrook Road) - Additional requirements pending, scheduled for Jan 5, 2026.
    • Application 225-37 (Harbor Point Bath House) - Scheduled for Jan 5, 2026.
  • Adjournment: Meeting adjourned on December 15, 2025.

Meeting Transcript

All right, let's give it a minute so that I can let everybody in. Okay. Give us the word. Yep. Okay, I think we can start now. Okay. 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 6.44 p.m. on December 15th, 2025. Apologies for the uh delay in getting the meeting started. Uh, 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. I'd like to do a roll call of the board and the staff. Uh Bill Morris. Here. Roseanne McManus. Here. Jerry Bozak. Here. Uh Ralph Glessing. And Vanita Mater. Yeah. Good. Well, you have everyone. Um during tonight's meeting, the microphones for the board will be on throughout the entire meeting. The applicant's mics will be on during the public hearing when their application is being heard. However, I would uh ask applicants 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 has 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 phone numbers, please press star nine, and this will raise your hand, and then press star six to unmute when it is your turn. When members of the public speak, please give us your name and address for the record and whether you are in favor of or opposed to the application. The board requests that members of the public limit your comments to three minutes so that everyone will have a chance to speak. And we'll let you know when you get to three minutes. And at that point, we would ask you to uh conclude. Uh if you have trouble getting on for some reason, please send an email to Vanita and she will do her best to uh get you on to speak. And her email address is V as in Victor, V Motor, M-A-T-H-U-R at Stanford C T.gov. Tonight's meeting is being recorded and it will be posted on the zoning board's website. And you can find the agenda for tonight's meeting and all of the meeting applications and other materials by going to our website at www.stanfordct.gov slash zoning. And now we have um the first two applications for tonight continued from uh November 24th. Uh we have application 224-18 Continental Family Holdings LLC by Michael Cake, 11 Summer Street. This is a zoning map change relating to 23 Berry Place. Applicants proposing to rezone 23 Berry Place from the current MG Manufacturing General to the proposed RM1, multiple family district, low density design district, and RMF, multifamily residence design district zoning district. The second application, uh also for 23 Berry Place is 225-23. This is the site and architectural plans and or requested uses and special permit. Applicant is also Continental Family Holdings LLC. The applicant is proposing to construct 60 townhouses and a 185-unit apartment building with a total of 450 parking spaces and associated amenities. Good to see you again. Um, in the meantime, you've provided some additional materials to us.

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