More Zoning Change Proposals Submitted to Council

Another batch of zoning ordinance and zoning map change proposals has been submitted to the New Britain City Council for consideration.

In the past, the Council’s Republican leader, Ald Robert Smedley (R-4) as referred to the long series of zoning ordinances and zoning changes submitted to the Council, over a number of years, as a part of, “cleaning up” the zoning ordinances.

The petitions on the agenda of the Council’s Wednesday regular meeting, submitted by Ald Smedley include proposals to:

• Ban “permanently strung window lights” outside of the city’s Central Business District.
• Add “Libraries, art galleries and museums” to the list of permitted uses in “Residence and Office” zones.
• Reduce the maximum permitted lot coverage in I-2 industrial zones from 100% to 90%.
• Create new rules for business drive-thru establishments.

Another proposal would create a new “Central Business District-Residential” zone type and apply the new zone type to areas, “located north and west of New Brite Plaza and bounded by Washington Street, North Street, and Route 9”, “located along Court Street, South High Street, and Walnut Street,” and “south of West Pearl Street and located along Arch Street, Glen Street, and Whiting Street.”

Another proposal would change 271 Clinton Street and 1480 Corbin Avenue from an S-2 (single family, 8,000 sq. ft. lots) district to a B-3 business district, and also change 1485 Corbin Avenue and 1500 Corbin Avenue from a T (single, two, and three-family dwellings) district to a B-3 business district.

Still another would, “change the T (single, two, and three-family dwellings) district located on Farmington Avenue, from 331 to 375 Farmington Avenue, to A-2 (multifamily houses, moderate density) district.”

Council petitions, which are usually used by city council members to require a report or consideration of an action by a city Department, can also be used to submit zoning ordinance and zone change proposals.

The proposals would likely be referred to the Council’s Zoning Subcommittee and Committee on Planning, Zoning and Housing, as well as the City Plan Commission.