Developments across Norwalk continue to make it one of the fastest-growing cities in Connecticut, with an increasing population and an economy that saw the opening of new businesses even in the midst of the pandemic. New construction can be found all across the city, including several high-profile developments in various stages of execution, which were discussed at a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on June 15.
During the meeting, the commission voted to approve a traffic study pertaining to the impact of the proposed Wegmans grocery store on Connecticut Avenue at the site of the MBI campus currently. The 95,000-square-foot Wegmans store will be the first Connecticut location for the grocery chain, which has developed a cult-worthy following from its most devoted shoppers.
The commission also considered mixed-use developments near both the Merritt 7 railroad station and the East Norwalk station. The Merritt 7 development, a new district that Building and Land Technology is creating along Glover Avenue at the north end of Norwalk near the Route 7 Connector, was cited by the neighboring town of Wilton in a letter from its Planning and Zoning Commission that raised concerns about traffic and building height. The Norwalk commission is contemplating allowing Building and Land Technology to create mixed-use structures of up to 150 feet, though the Wilton letter noted that both the distance from the town line and local geography make it unclear if the buildings will be visible at all from Wilton.
The building height was also one of several concerns that prompted Louis Schulman, the commission’s chairman, to declare, “When we first began reviewing this project in 2020, I said it seemed like a wonderful and exciting opportunity and it also scared the heck out of me. I don’t think I’ve changed my mind. I think it potentially holds great promise for the city, but it absolutely needs to be done the right way.”
To streamline the process of approvals, a draft resolution included plans to create a special district where reviews could be conducted across the entire 14-acre area instead of individual buildings.
“The idea is that they would like to have a master plan for the development over what’s a pretty significantly sized parcel,” said Director of the Planning and Zoning Department Steven Kleppin of the developer’s proposed amendment. “Through the consolidation of the zoning that you just approved, it would allow them to build at the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) density allowed through the urban core of Norwalk.”
In the end, the proposed district was met with unanimous approval, though worries about necessary intersection improvements were voiced.
Also brought up was the development of a mixed-use structure with up to 77 units of housing proposed for 1 Cemetery St. The lot was the site of a Wells Fargo branch, but the bank permanently closed the location. Falling within another TOD area, the owners M.F. DiScala & Company in association with Spinnaker Real Estate Partners intend to drastically alter the site rather than find a new tenant.
Matthew Edvardsen, a partner at Spinnaker Real Estate Partners, addressed the commission. He explained that the site, the only lot along Cemetery Street, also has frontage on Gregory Boulevard and East Avenue, and is bound along the third sign by the historic Mill Pond.
“With the recent change in occupancy at the site,” Edvardsen said, “and the long underutilization of the parcel, and in light of the recently implemented East North Village TOD Zone together with extensive planning that led to that actual regulation, which encourages and allows for more productive use of the site, we are excited to start the discussion this evening.”
The developers stressed that they hope to provide the public with new access to the Mill Pond and improve the environmental impact of the site by replacing portions of the parking lot with park space and a rain garden that will filter water.
Concerns about the impact of a large building near a residential area were raised, but ultimately the proposal was unanimously voted to move to peer reviews for both architecture and traffic.
