Public weighs in on Wall Street zoning
Proposed changes to area get mostly positive feedback
NORWALK — Proposed zoning changes to the Wall Street area received mostly positive feedback at a public hearing Wednesday.
The changes are aimed at simplifying the zoning regulations in the area and getting rid of “incongruencies” that were helping cause stagnation in the area, Director of Planning and Zoning Steve Kleppin said.
“The Wall Street area is a tricky place from a zoning perspective,” Kleppin said. “There are a lot of historic structures. Many of these structures do not have any of their own site parking.”
Kleppin said that residents have spoken clearly throughout this process about the desire to revitalize and invigorate the area, while maintain some of the existing structures that give Wall Street area its unique feel.
“Everybody that’s tuned in — they want more vibracy, they want vitality,” he said. “They like the historic buildings, they like the downtown charm.”
One of the issues though, is the current regulations have
requirements that are difficult to meet, such as meeting the parking needs of an expanded building.
“They can add additional square footage — the parking does not allow that,” he said.
The goal of the updated regulations, according to Kleppin, is to encourage “adaptive reuse” of many of the historic buildings, while encouraging more density in the area that in turn can support local businesses.
Most members of the public who spoke at the hearing were in favor of the changes.
“I largely like these zoning regulations,” developer Jason Milligan, who is currently involved in litigation against the city, said. “I think it’s going to have a positive impact. What you need is something to kick start it. For decades Wall Street and the area has languished.”
Milligan said the zoning changes would help him enhance the six properties he owns on Wall Street, such as allowing him to put a few apartments in the upper floors of the Fairfield County Bank.
Milligan asked for a couple of regulations to be slightly adjusted, such as dropping the amenity requirements for buildings with 30 or more apartments and not requiring a specifically designated historic architect.
Richard Warren of O&G Industries said his company, which is located on Smith Street, wrote a letter in support of the regulations, but said they were looking for a bit more clarity of what “water-dependent uses” meant. Warren said his company would be looking to reactivate their water uses and would be working with Harbor Management Commission to do that.
That was also something John Pinto, chair of the Application Review Committee for the Harbor Management Commission, said the commission wanted more details on.
Pinto said the commission did not give a vote of a support for the Wall Street-West Avenue Redevelopment Plan that the zoning changes stem from because they wanted more information about water-dependent uses and zoning around the Upper Harbor.
“We were told by the Norwalk Redevelopment Authority that prior to any zoning changes, an analysis would be undertaken including waterborne commerce,” he said. “We have not seen such an analysis, We also recommended that such a an analysis be done.”
Pinto said that he wanted them to look at the economic conditions in the area before changing the zoning.
Because of that, the Zoning Commission voted to hold open written comments on the plan until the end of the month to allow for the Harbor Management Commission to finish its review of the changes and submit their comments. Members of the public can also provide written comment until the end of May to the Planning and Zoning Department.
The Zoning Commission plans to vote on the zoning changes at its June 6 meeting.