Meeting Planned for Thursday for possible Planning and Zoning Regulation Amendments

Michael Kiselak, Planner, Planning and Zoning Department

Planner Michael Kiselak has announced that on Nov. 18, 2021, at 6:00 PM, the Planning and Zoning Commission is holding a public hearing on a text amendment to modify the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations. The remote meeting will be held virtually via Zoom.

Text Amendment #804, submitted by Richard Redniss of Redniss and Mead, proposes to modify §5-2, Definitions, of the Zoning Regulations by adding a new definition for “Parking Management Plan” and modifying the definition of “Coverage, Total.” The proposal would also modify §24-6.1, General Business District (GBD), Coverage Exemptions, to exempt canopies up to 500 SF from coverage and modify §28, Business Preservation District (BPD), by adding new section §28-6.1, Coverage Exemptions, to exempt canopies up to 500 SF from coverage and side/rear setbacks for Veterinary Hospitals and Animal Clinics where adjacent to non-residential use. Lastly, the proposal would renumber §34-4, Reduction of Parking Requirement by Special Permit, and add new subsection §34-4.2 to permit Parking Management Plans by Special Permit approval for qualifying office buildings in the GBD. Text Amendment #804 can be viewed on-line here.

The applicant stated that the aim of the amendment is,

“To help address the growing need of medical office space, making commercial office space more responsive to the changing marketplace, and help to create parking standards that support these needs.”

The Nov. 18, 2021 public hearings will be live streamed at 6:00 PM on the Town’s website at www.westportct.gov, and accessible on Optimum Government Access Channel 79 and Frontier Channel 6020.  Comments can be sent prior to the meeting at PandZ@westportct.gov and interested parties may join the meeting virtually to offer live testimony during the meeting.