At their most recent meeting, the Greenwich Planning Zoning Commission heard a pre-application proposal for a change the use at 30 South Water Street from “office use” use to a “group fitness center” for Jiu Jitsu instruction.
That address is the former Bank of America building which has been there since 1967 and has sat vacant for several years.
Attorney for the applicant, Chip Haslun, said in 2022, the owner of the building came to the commission seeking a re-zoning because he had been unable to find tenants for the building.
“You can see why,” Haslun said. “It’s kind of a funny spot for office or retail. It sits sort of forlornly there at the start of South Water Street.”
The .35 acre property is in the Waterfront Business / Coastal Overlay zone.
JED Martial Arts, LLC, is prospective lessee.
The bank was a non conforming use and so too would be the Jiu Jitsu instruction.
Off the bat the commission said they had concerns about parking.
Mr. Haslun said the lot was underparked, based on sq footage, for either office or retail use, and that the proposal for jiu-jitsu use would be less non-conforming than the bank use.
Today there are 12 parking spaces plus 1 handicapped.
Per regulations, for the jiu-jitsu use, the applicant would need 16 spaces reflecting 15 people in a class plus one instructor.
“His deficiency is four, unlike the bank whose deficiency was 10,” Haslun said.
Haslun also said they were about 1-1/2 feet shy of Dept of Public Works requirements for aisle widths. The set-up fetures two aisles – one for the teller and one for the pass through lane – but ideally he said the applicant would like the commission to approve parking as it exists.
The property owner also owns the property next door, which is home to George Italian Seafood & Steakhouse.
“There’s a possibility, because they are adjacent, that there could be a shared parking agreement to resolve some of the parking limitations on site?” commissioner Nick nick Macri asked.
Mr. Haslun said the restaurant lot was under-utilized.
Macri said it was worth exploring whether class schedule for the Jiu Jitsu studio would conflict or dovetail with adjacent restaurant parking requirements.
“It may resolve your parking issue,” he said.
Also. Mr. Macri recommended creating space along the sea wall for a possible connection to a walkway along the Byram River in future.
During public comment, Al Shehadi, who is the treasurer and chair of the land use committee for the Byram Neighborhood Association, said his organization supported the proposed change of use for the building.
He noted that in addition to the closure of the Bank of America branch at South Water Street, a Wachovia Bank branch in the neighborhood had closed.
“The likelihood that another bank branch is going to open in this location is somewhere between zero and none,” Shehadi said. “To keep this as a bank use is going to pretty much condemn it.”
As for the property being located in the WB zone, Shehadi said the location was “an awkward fit” for the Byram waterfront.
“Short of a major redevelopment of multiple parcels, the likelihood of a water related use coming into the current building is also pretty low,” Shehadi said. “It is very different from Cos Cob Harbor or Byram Harbor.”
P&Z commission chair said that even at Cos Cob Harbor, the marina had struggled, and had added uses that were not directly water-related to stay viable.
“We’re well ware that this is an issue,” Alban said.
Mr. Shehadi agreed that the adjacent restaurant parking lot was extremely under-utilized other than during special events, and could likely provide the two or three parking spaces to help the Jiu Jitsu studio meet requirements.
“We would love to see that space used. We would love to see a community-oriented facility,” he said.
“I know the W-B always makes you walk a tightrope, but we wanted you to know there is community support for this,” Shehadi said.
As for student drop off, the applicant noted the 30 minute classes would be for children age 3-5, and the 45 minute classes would be for all other ages.
Noting that the business owners have a Jiu Jitsu location in New Rochelle, New York, Ms Alban asked them, when they return, to share data about parking and peak parking demand at that location.
“It doesn’t have to be super precise. Just look at and see when you’re seeing peak parking demand because sometimes after classes people hang out a little bit, and if you gap classes a little differently your parking opens back up.”
