New townhouse project OK’d in East Norwalk
“I fear, frankly, that if we were to turn it down that all we would be doing is delaying and costing the city unnecessary expense.”
Zoning Commission Chairman Louis Schulman
NORWALK — After rejecting plans to build 14 new apartments in East Norwalk last year, zoning commissioners have approved a scaled-down proposal calling for 11 townhouses at the site of a former Bank of America on Winfield Street.
The three-building project was approved in a 6-0 vote at Wednesday’s meeting, with commissioner Roderick Johnson abstaining from the final vote.
The original application for the housing development, which initially included four buildings, faced stiff opposition last year from residents who complained the apartments did not fit with the surrounding neighborhood of mostly one- and two-family homes.
Commissioners voted down the project in December after city planning and zoning officials warned the multifamily housing development lacked harmony with the neighborhood.
But the property owner and applicant, G&T Norwalk, returned to city offi
cials earlier this year with a modified plan that reduced the project’s density and allowed for more open space at the 0.65-acre site.
At a meeting earlier this month, commissioners conceded that the new application met all the criteria required for a site plan approval and must be approved. The board also narrowly voted against holding a public hearing, which is not a requirement for site plan applications.
“We have almost no leeway here. This is a project they can do as-of-right,” Commission Chairman Louis Schulman said at the March 4 meeting. “I fear, frankly, that if we were to turn it down that all we would be doing is delaying and costing the city unnecessary expense.”
Attorney Adam Blank, who represents the project developer, described the proposed buildings earlier this month as luxury and high-end townhouse. Unlike the original application, the 11 units will be offered for sale instead of rent.
According to planning documents, each of the about 1,600-square-foot units will include two bedrooms, an attic space and a two-car garage.
“This development proposal not only offers aesthetically pleasing townhouse for Norwalk residents, but also will transform a commercial lot into a residential use more compatible with the neighborhood,” developers wrote in their application.
Blank has said the construction of the townhouse is expected to take about six to seven months. He said the work will begin shortly after a building permit is granted.