Concerns Emerge about Traffic at Proposed Retail/Residential Development at 9 Glenville

At the Sept 28 Planning and Zoning meeting, the commission gave feedback on a proposed mixed-use residential and retail building with one moderate income unit at 9 Glenville Street.

Currently the property features a Queen Anne style house that dates back to 1858. It also includes an adjacent former service station. Both are located in the LBR-2 Zone.

The house, which many remember was home for decades to the Pottgen family, was sold from Siegrun Pottgen to to 9 Glenville Street LLC on March 10, 2021 for $1,150,000. Nine Glenville Street LLC is registered to Joseph Granitto and Nicholas Granitto, principals.

P&Z chair Margarita Alban noted the property is near the Glenville historic district and said the commission was looking for consistency with the historic district and to preserve and enhance the village.

“That’s a very important factor as you go forward with this,” Alban said.

“When you look around the neighborhood, the building at 1 Glenville Street is brick. You have the brick of The Mill, the brick of the firehouse, and Western Greenwich Civic Center. And quite a few other buildings in the center of Glenville, including the shopping center,” Heagney said.

Ms Alban explained that following approval of the DPW traffic corridor improvement project in Glenville, a task force was created to enhance and beautify the village.

“It has been focused on the historic attributes – on lighting and landscaping. We’d like you to be considering that,” she said.

Architect Rudy Ridberg asked if there were standards to follow.

“We’ve talked about wanting to do brick, and I didn’t consider putting in all brick,” Ridberg said. “We were going to come up … some infusion of paneling or siding to break up the long facade.”

Alban said the Glenville Beautification Task forces didn’t have standards per se. She suggested reaching out to Anne Young, who is staff on the Historic District Commission, for her input.

Also, Ms Alban said that town planner Katie DeLuca would provide the Dept of Interior’s list of contributing historic structures, which was compiled when Glenville created its historic district.

“You can incorporate a reference to them. That’s what we’re looking for – to pull Glenville together,” Alban said. “I’m sure The Mill is one.”

Ms Alban said the commission believed the 6-110 unit met the regulations, but asked Mr. Ridberg to make “double-sure” on that.

Also, she said, “We’re looking for trees and landscaping anywhere we can. Outdoor space – any kind of green space.”

Commissioner Nick Macri asked the applicant to make the retail area have a relationship to the roadbed.

Macri said the commission would like to see a 3-D rendering of the proposal to get a better sense of the building’s massing in relationship to the neighborhood.

During public comment Chris Demuth, a neighbor an Angelus Drive neighbor, said traffic was a great concern for residents on his street.

“This is becoming more difficult every year,” Demuth said, adding that the additional amount of traffic funneling into commuter traffic via Angelus Drive would worsen congestion.

Ms Alban said there was a hope that the Dept of Public Works traffic improvement project would alleviate the traffic.

“But it’s an excellent point,” she said. “We will consider it the next time this comes in.”

Karen Matrunich, who is on the Glenville Beautificiation Task Force, said that in addition to concerns about the Angelus Drive traffic, she’d had concerns about the development’s setback from Glenville Street.

She said the historic house was significantly set back and featured a good amount of green space and trees.

“That space should be preserved. I’m very concerned about having a retail establishment and three-level housing so close to this street,” Matrunich said.

Ms Matrunich asked about the proposed 25 surface parking spaces, which include two handicap spaces, and the underground parking.

Heagney said the property was located in the LBR-2 Zone, which is a commercial zone, and the applicant was following the new regulations adopted by the commission.

He said the surface parking was proposed for the rear of the building. He assured that the building would meet LBR-2 setbacks.

Architect Mr. Ridberg said the applicant was considering setting the building back from Glenville Street, creating an opportunity to landscape in front of the property.

Ridberg said there would be a large landscaped island in the rear parking lot between the parking bays.

Harry Shufria described Angelus Drive as a dead-end one-way out street with 30 houses.

“With these additional parking spaces you’re doubling the traffic, with only one exit out,” Shufria said. “Angelus has cut off and a lot of people… have been going up to the Bailiwick Club, through Angelus, which also adds to the traffic.”

Mr. Shufria asked about adding a traffic light at the corner of Angelus Drive an Glenville Street.

Ms Alban recommended the subject be discussed with DPW in relation to their Glenville corridor traffic project.

“And that they look at the whole traffic picture,” she said. “I believe the possibility of a light on Angelus has come up before. I don’t recall, but we’ll look into it.”

The Glenville Historic District contains 57 resources, of which 51 contribute to its significance.

And it does list mixed commercial/residential buildings, four 2-family dwellings, one 3-family dwelling.

“So you have an opportunity to look at multi-family as well as mixed use. If you go to the Greenwich Historical Society website, you will find all that information, and it lists all the buildings.”

Greenwich Free Press -

Concerns Emerge about Traffic at Proposed Retail/Residential Development at 9 Glenville

By: greenwichfreepress | October 4, 2021