P&Z Watch: Two of Three Cancer Center Applications Approved; Third May Be Approved with Conditions

Three times might be a charm for Greenwich Hospital’s Smilow Cancer Center.

The hospital twice proposed a large new building on the south side of Lake Ave that would have replaced a row of houses on 8 parcels between the two traffic circles, but Greenwich’s Planning & Zoning commission denied both proposals.

Twice their proposals were denied.

The commission repeatedly urged the hospital to accommodate the Smilow Cancer Center within their existing properties in order to blend into the surrounding residential neighborhood. They suggested the hospital make room for the cancer center on the main campus by farming out services to nearby locations.

After the two denials and a lawsuit, the court ultimately upheld the P&Z decision and hospital returned to P&Z in December 2024 with a new proposal that incorporated the commission’s feedback.

The new proposal is divided into three applications: 5 Perryridge/77 Lafayette Place, 3 Perryridge and 38 Lake Ave

At the main hospital building at 5 Perryridge Rd (Watson Pavilion/main hospital building) and 77 Lafayette Place (Cohen Pavilion) internal renovations would total 20,000+ sq ft.

The proposal also includes expansion of the healing and caregiver garden, extension of retaining walls to create a level seating area, and shifting a walkway.

A concern about elimination of trees for a Healing Garden was satisfied on Tuesday when the commission learned that the number of trees to be removed for the healing/caregiver garden had been reduced to just one.

38 Lake Ave and 3 Perryridge

At 3 Perryridge the hospital will convert the upper floor of an existing medical building to offices for the hospital’s Medical Education, with 6-8 employees, and install two gates:  one for patients who would be buzzed in from Perryridge to park, and a second gate to exit onto Division Street. The gates will create one way traffic through the this property.

The current medical office on the lower level will remain medical office.

Hospital employees on this Property would park in the staff garage on the main Hospital property across Perryridge Road.

Due to frontage, grade and site line issues along Perryridge Road, that driveway cannot accommodate a widened driveway that would enable Division Street access to be closed. Patients or visitors to the Property would enter from Perryridge Road, with an access point by keycard or intercom to the office, and exit to Division Street. This would eliminate the ability to use Division Street as a cut-through street and minimize any unauthorized parking.

The building at 38 Lake Ave will become the hospital’s HR department’s administrative offices.

The hospital will gut renovate the interior space to create seven offices and support space such as conference rooms, kitchenette and storage.

The medical office use at 38 Lake Ave is currently non-conforming use. The .19 property in the residential multi-family zone was originally a single family home.

Traffic and Parking Concerns

The P&Z commission continued however to have concerns about a potential increase in trips, more traffic and increased parking demand compared to today, as well as impacts to the Level of Service for at adjacent traffic rotaries.

Also, there were questions about the percentage of patients would might come from Greenwich versus other towns.

During public comment, a neighbor from Greenwich Lodge, Barry Cohen, said he simply did not trust that applicant’s traffic analysis from Tighe & Bond.

In particular he had concerns about increased delays at the traffic circle at Dearfield, Lake Ave and Glenville Rd.

Also he said the analysis had omitted from their analysis issues on Perryridge Rd where the roadway goes around a curve and rapidly narrows to the north of the hospital.

“I’m trashing the Tighe & Bond report which I have no respect for – I’m sorry to say. They’re counting on you not reading the details,” he said.

P&Z chair Margarita Alban acknowledged Mr. Cohen’s point.

“There is the likelihood that you’re going to have a far greater draw, otherwise the hospital wouldn’t be doing it,” she said.

Commissioner Mary Jenkins said that particular traffic circle was listed in the report as having a high number of collisions.

“Do not underestimate the traffic from Glenville because that is where the greatest backup is – particularly in the mornings, any time between 8:00 and 10:00am with people going to work and people taking their children to school and school bus stops – the traffic on Glenville will back up faster even than Dearfield,” Jenkins said. “People don’t pay attention, and they don’t yield when they’re in a hurry.”

Christopher Granatini from Tighe & Bond said that intersection had 31 crashes between 2020-2024, “a very low number,” and that the crashes were not typically dangerous to drivers, but rather, involving slow moving vehicles, mostly resulting property damage.

He said he did not think the community wanted a traffic control at that rotary, and that outside peak times that rotary operates efficiently.

Ms Jenkins said she was still worried about crashes and delays.

Ms Alban noted that Tighe & Bond data complied in 2020-24 did not reflect “normal” traffic due to the pandemic.

“If you’re successful, there may be a lot of stress in these areas. You may find that you are parking deficient and you may find that you have brought in a lot of traffic. Now we are looking at the application before us with the assumptions you are making about your operations,” Alban said.

“We know there were times when the valet service was insane in the old garage, and you couldn’t even get valet – everybody has lived that. You all should consider being proactive,” Alban added. “It’s a question of keeping the dialogue going with the hospital to see how this evolves, depending on how we decide.”

Ms Jenkins said that if approved, the hospital should survey their patients about their trip experience and challenges with parking, in order to monitor those issues.

She recommended the hospital conduct customer surveys and listen to the neighborhood advisory council.

“We hear nothing but very rosy traffic impact projections – every one. It’s incredible,” said commissioner Peter Lowe.

Amy Souchins, attorney for the applicant, said the hospital would be open to a condition of approval requiring monitoring and reporting back to P&Z about parking utilization and taking measures to adapt, such as additional valet parking.

Also, during public comment Nicole Salerno of Division Street said she was part of the neighborhood council who meet quarterly with representatives of the hospital.

“What we find with the hospital is there is a parking issue, and there is always overcrowding. We on Division Street understand the idea of this gate to slow the flow of traffic, but it’s still the same amount of traffic that comes out of 3 Perryridge.”

She noted Division Street was deemed a dead-end, but patients who come out of the medical offices exit onto residential Division Street.  She asked that the hospital install some privacy hedges for the neighbors on that street, which includes families with children.

Votes

After lengthy discussion on Tuesday, the commission voted to close all three applications.

From there they  voted to approve 38 Lake Ave and 3 Perryridge, but did not vote on 5 Perryridge/77 Lafayette as they wanted to reflect on possible conditions to address their concerns.

They said they were likely make a decision at their next meeting in two weeks.

See also:

Greenwich Hospital Returns to P&Z with New Proposal for Smilow Cancer Center Dec 2024

Judge Upholds Greenwich P&Z’s Denial of Smilow Cancer Center Dec 29, 2023

P&Z Denies Greenwich Hospital’s Smilow Cancer Center a Second Time Nov 10, 2022

Greenwich P&Z Commission Denies 54,865 Sq Ft Smilow Cancer Center August 10, 2021