Westport weighs expanded zoning effort
An effort to make planning and zoning rules more amenable for downtown Westport businesses could possibly be expanded to other commercial districts.
Westport spent last year overhauling its zoning rules in an attempt to get more restaurants to add outdoor seating, with planners hoping that would create a more lively downtown district that in turn would draw additional patrons and businesses.
In addition to increasing the types of businesses that can create outdoor dining, the town also increased the amount of space that existing food establishments can devote for tables outdoors ”“ with the possible future goal of widening sidewalks on Main Street and elsewhere to accommodate that goal ”“ and eliminated the need for a public hearing in most cases.
Home to a few corporate giants such as Terex Corp. and Bridgewater Associates, Westport”™s business districts are dominated by boutique retailers, national chains and small professional services firms.
Working groups are currently considering a lit of some 10 items to “repair” downtown zoning ordinances, according to David Press, secretary of the planning and zoning commission, speaking at a meeting in late May. Some ideas that have been broached by various parties include allowing for taller buildings, a parking garage and a downtown movie theater. A group called the Westport Cinema Initiative argues a theater is needed to provide a source of entertainment that spans generations.
Planners are examining how other municipalities have addressed the zoning overhaul process, including Ann Arbor, Mich.
Press said the planning and zoning commission should also explore adjusting rules in residential districts to encourage the creation of bed and breakfast-style inns, with few buildings along Main Street suitable for the purpose. This spring, a developer asked permission to convert the ground floor of the former Inn at National Hall to office use, after the boutique hotel shut down last year.
Press said he had informal discussions about applying some of the administrative rules emerging from that process to other districts, particularly some that are relatively minor such as improving signs.
“If its good enough to allow with administrative approval downtown, why not have something parallel for the rest of the commercial zones where it”™s appropriate?” Press asked. “Let”™s not just make it easier for downtown.”
Press cited one example of the benefit of seemingly small changes that had a make-or-break impact on one business.
“One (merchant”™s) business was basically saved by our little sandwich signs,” Press said. “It was one (that) was not visible from the street. He put out a sandwich sign and all of a sudden people realized he was there. So the value of signage cannot be underestimated. I don”™t want to overestimate it, but I don”™t want to let it pass.”
Ron Corwin, chairman of the planning and zoning commission, said that the downtown improvements have sparked excellent community participation and have generated a lot of good ideas, but cautioned about a wider adoption of whatever emerges as a final planning roadmap.
“In some ways less is more,” Corwin said. “If we”™re going to begin expanding some of these notions, we”™re going to complicate our task.”
Press argued that now is the time given the significant community input that has come about from the process.
“We don”™t get many opportunities to make changes of the kind we are talking about,” Press said. “We should think a little more boldly.”