Date: Fri 25-Jun-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Hawleyville-P&Z

Full Text:

Application Sparks Move For Broad Rezoning Of Hawleyville

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

In light of an application from a local man to rezone a small section of

Hawleyville Center for mixed uses, Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z)

members have decided to take a broader view of the issue and work toward

rezoning a large section of central Hawleyville.

Applicant Steve Nicolosi has a request pending before the P&Z to rezone 4.1

acres he owns on the south side and north side of Barnabas Road from

Residential (R-1) zoning to Hawleyville Center Design District-East (HCDD-E)

mixed-use zoning. It is Mr Nicolosi's fourth attempt to rezone land there. The

P&Z turned down three previous rezoning applications from Mr Nicolosi for the

area.

But now, P&Z members appear more inclined to support Mr Nicolosi's rezoning

application because his current proposal mirrors the model zoning regulations

for Hawleyville Center which are specified in an overall Hawleyville economic

development plan that the P&Z endorsed in April 1998.

Mr Nicolosi's application includes two requests. He is seeking to create a new

zoning designation known as HCDD-E (Hawleyville Center Design District-East).

He also wants to rezone his 4.1 acres.

P&Z Chairman Daniel Fogliano said June 17 "I have a problem with the zone

change in that it doesn't follow our recommended area for our Hawleyville

Design District. It is more (like) `spot' zoning."

Mr Fogliano noted P&Z members have been doing planning work on the future

development of Hawleyville for a long time.

The Hawleyville economic development study endorsed by the P&Z in 1998

includes a comprehensive set of rezoning proposals for Hawleyville, including

a series of plans for Hawleyville Center.

"If we don't implement it the right way the first time, we're going to be

setting ourselves up for a much bigger problem," Mr Fogliano said of his

desire to implement the Hawleyville development study as it was endorsed by

the P&Z in 1998, not just portions of it. The study foresees the industrial,

commercial and residential growth of Hawleyville and describes the zoning and

infrastructure needed to handle it.

P&Z member James Boylan urged members to act on Mr Nicolosi's plan soon,

noting that the applicant has already made several attempts to rezone the

property. "We have an obligation to the applicant to move this along," Mr

Boylan said.

But, Mr Fogliano observed, it would not serve the town's best interests to

approve only a section of the proposed Hawleyville Center Design District as

has been requested by Mr Nicolosi.

"The property was [zoned] residential when he [Nicolosi] bought it... I think

our main concern here is the town of Newtown," Mr Fogliano said.

P&Z member Lilla Dean recommended that members make some revisions to the

wording of the regulations for the Hawleyville Center Design District zone as

proposed by Mr Nicolosi.

P&Z members decided that on July 29 they will address Mr Nicolosi's

application to rezone his 4.1 acres to HCDD zoning, as well as consider

rezoning adjacent areas on the east and west sides of Hawleyville Road.

East And West

P&Z members are considering creating a Hawleyville Center Design District-East

(HCDD-E) zone on the east side of Hawleyville Road that would include Mr

Nicolosi's proposed zone and that would be several times larger than it.

Permitted land uses in it would include: retail, personal services, banks,

offices, restaurants, museums, galleries, meeting halls, places of worship,

government buildings, fire stations, post offices, public libraries, commuter

parking, and transportation terminals. A special exception to the zoning

regulations would allow other uses including bulk storage, warehouses for

building materials, and outdoor storage.

Across the street, on the west side of Hawleyville Road, P&Z members are

considering creating a Hawleyville Center Design District-West (HCDD-W) zone.

Permitted land uses would include: offices, research and development

facilities, adult congregate living facilities, and single family housing with

a two-acre minimum lot size.

In July 1998, after the P&Z rejected his third zone change request for land

along Barnabas Road, Mr Nicolosi sued the P&Z in an attempt to have a judge

order that the land be rezoned from Residential R-1 to Industrial M-4.

In January 1998, P&Z members decided not to consider a second request from Mr

Nicolosi and others to rezone land, because it was similar to his zone change

proposal rejected by the P&Z in June 1997.

In June 1997, when Mr Nicolosi had his initial zone-change request pending

before the P&Z to convert property from residential to industrial zoning, he

had indicated he wanted to build a pre-fabricated building for various

industrial uses, including space for businesses such as radon reduction,

plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning.