The property where Freccia Bros Volkswagen repair business operated for decades was part of a discussion at the P&Z commission meeting on Tuesday.
The proposal was for a lot line revision with an area exchanged among three existing parcels including 20 Prospect Street, 246 West Putnam Avenue and 0 West Putnam Ave.
Parcels 0 & 246 West Putnam Avenue are referred as 244-248 West Putnam Avenue, and 0 Putnam Ave is the parking lot on the corner that until recently was dotted with old Volkswagons.
The existing lot line went through the northeast corner of the residential structure at 20 Prospect Street, and the applicant sought to correct the situation.
The approval also creates a legal setback so the house doesn’t straddle the property line, and the properties can be separated and sold.
The applicant said that based on the comparison of historic deeds it appeared the house at 20 Prospect had straddled the property line for over 100 years.
Equal area exchange approved by the P&Z commission Nov 10, 2026
The equal area exchange will transfer 235.1 sq ft from 20 Prospect to 246 West Putnam and move the same amount from 0 West Putnam to 20 Prospect. Frontage for 20 Prospect St will increase by one foot from 50 ft to 51 ft.
246 West Putnam (former Freccia Bros garage). Nov 10, 2026. Photo: Leslie Yager
• 246 West Putnam Ave – .1343 acres in the GB zone – formerly Freccia Bros Garage
• 248 West Putnam Ave – .1170 acres in the GB zone – blue house
• 20 Prospect Street – .1378 acres in the R-6 zone – 2-family duplex
• 0 West Putnam Ave – .1699 acres –parking lot
The properties are located by the signalized intersection of West Putnam Ave (Rte 1) and Prospect St, and are being advertised as a prime commercial redevelopment property with the three parcels totaling about 0.43 acres.
This area of West Putnam Ave is home to several car dealerships including Audi, Mercedes and BMW. Prospect Street is residential.
When one commissioner started to ask the applicant’s attorney whether a car dealership was coming in, P&Z chair Margarita Alban interrupted to say that was not the purview of the commission.
“Are you going to eventually merge these properties? Just curious,” Alban asked.
Mr. Heagney said, “As a practical matter the three properties had been used as one lot for decades. I don’t think it matters to the contract purchaser if they are treated as separate lots or merged because they’ll be using them together.”
0 West Putnam Ave (parking lot), 246 West Putnam (former Freccia Bros garage) and 248 West Putnam (blue residential structure). Nov 10, 2026. Photo: Leslie Yager
Alban said it appeared an addition at 246 West Putnam encroached onto 248 West Putnam, and suggested merging those two lots to eliminate the nonconformity.
Mr. Heagney said the he would stick to the application to revise the lot line.
“When the contract purchaser comes into you to develop this property as part of their business, that would be the appropriate time to do that,” Heagney said.
The three properties on West Putnam Ave are being sold as one parcel to the contract purchaser and 20 Prospect Street is a separate parcel with a separate owner.
Environmental Remediation
During public comment, Carin Ohnell said, “When we allow them to clean this up before a sale goes through, are we just setting ourselves up for someone to come in and build an 8-30g or something oversized like what’s going on in Cos Cob?”
Alban said the buyer and the seller would make their own agreement on environmental remediation.
“The buyer will probably require the seller to remediate if there is contamination. Whenever it comes to us for development, we would also ask for at least Phase 1 testing,” Alban said. “All we’re doing is making sure 20 Prospect Street, the residence, isn’t affected by the sale of the property. ”
Alban noted that Conservation Dept had commented that the existing vegetation will become property of the receiving owner will be responsible for it.
Heagney said, “The parties have spoken and there will be a new fence erected, and the vegetation will be handled between the owner of 20 Prospect and the contract purchaser.”
A motion to approved the lot line transfer was approved 5-0, with Arn Welles, Peter Lowe, Margarita Alban, Nick Macri and Brooks Harris voting.
