The Greenwich Planning & Zoning commission voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve a change of use from bank to medical spa at 100 East Putnam Ave in Cos Cob where a three-story mixed use moderate income housing development is under construction.
The business, Pause Greenwich, will be on the ground level retail space in the development. The business operator is Jasmyn Pizzimbono.
In a discussion about parking requirements P&Z chair Margarita Alban said while technically the business is a medical spa, it will operate more like a personal services establishment. There will be breaks between customers, and at no time will there be more than 10 customers, each requiring one parking space.
Many will remember that for many years there was a Friendly’s restaurant on the property.
The building was last home to M&T Bank. And though banks are not a permitted use in the LBR2 zone, the commission previously approved the site plan with the understanding that one of the two commercial tenant spaces would be continuation of the first-floor bank use.
The building was demolished to make way for the new development.
Construction at 100 East Putnam Ave, a mixed use residential-commercial building in Cos Cob. Oct 30, 2024 Photo: Leslie Yager
Windows have photos in them in the CVS building adjacent to 100 East Putnam Ave. Oct 30, 2024 Photo: Leslie Yager
After Friendly’s closed, 100 East Putnam Ave was home to M&T Bank in 2019. Photo: Leslie Yager
The new mixed use building has 22 units, of which 5 are for tenants of moderate income per 6-110 of Greenwich’s building zoning regs.
There will be 3,861 sq ft of commercial space and the medical spa would use 2,638 sq ft. There will remain 1798 sq ft of retail space.
While the medical spa use is also not an allowed use in the LBR2 zone, the commission ultimately determined the new non-conforming use would be no more non-conforming than the previous bank use.
Services
There are plans for 7 therapy rooms, cryotherapy, light therapy, Sauna, Float room, compression therapy, and three IV stations. All treatments will be by appointment, with a minimum of 20 minutes between appointments and no more than 10 customers on site at any time. The business will operate a maximum of 12 hours a day and a nurse will be on duty six hours a day because some of the services require a nurse.
In determining anticipated utilization rates, the applicant provided data from their Los Angeles locations, including Venice, West Hollywood, South Bay, Brentwood and Studio City.
As for parking requirements, the commission found that there was a mix of medical and non-medical services, and that one parking space per customer was sufficient.
Rotational Display of Merchandise in Windows
There was an extensive discussion about use of the windows. There will be five windows facing the street. Three will display merchandise and provide privacy to spa clients. The remaining two will allow full internal viewing from the street.
During public comment Cos Cob resident James Walsh said that over the past few years Cos Cob had done a good job of improving the streetscape and walkability.
However, he said, “I’m concerned about the windows. They appear to be three permanent window displays. I’m concerned they may not blend into the streetscape we’re trying to build.”
Walsh talked about creating an inviting ‘interaction’ with the street.
“The disturbing thing to me about the CVS is it has photographs in the windows that don’t change,” P&Z chair Margarita Alban said. “How many times can you look at the same photograph? And on the back of the CVS building, as you know, the whole glass wall was covered with an advertisement until recently.”
The commission asked that the window displays at Pause change periodically.
“Let’s have that display be rotational, so the merchandise changes and there is interest,” Alban said. “Instead of looking at the same dusty bottle of bath gel for 10 years.”
Ms Pizzimbono said she would rotate displays seasonally.
Voting in favor were Peter Lowe, Nick Macri, Peter Levy, Margarita Alban and Dennis Yeskey, and the motion approve passed 5-0.
Also from the Oct 29 P&Z meeting:
P&Z Watch: Toyota Proposes Alterations and Additions in Cos Cob
See also:
In Greenwich, “Hands-On” Businesses Put the Squeeze on Traditional Retail
July 28, 2024
P&Z Watch: Trees to Be Felled at 100 East Putnam are Focus of Discussion
Jan 16, 2021