P&Z Hears Fears of Overdevelopment

By James Lomuscio

Fear of overdevelopment and the loss of a historic building clashed with revitalizing Westport’s downtown at a Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) public hearing at Town Hall Thursday night, as a local developer asked for a zone change on Church Lane.

Architect Mark Herter explains the new owners’s plans for the Church Lane property adjoining the Family Y. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Bedford Square Associates, of which David Waldman, Dan Zelson, Paul Brandes and Lance Sauertig are principals, is asking the P&Z to rezone the company’s property at 35 Church Lane from a restricted office retail district (RORD) to a business center district (BCD).

The proposed map amendment 639 to the Westport Zoning Map would permit residential, retail and restaurant development on the half-acre site known as the Gunn property.

The property, acquired last December by Bedford Square for $3.25 million, is also the site of a Queen Anne-style house built in 1893 which is listed on the town’s historic properties inventory. The developers said their plans call for the house to be razed.

Thomas Cody, an attorney for Bedford Square, and Mark Herter, of Centerbrook Architects representing the developers, noted that the zone change would support the road’s redevelopment currently under way.

It includes remodeling the Family Y’s1923-built Bedford building and the old adjacent firehouse—which Bedford Square contracted to buy in 2006 for more than $20 million—into retail and office space. Waldman’s company is also remodeling the historic Sherwood House across the street from the Gunn property into a restaurant and offices.

Nina Streitfeld was among speakers opposed to the application. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

“The BCD is a more appropriate zone given the surrounding land uses,” said Cody, adding that the redevelopment is consistent with the town’s 2007 plan for conservation and development.

When asked by P&Z member Eleanor Lowenstein if the historic house could be restored, even moved closer to the road to accommodate more parking spaces, Herter said the house was “functionally obsolete,” and would require “significant upgrade.”

“The building is not suitable for adaptive reuse,” said Cody.

Dr. Albert Beasley, a town resident for 58 years, was the first to speak against the amendment, saying that it will “further erode what I call the magical town of Westport” for the interests of a developer “whose main interest is profit.”

His comments were reiterated by Don Zwyer, who argued, “Enough is enough.”

“Revitalizing downtown is just a euphemism for tall buildings, multi-level parking garages and toilets on the street,” Zwyer said. “Are you kidding me?

Resident Gloria Ginter presented a petition opposing the map zone change. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

“The P&Z cannot legally change our way of life in exchange for developer profits,” he added.

“I don’t blame developers for trying. Bigger, larger buildings brings more traffic and puts money in their pockets. But our town officials need to care about our way of life.”

Francis Henkels, chairman of the Historic District Commission (HDC), said that while he was grateful to Bedford Square Associates for saving the Bedford building and the Sherwood House, he feared that the loss of the RORD zone would eliminate the “transitional” role buildings on Church Lane serve as they lead to commercial Main Street.

He also said that the zone change “will be a prelude to the demolition of the existing house.”

Gloria Ginter presented the P&Z with a 368 signatures opposing the amendment. She argued that people come to Westport “because of the quaintness of the small town.”

“If we lose this, we lose everything,” she said.

Howard Bass, who favors the zone change, called the claims he heard “public exaggeration and distortion of issues.”

Howard Bass was among few speakers who supported the application. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

He challenged Beasley’s assertion that the zone change would permit a 50-foot high building on the site. Planning and Zoning Director Laurence Bradley concurred that the zone only permits buildings as high as 35 feet.

Bass, who is married to Waldman’s sister Stacy but did not mention the relationship, also noted that Waldman has been lauded for his preservation efforts with the Sherwood House.

Grayson Braun, an HDC member, said that the house was suitable for adaptive reuse. She also took the P&Z to task for not informing the HDC about the redevelopment plans.

The developers had gone before the P&Z July 14 with a pre-application plan.

“We didn’t find out about it until Sept. 13,” she said. “This is the second time we have been forgotten and circumvented. I remind you that we are your colleagues.’

Amy Ancel, who serves on the Representative Town Meeting, urged the P&Z to use caution, saying that the presentation made Thursday night did not fully show the extent of the project.

“What was presented July 14 is a massive project,” she said. “You guys have to be very careful here.”

P&Z commissioners confer. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

P&Z Chairman Ron Corwin interrupted her several times to remind her the July meeting was a pre-application session only and no formal proposal was made.

Ancel, who predicted any P&Z approval on the property would be appealed to the RTM, said she nevertheless believed what was stated in July was what the owners intended.

With a long list of the public waiting to speak, Corwin said the hearing would be continued to Nov. 3.

Waldman, who at the meeting’s start had been handing out stickers stating, “I support P&Z rezoning and a stronger downtown,” declined to comment at the hearing’s close.