THE DAY
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Aug 31, 2007
Reject Spot Zoning
To The Editor Of The Day:
Published on 8/31/2007
It is past time for the Norwich City
Council to say no to proposals from commercial developers to use spot zoning to enrich themselves. Spot zoning makes a mockery of Norwich’s Plan of Conservation
and Development and the city’s comprehensive zoning ordinance. The only
real beneficiary of such spot zoning is the developer, and their gain comes at the loss of property values and the quality
of life in nearby residential neighborhoods.
It appears that the proponents of an ill-conceived
Commercial Overlay District throughout Norwich are back and are pursuing what
was always their primary objective. This was and remains the development of a
strip retail mall along upper Washington Street across from Backus
Hospital and in the midst of an established, viable residential neighborhood. The developer’s tactic this time around appears to be to convince the Norwich
City Council, which functions as the city’s zoning commission, to rezone a portion of a residential zoning district
to commercial through spot zoning.
All members of the Norwich City Council
should see this latest ploy for what it is and should reject this badly flawed concept out of hand. To initiate the spot zoning change, the developer must secure at least one Norwich
alderman to introduce the application. City council members ought to decline
this dubious honor and avoid becoming the developer’s enabler. Norwich
residents expect and deserve no less from their elected officials.
Richard Erickson
Norwich
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Tell Norwich Councilors To Quash Spot Zoning |
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To The Editor Of The Day: |
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Yes, it is, in fact, “in my back yard,” but in this case as with most, dismissing the
following simply for “NIMBY” is a cop-out.
Rezoning Norwich's
Washington Street for commercial development is wrong for Norwich for many reasons.
The sole reason behind rezoning for commercial development in this section of Norwichtown is one commercial developer's plan
for several box stores with large parking areas; large lighting, large delivery flow, large garbage and a 24/7 business plan
(see spot zoning).
The surrounding quiet middle-class neighborhoods
would be destroyed and replaced with convenience-style retail and rental properties; with landlords who vacated due to reduced
quality of life and reduced property value. What precedence for a lack of long-term planning.
If you live in Norwich,
look at your back yard. How long until you're on the defensive? They say the traffic counts whet the developers' appetites.
Well, with Norwich
residents getting around — coupled with our beloved casino patrons and beachgoers passing through — there are
plenty of traffic numbers to be totaled. See the recent overlay zone debacle for the neighborhood nearest you.
Send the message to the Norwich City Council
that these shortsighted proposals only line the pockets of out-of-town developers and their lawyers, offering no long-term
benefits for Norwich and its residents. Downtown Norwich largely remains an
unpolished gem and deer outnumber workers in our industrial park.
During this local election season, please
encourage our good Norwich City Council members to maintain focus on the real prizes.
Dave Swedin
Norwich |
