Preston City shop planned

Family seeks to bring ice cream, coffee to village district, if zoning allows

Preston — A local family hopes to obtain town approval to build a yearround ice cream and coffee shop on Route 165A in the Preston City Village District, which allows mixed use and commercial development that “fits in” with the historic neighborhood, City Planner Kathy Warzecha said.

Barry T. and Jo-Ellen Converse and their daughters, Melinda, 20, and Alison, 17, have applied for permits to build a 1,090-square-foot, barn-style building on a 1.7-acre vacant lot at 19 Route 165A, or Old Shetucket Turnpike, near the Route 165-164 intersection.

The Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on the application at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Because the school budget referendum also will take place Tuesday, the PZC meeting will be held at Preston Public Library across from Town Hall.

Jo-Ellen Converse said the proposal was her daughters’ idea.

The two sisters both are taking business classes at Three Rivers Community College, and elder daughter Melinda also works in the floral department at the Norwich Stop & Shop.

If approved, American Honey Creamery — with a logo of three children riding on the back of a cow — would be open year-round and would feature ice cream made on site with seasonal flavors made with locally grown products, such as berries from nearby Maple Lane Farms, Jo-Ellen Converse said.

She said the family also hopes to sell locally made products, such as maple syrup, honey and preserves.

She hopes to attract local artists to display and sell artwork on the walls, and also display local potters’ wares.

In the future, the family hopes to expand to offer breakfast and lunch.

Barry and Jo-Ellen Converse

bought the property in March for $58,000. Jo-Ellen Converse said they chose the property after looking for a suitable site in the area and saw that the lot was for sale.

They read through the village district zoning and feel they can make the development fit in the neighborhood.

“There’s a need for a place like that in the town,” Jo-Ellen Converse said, “to have a place where people can gather and socialize and have a good time, an inexpensive day out for the family. And if people are out for a bicycle ride. It’s a beautiful, scenic road.”

Town Planner Warzecha said last week she has had some concerns from neighbors about the project.

Warzecha said she has discussed the plan with Preston Historical Society Chairwoman Linda Christensen, and requested some changes based on her input.

Originally, the proposed driveway called for removing a portion of a stone wall. The state Department of Transportation agreed to allow a narrower driveway to save the stone wall, Warzecha said.

Warzecha also requested landscaping to screen the parking lot from neighbors and the road.

Warzecha said the Preston City Village District zoning regulations were approved in the early 2000s after public hearings. The zone allows for mixed use development, including commercial uses that must fit in with the surrounding residential development.

Zoning officials envision a “town center” setting for the area. Any proposed buildings would have to meet design standards in keeping with the historic character, she said.

“They’ve done a nice job trying to make it fit in,” Warzecha said of the plan.