In its last meeting, the outgoing New Britain City Council will consider more land use zone and zoning ordinance changes. The proposals add to a raft of zoning changes already approved by the Republican-controlled Council in June and September of 2023.
East Street and Newington Avenue
One change would rezone an area along the corner of East Street and Newington Avenue, down to Rhodes Street, from the T zone they are presently in to a TODEM1 Transit Oriented Development – East Main zone. The proposed zone includes a city building, a retail building, a multifamily house and the sites of the Stanley Memorial and St. John the Evangelist churches.
The change to TODEM1 would appear to authorize, by right, uses such as, “Multi-family houses and apartment buildings,” and a number of business uses not allowed in T zones.
The rezoned area along East Street would be across the street from the property that has been the subject of a very public dispute between Chamberlain Square LLC owner, James Sanders, Jr., and the administration of Mayor Erin Stewart (R). The former Republican City Council member has said that the city has been blocking his plans to utilize 600 East Street as an Extraspace Storage facility for the building that has long been used and allowed as a warehouse and a former storage facility for New Britain-based moving companies since the 1950s. Sanders says his project “would generate an additional $220,000 in tax revenue” and when accompanied by his TOD (Transit Oriented Development) project for housing ‘could add an additional $250,000 or more” in taxable property.
Amid the dispute, it came to light that the Stewart administration was attempting to institute a moratorium on self-storage businesses. That proposal was tabled by the Council in September, after it became clear that the proposal would likely be defeated by both Republicans and Democrats on the Council.
Osgood Avenue and “Sawmill Lane”
Another change would appear to rezone a single lot on Osgood Avenue of retail-designed space from a B-1 secondary business zone to T zoning. T zoning allows two and three family houses. The change would extend the existing T zone that includes the existing Cidermill Court.
The city zoning map shows a street, called “Sawmill Lane”, that does not appear in satellite imagery of the area. The area surrounding “Sawmill Lane”, outlined in the city’s zone change proposal, is mostly already in the existing T zone.
East Street, Between Ellis and Bingham Streets
On East Street, between Ellis and Bingham streets, a proposal would change properties there from a B1 secondary business zone to a B-1R “neighborhood business revitalization” zone. The area presently has a mix of houses and street-level businesses in it.
The B-1 zone ordinances do not appear to allow houses by right, while the B-1R does, which would appear to change houses there from allowed as pre-existing nonconforming to allowed by right. Pre-existing nonconforming generally means that property owners can continue using their property as it has historically been used, but any substantial change must comply with the current zoning for the area.
But the change would appear to mean that future business uses in the new zone would be allowed only by special exception granted by the Zoning Board of Appeals. For example, the current B-1 zone appears to presently allow by right, restaurants, “Personal service shop: barber shop, beauty parlor, pet shop, dry cleaner or laundry of not more than 4,000 sq. ft. including self-service establishment, and other similar services to the consumer,” and, “Retail store not otherwise classified.”
The Zoning Board of Appeals is entirely appointed by Stewart.
Corner of North and Stanley Streets
Another proposal would change an area at the corner of North and Stanley streets from a B-1 secondary business to a B-3 neighborhood mixed use zone. The proposal would appear to allow property uses, by right, including, “Apartments over first story non-residential use,” “Public or semi-public building for civic, political, social or recreational purposes,” and, “Park, playground or recreational area operated by the municipality.” The area is a part of a proposed Martin Luther King development corridor. It also includes a property that the city is acquiring, saying that it may demolish it to enlarge Willow Street Park.
Corner of Burritt and Miller Streets
Yet another proposal would involve rezoning a single property at the corner of Burritt and Miller streets from a B1 secondary business zone to an A-2 apartment zoning. The building is presently zoned differently than the surrounding A-2 zoning.
Ordinance Changes
The Council is also considering two ordinance changes. One proposal would change the zoning ordinances to remove a provision that presently bans, citywide, any, “Drive-in, open front or curb service type eating establishment.”
The other would change the ordinance providing for the existence of the special taxing district called the Downtown District. The change would remove provisions that require that its Board of Directors be elected by taxpayers from different parts of the district.
Committee and Council meetings
The proposals will be heard at a public hearing of the Council’s Zoning Subcommittee and Committee on Planning, Zoning and Housing. The hearings and committee meetings to follow are to be held on October 24, 2023 at 6:00pm in the Council Chamber on the second floor of city hall.
The proposals are on the agenda of the City Council for final approval at its meeting, the next day, on October 25, 2023 at 7:00pm.
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