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Washington Street Overlay/Rezone

Richard B. Erickson, A.I.C.P.

11 Julian Street · Norwich, Connecticut 06360

Telephone and Fax: (860) 889-6803 · email: erickson@99main.com

 

7 October 2007

 

Dear Mr. Page,

 

I am writing to you in your capacity as a member of Norwich’s Commission on the City Plan.  I am motivated to do so by the filing of an application with the city clerk to rezone from residential to commercial an area along Washington Street in the vicinity of the

W.W. Backus Hospital.

 

Presumably, this application will be forwarded by the City Council to the Commission on the City Plan for a report as to its compatibility with the Plan of Conservation and Development.  I have carefully reviewed the Plan of Conservation and Development and have concluded that the plan provides no justification or support for the proposed rezoning.  To the contrary, if enacted, the rezoning would make a mockery of the Plan of Conservation and Development.  The following summary of pertinent sections of the Plan of Conservation and Development, I believe, demonstrate the validity of this conclusion.

 

p. 54: “Norwichtown is the historic heart and also a diverse section of the City.  Scenic and historic resources in this district rival any section of Norwich.”

 

p. 59 ff. Chapter 6, Ecnomic Development.  This chapter makes no recommendation or suggestion that new commercial development should be encouraged or allowed to intrude into established residential neighborhoods.

 

p. 64: “Develop Business Sites

             

            “The primary factor impeding business growth in Norwich is a lack of physical space.  If Norwich is to continue to grow its tax base through business development, locations must be provided for this development.  This can occur through new development of ‘greenfield’ sites, infill development of smaller existing parcels, or adaptive reuse of underutilized industrial and commercial sites.”


 

p. 65: “Enhance City Gateways

 

            “Primary gateways into Norwich require improvement…These access routes provide the first impression for visitors to Norwich and the importance of these gateways cannot be ignored.”

 

pp. 66 and 67:  Economic Opportunity Areas

            A total of 12 Economic Opportunity Areas are identified in text and on a map.  Upper Washington Street/Norwichtown is not one of these.

 

p. 68: To Provide Locations for Business the plan suggests the following strategies:

 

            “1. Develop ‘greenfield’ sites such as expansion of the Norwich Business Park.

            “2. Encourage adaptive reuse of previously developed sites such as mill buildings and other underutilized business sites.”

 

No mention of allowing commercial uses to intrude into established residential neighborhoods.

 

p. 71: Chapter 7, Housing and Residential Areas

 

“Major Strategies

            Continue to promote programs that increase owner occupancy of housing units and renovation of blighted properties.”

 

p. 79: “Conversion of single family residences to multi-family residences can lead to absentee ownership and deterioration of housing conditions.  The conversion of residential properties to mixed-use or commercial uses can also have a negative impact on surrounding residential properties.

 

“It is important for Norwich to maintain community character in every neighborhood, but especially in the more densely developed areas where conversions take place.”

 

p. 84: Housing and Residential Area Strategies

 

            “Revise Norwich Zoning Regulations, if necessary, to ensure the character of neighborhoods are not impacted by conversions.”

 

The Plan of Conservation and Development presents and recommends a consistent theme of guiding city policies and actions to protect and enhance residential neighborhoods.  The plan clearly does not recommend promoting the intrusion of commercial uses into established, viable residential neighborhoods.

 

Some will argue that the City’s Plan of Conservation and Development is out of date.  However, it is only five years old, and it is the official, comprehensive, adopted statement of city policies to guide land use and infrastructure improvements.

 

I urge you to consider carefully what the plan sets forth as policies affecting residential neighborhoods when you review the latest proposal to rezone an area along upper Washington Street from residential to commercial.  I hope that you will then conclude, as I have, that such rezoning would be incompatible with the City’s Plan of Conservation and Development.

 

Sincerely,

  

Richard Erickson