Stonington continues Old Lighthouse Museum hearings

Stonington — In an attempt to convince borough Planning and Zoning Commission members Tuesday that a small addition is needed to the Old Lighthouse Museum for handicapped access and other uses, Stonington Historical Society attorney Mark Branse handed out puzzle pieces to the members and challenged them to fit the pieces into the existing layout.

“I don’t think any of you can make these pieces fit without some size addition,” he said.

Branse’s comments came as the commission held a second night of hearings on the society’s third version of a controversial plan to renovate and slightly expand the museum.

Branse said the society has been in “promising discussions” with neighbors who have quality-of-life concerns about the plan.

“I’m encouraged by what I’ve been hearing the past 48 hours,” he said, adding this was another reason he was asking for the hearing to be continued.

On Tuesday the commission closed a hearing on the proposed text amendment the society is seeking for the project while opening a hearing on a special permit and coastal site plan approval.

As during the first night of hearings two weeks ago, a large number of people spoke both in favor and against the applications, reiterating many of the arguments heard two weeks ago.

Supporters pointed out the importance of providing handicapped access to the museum while a petition signed by 50 residents opposed to the applications was presented to the commission.

Resident Julia Roberts said she was worried that if the text amendment was approved, other property owners would begin seeking expansions under the guise of meeting handicapped guidelines.

Other speakers said the society should not apply for a special permit until the commission first rules on the text amendment, so the hearing can be properly noticed.

The commission was expected to adjourn and continue the hearings by 10 p.m. and not make any decisions.

In late March, the society outlined a new, smaller proposal after neighbors of the museum opposed two previous designs in 2013 and 2015.

The design had been reworked and scaled back to reflect the concerns of neighbors and to provide for the minimal essential needs of the museum, which is to restore the building to protect it and the exhibits while offering handicapped accessibility, handicapped bathroom with the rest for ticketing and a small gift shop.

The proposed text amendment would allow a legal nonconforming use in the R2 zone, such as the museum, to expand to provide handicapped access plus 10 percent more space.

Responding to a commission question Tuesday, Branse disagreed with criticism that the proposed amendment is a illegal spot zoning because it would apply to three other properties in the zone.

The original plan in 2013 called for an 805-squarefoot addition off the rear of the museum that had a modern, glass-enclosed design and two handicapped-accessible bathrooms. The new proposal calls for a 495-square-foot structure that would contain a ticketing area, gift shop and one handicapped-accessible bathroom.

The addition could not be seen from Water Street and would allow ticketing and the gift shop to be relocated from the front of the museum, which is not handicapped-accessible and where they are mixed in with exhibits, to the rear.

The new plan calls for a more traditional, historic feel with less glass and the look of a weathered shingle barn.

Neighbors also are concerned the society will host more special events on its lawn and generate more traffic, an issue that is expected to be raised during the hearing on the special permit.