Zoning Board Meeting – March 10, 2026
Zoning Board Meeting – March 10, 2026
Note: The transcript of the meeting indicates it was held on March 9, 2026, but the provided date for this summary is March 10, 2026. This summary uses the latter date as instructed.
The Zoning Board of Stamford, Connecticut, convened on March 10, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. Chair David Stein led the meeting, which included public hearings on a daycare facility and a zoning text amendment, as well as administrative reviews and approvals of time extensions. The board approved the daycare proposal with conditions, continued two text amendments, and granted modifications to fee-in-lieu funding for an affordable housing project.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes – The board unanimously approved the minutes from the March 2, 2026 meeting.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Application 225-48 (Children's Learning Centers) – Attorney Pierce, representing the Palmer Hill Community Association, opposed the project, citing unresolved parking, circulation, and emergency access issues. He requested denial without prejudice. The applicant, Rick Redness, apologized for previous communication issues and expressed confidence in securing access through adjacent property. Noel Lepine, board chair of CLC, emphasized the project's importance for early childhood education and asked for approval.
- Application 225-47 (CL District Text Change) – Several members of the public spoke:
- Barry Michelson (non-Stamford resident) raised concerns about building height near residential zones and the homogenization of zoning districts.
- Sue Halpern (30 Elmcraft Road) asked about the RDD (Residential Density Divider) and potential residential uses in the CL district.
- Dave Adams (Glenbrook) questioned the definition of commercial streets and the red-line markings.
- Monika Twal (37 Hanrahan Street) opposed the changes, arguing they reduce parking, increase traffic, and create confusion.
Discussion Items
- Application 225-48 (60 Palmer's Hill Road) – The applicant proposed adaptive reuse of a two-story building to create a daycare serving up to 220 children. The board discussed conditions including traffic improvements, a parking management plan, and emergency access. The board approved the application with conditions, including a requirement that the daycare either secure a cut-through connection to 64 Palmer's Hill Road or wait for city intersection improvements before opening.
- Application 225-47 (CL Limited Commercial District Text Change) – Ralph Blessing presented proposed regulations to add urban design standards to the CL district, including minimum lot size of 2 acres, building setbacks, and reduced impervious surfaces. The board discussed the need for a map of existing CL districts and continued the item to the next meeting pending further information.
- Application 225-38 (CG District Text Change) – Similar to the CL change, the board debated the threshold for board review of building alterations. Members requested a comparison table showing current vs. proposed review requirements. The item was continued to the next meeting.
- Application 225-45 (177 Broad Street) – The applicant proposed converting a 16-story office building into 231 residential apartments. The board commented positively on the design and amenities. The item was continued to the next meeting pending receipt of traffic and WPCA letters.
Key Outcomes
- Application 225-48 – Approved 4-0 with conditions, including a parking management plan, EV charging spaces, and a requirement that the daycare either secure a vehicular connection to 64 Palmer's Hill Road or wait for city intersection improvements before opening.
- Application 225-47 (CL Text Change) – Continued to March 30, 2026, with a request for a map of CL districts.
- Application 225-38 (CG Text Change) – Continued to March 30, 2026, with a request for a comparison table of review thresholds.
- Application 225-45 (177 Broad Street) – Continued to March 30, 2026, pending outstanding letters from the Traffic and WPCA departments.
- Application 225-4? (66 Stillwater Avenue) – Extension of time for an 18-unit affordable housing project approved 5-0, extending the deadline to March 12, 2028.
- Fee-in-Lieu Funds for St. John's Project – The board approved a modification of prior approvals (applications 213-44 and 218-19) to redirect fee-in-lieu funds to the St. John's Urban Development Corp. project. The approval includes a one-year extension (to March 9, 2027) with the possibility of further extensions, and requires quarterly reports to the board. The board also consented to consolidating the escrow agreements. Approved 5-0.
Meeting Transcript
Let's give it a minute to get all the attendees in. David, I think we can get started. Okay. 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 p.m. on March 9, 2026. 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 teleconference. First, I'd like to do a roll call of the board and the staff. Bill Morris. Here. Roseanne McManus? Here. Jerry Bozak. Here. And Peter Rustin. Yeah. And um Peter. So everyone knows Peter is our uh newest uh alternate on the board, and it is great to have him. So uh Peter, uh welcome. Thank you so much. Um and um now for the staff, uh Ralph Blessing. Here and Vanita Monter. Here. Uh during tonight's meeting, the board's microphones will be out, will be on throughout the meeting. The applicant's mics will be on during the public hearing when their applications being heard. However, I would ask the applicant 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 will have an opportunity to speak. Each member of the public will be muted until it is your turn to speak. Here is the procedure for the public to let us know that you'd like 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 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 you are called on to speak. 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. This meeting is being recorded and will be posted on the zoning board's website. If you're trying to get on to speak and having an issue, please send an email to Vanita and she will uh get you on. Vanita's email address is V Mater. That's V M-A-T-H-U-R at Stanford C T dot gov. You can find the agenda for tonight's meeting and the meeting applications and other materials by going to our website www.stanford ct.gov slash zoning. Um please let the uh minutes reflect that um Peter Rustin is being seated as a voting member uh at tonight's meeting. And um can I get a motion please to put applications 225-43 and 225-4 on the agenda? These are the uh these are the um items relating to 1150 Summer Street that um were inadvertently left off the agenda and they need to be continued. So can we get a motion to add them to the agenda? So move second third. Uh any discussion? No. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Aye.
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