Council Tables Proposal on Moratoriums for Group Homes, Churches, Mechanics and Self Storage

The City Council has tabled a proposal that would have temporarily blocked certain human service, religious, community and business uses under city zoning ordinances.

The Council’s City Council’s Zoning Subcommittee had given an unfavorable recommendation to the full Council on the proposals at its meeting on September 12th. The proposals would have included moratoria on new human services group homes, motor vehicle repair and sales businesses and self-storage facilities. Another proposal would temporarily block new places of worship and other “noncommercial places of public assembly” from downtown and certain other business areas. The moratoria would be in place for two years.

But the Council’s Republican leader, Ald. Robert Smedley (R-4) said that most Council members were not in favor of the moratorium proposals and made a motion to table them. That motion was approved on a voice vote. Ald. Smedley’s comments appeared to indicate that the Council did not intend to take the proposals up again, but a motion to table would allow them to be brought back up for possible approval at any future Council meeting until November, when the current Council term ends.

In the Zoning Subcommittee consideration of the proposals, city hall officials said that the proposed two-year moratoria are needed to “buy us time”. The city officials argued that the city wanted time to consider changes to city zoning ordinances and that the city needs to hold up possible development while it considers zone changes because it is “land poor.”

But some Council members raised stern objections to the proposals. Ald. Desiree Costa (R-AL). Asked why the proposals were being made now, why they had to be for two years and what specific proposed business developments brought the urgency.

One of the proposed developments cited by city officials was the proposed self-storage facility at 600 East Street. The proposed moratorium on self-storage businesses came to light amid a high-profile controversy between a former Republican City Council member and Republican Mayor Erin Stewart about a development plan on East Street that includes a self-storage proposal.

Chamberlain Square LLC owner, James Sanders, Jr., has been in a very public dispute with the Stewart city hall, saying 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.

Sanders spoke against the moratorium during the public speaking part of the Council meeting.

The proposed moratorium on self-storage would have provided that, “For a period of twenty four months, commencing from the effective date of this section, 10/1/2023, no applications will be accepted, considered, or approved and no zoning permits will be issued to permit the establishment of self-storage facilities.”

The proposal on “noncommercial Places of Public Assembly” would have said,

For a period of twenty four months, commencing from the effective date of this section, 10/1/2023, no applications will be accepted, considered, or approved and no zoning permits will be issued to permit the establishment of the following noncommercial public assembly uses located on the ground floor in the CBD and B-3 districts:
∙ Church or similar place of worship.
∙ College, vocational school.
∙ Public or semi-public assembly space.
∙ School, public elementary or high, or a private school.
∙ Club – nonprofit.
∙ Arena, assembly hall less than 20,000 sq. ft.

The proposal on group homes would have said,

For a period of twenty four months, commencing from the effective date of this section, 10/1/2023, no applications will be accepted, considered, or approved and no zoning permits will be issued to permit the establishment of the following group homes:
∙ Substance abuse treatment facilities.
∙ Housing of adults with intellectual disabilities.
∙ Mental health or addiction services.
∙ Facilities which provide custodial care and treatment for persons accused or convicted of a misdemeanor or non-violent felony and residing voluntarily of by court placement.

The “select motor vehicle uses” proposal would have said,

For a period of twenty four months, commencing from the effective date of this section, 10/1/2023, no applications will be accepted, considered, or approved and no zoning permits will be issued to permit the establishment of the motor vehicle uses listed below. This section does not apply to motor vehicle uses existing at the effective date of these regulations that are renewing or modifying their license:
∙ Motor vehicle repair garage.
∙ Motor vehicle sales lot.
∙ Motor vehicle services – unlicensed.
∙ Motor vehicle wrecking or recycling business.
∙ Motor vehicle towing and storage lot.

The moratorium proposals were among a number of new zoning changes that were considered by the Council, at the behest of the Stewart administration, adding to a large raft of zoning changes approved by the Republican-controlled Council in June. The other zoning changes were approved by the Council on Wednesday.

The New Britain Progressive, a publication of New Britain Independent Newspaper, Inc. is free to read and community supported. http://newbritainprogressive.com. Please feel free to help the New Britain Progressive with a donation, and you are invited to purchase advertisements in the New Britain Progressive. If you would like to submit an event for inclusion in the New Britain Progressive weekly events articles, or would like to update something already listed on the New Britain Progressive, feel free to visit this web page.