Wednesday’s Planning & Zoning meeting featured the return of a proposed mixed-use retail and residential development at 9 Glenville Street.
There would be three stories: two stories of residential over one story of retail.
There a combined total of 8 units, one of which would be designated moderate income (Section 6-110 of Greenwich building zone regs), and would be geared for the average Town of Greenwich employee (think teachers and police officers), not the income levels that correspond to the State’s 8-30g affordable housing statute, which are lower. The moderate income unit would be in perpetuity.
The neighborhood in Glenville is a National Historic District, and the building being demolished – a historic Queen Anne style Victorian house that dates back to 1898 – is a contributing structure.
Still, the neighborhood is in transition. For starters, the long running grocery store Stop & Shop recently closed.
Nearby, a dog park proposed by First Selectman Fred Camillo would be funded by a pledge of $30,000 from Pet Pantry. The park would be located at the top of the hill behind the Western Greenwich Civic Center, but it was put on hold at the last Board of Selectmen meeting after Selectwoman Lauren Rabin reported having met with 25 neighbors who had a multitude of concerns about pedestrian and traffic safety in general.
Meanwhile, a beautification effort is under way, with a goal of creating a village green, and Mr. Camillo has talked about working on a public-private partnership to renovate the small brick building used by the American Legion (next to the fire house).
Across the street from 9 Glenville Street, a 16 unit residential development is proposed on the lawn in front of The Mill. That proposal last went before P&Z in March, 2023.
Lastly, a major traffic improvement project for the Glenville Road/Street Corridor funded through the a Federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant, was approved before the pandemic. Since then, the estimated prices for that work have increased significantly and the project has been on hold.
That project would provide wider lanes, improve traffic signaling, add new sidewalks and curbing, realign crosswalks at critical intersections, and add related road improvements from Glenville Street/Road from Glen Ridge Road to Weaver Street.
At the last Selectmen meeting Mr. Camillo said since the pandemic, costs had risen steeply, but that the Dept of Public Works was working with CT Dept of Transportation on additional funding through state and federal grants, and it is anticipated to go out to bid in late summer or early fall.
“If the bids come back where additional money is needed, the DPW will ask for it through the budget process,” Camillo said.
Attorney for the applicant at 9 Glenville Street Tom Heagney said back in 2020 the applicant received the commission’s approval to rezone the rear portion of the property from R12 to LBR2. In 2021 the applicant submitted a pre-application for a mixed use building.
The predominant building facades in the area are red brick, but when the applicant worked with the Historic District Commission, their feedback was a request for wood siding.
The proposed renderings feature wood siding on the upstairs residential stories and brick on the ground level retail.
The property is in the LBR2 zone, and 6-110 requires mixed use in that zone, but P&Z chair Margarita Alban noted that comments from Conservation Dept noted that slopes greater than 25% are considered, under the POCD, as a natural resource to be protected.
(P&Z regs 6-17 “Preserve or enhance important open space and other features of the natural environment and protect against deterioration of the quality of the environment, as related to the public health, safety and welfare.“)
She suggested the applicant might potentially argue they have a “hardship” that could lead to a variance to have the LBR2 zone’s retail requirement waived.
That way the applicant could avoid removing ledge rock and lower the overall scale of the building, which was a concern of the commission.
The idea was a suggestion. “We would not ask you to do that,” she said.
“If this was something your client wanted, it could structure a win-win: You address the conservation issues. You reduce your costs because you don’t have the huge excavation (for parking). You reduce the scale of the building and potentially the traffic it is generating. It generates a lot of pluses,” Alban said.
“And you know our super high priority now is to get some residential in what they call ‘the missing middle’ that we don’t have enough of for people coming to Greenwich to start their careers,” Alban said.
Architecture
Commissioner Nick Macri commented on the look of the building, saying, “The connection between the upper stories and first floor made it appear that a two-story building was placed on top of a one story brick building. He also said the eave lines along the roof were “very busy.”
Commissioner Peter Levy, who lives in Glenville, noted that while the area featured mixed-zoning, it was primarily residential.
“To me the retail is not a good direction. To me it is going to be hard to fill that retail. It also tries to make Glenville into something that it is not,” he said. “It is not a great retail location….You’re creating something that is not standard and needs to be thought of differently.”
Architect Rudy Ridberg said the retail level was raised up to better accommodate underground parking.
“That’s the wrong scenario for many places, including here,” Mr. Levy said. “People need to be at street level for retail. That’s the way retail works best….You have to rethink that. This is something that does not work. I’m telling you.”
Mr. Ridberg noted that next door to 9 Glenville Street, the liquor store entrance was up a significant flight of steps.
“It’s not the kind of space you would design from scratch if you had a flat surface,” Levy replied.
Traffic
P&Z noted there is an increased amount of traffic passing by 9 Glenville Street. Much of it funnels down from New York via I684 and King Street en route to downtown Greenwich.
Mr. Macri suggested the applicant’s traffic consultant incorporate the Glenville corridor improvement plan into his traffic analysis.
The commission is concerned the project will degrade the already low Level of Service. They also noted that the traffic study had been done in August and it should be updated to include when school is in session.
Public Comment
During public comment Susan Kaplan from Angelus Drive said the traffic had worsened over the years, and with the addition of The Country Table it had become more challenging to turn left on Glenville Street. Further she said the parking lot at Country Table is frequently full and patrons park along Angelus, impeding sight lines.
Ms Kaplan added that there was a problem with Town of Greenwich dump trucks and town trucks with trailers were parking at the end of Angelus for hours at a time.
Pam Ferraro described the project as “an over-development of a very tight and awkward site..
“This project is too big in scale, too detrimental to traffic and the quality of life for anyone who even dries through Glenville, let alone those of us who live on Angelus Drive, and simply not in keeping with the neighborhood,” she added.
Ferraro said the applicant’s traffic study, which was conducted in August was, “virtually useless.”
Marshall Karo said parking on Angelus Drive was problematic with the overflow from The Country Table, and he anticipated that people visiting the retail at 9 Glenville Street would also tempted to park on Angelus Drive.
“Use whatever resources you have to make Angelus Drive a residential (parking) zone,” he suggested.
“As far as the traffic study is concerned, I think it’s garbage,” he continued, adding that the new residential units on the lawn at The Mill should be factored into the traffic study.