Big P&Z Meeting Tuesday Night: Come Voice Your Opinion on Greenwich Plaza Project

On Tuesday July 30, at 7:00pm in the Greenwich Town Hall Meeting Room, the Planning & Zoning commission will hold a meeting on the proposed redevelopment of Greenwich Plaza. Ashforth Company will do a presentation.

After the presentation, the commission will make comments and ask questions.

Then the forum will be open to the public for input about what they seek in terms of amenities, and feedback on the proposed architecture.

The applicant is seeking permits to redevelop the north side of the Greenwich Train Station and surrounding mixed-use commercial block on the property located at 2-28 Railroad Avenue, as well as demolish the existing Taxi Stand and construct a new south station at 2 Steamboat Road.

They also seek a text amendment to zoning reg Sec. 6-118.1 “USE REGULATIONS IN RAILROAD RIGHTS-OF-WAY.”

Please find the applicant’s narrative is available online.

First Selectman Peter Tesei discussed the project on his weekly radio show Ask The Selectman on WGCH on Friday.

“I’ve heard a lot of support from people in the community,” he said. “The theater facade is tired and is industrial looking. I took a hard look at it and I’d say it’s auditioning for placement on the southern border – it’s stark and just concrete.”

He said the addition of a public park in the corner of Steamboat Rd and Railroad Avenue will draw people downtown and lead people toward the Bruce Museum and waterfront. “These are things many communities would desire to have,” he said.

Though he said feedback had been positive, Tesei said this week the Board of Selectmen did not approve the Municipal Improvement for the lease agreement, which has to do with air rights.

“There was a desire to hear from Town legal department on some of the questions that have been raised, and the matter was referred to the BET, although in our process there was no requirement for the BET to take this up,” he explained.

“Because there is not an appropriation of Town dollars, but there is the sale of a Town asset involved,” he said. “Knowing how the BET considers themselves engaged in all affairs of the Town, Ashforth Co. chose to have them take it up.”

Tesei said Democratic Selectman Sandy Litvack wanted to hear from the BET. “I give them the courtesy of opining, but ultimately we are elected to make our own independent judgement. I am not going to let the tail wag the dog,” Tesei said.

Tesei said once the Board of Selectmen gets answers to their outstanding questions, they will refer the project to the Planning & Zoning Commission.

Hard copies of the proposed text amendment as well as the complete application are on file and available in the Planning and Zoning Office, 2nd floor, Greenwich Town Hall, 101 Field Point Road, Greenwich, CT 06830.

You can write or e-mail your comments for entry into the public record by e-mailing Katie DeLuca, Town Planner, at [email protected].