[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6542562,"mediaKeyId","3426086-bdd85131fb65f14ec7a92d8bb9b1088e","parentId",3426086,"title","Commission approves special permit for 12-child day care at 131 Providence Street with van-transport condition","audioSeconds",2110,"startMs",1670000,"endMs",3780000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3426086-bdd85131fb65f14ec7a92d8bb9b1088e&start=1670&end=3780","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3426086-bdd85131fb65f14ec7a92d8bb9b1088e/thumbnail_1670000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6542562/Norwich/New-London-County/Connecticut/Commission-approves-special-permit-for-12-child-day-care-at-131-Providence-Street-with-van-transport-condition","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6542562-74d39eae14a75ea24fd0fe36bdb32f98/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139838&Signature=WxxGeEm~u~LhrR5GwmQo6Dg0iW8FYKSgCRhh~qzYu4xvCMC4qgSW0oc9nZpblErfrUAo446AsSlpXdikUlz6iUuCCh3-QROSilk7sA3VqPB0-oESiHPAgl32vzXLKX7D6GxpjLJQWIX8fhacd487zAOfFSkQhqK41qUV1S7fohnyHMixYepWPFHW7ODLItNNtMR4UanJjKv0Yta8~2jyNBxBlAdYH~LqMCakom7lcj5w2o2B-AXaNblUilk~e3GvM-thT48pk4PHBbrnrtDBJXK4muYOkfh7md1C9cM9FrSOeMhR56bJvv489XJJ9yfJmk~XhDDZ0VXzxuE7I3xrew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Norwich, CT","date","2025-05-20T00:00:00Z","article","The Commission on the City Plan on May 20 approved a special permit allowing an existing office at 131 Providence Street to be used as a child care center, subject to conditions that make the operator’s dedicated transportation service essential to the operation.

The applicant, Wilmer Castillo, told commissioners the proposal seeks to use the existing First-Floor office for a small child care operation. “This application is requesting to use the existing office space as a child care center,” Castillo said during the public hearing. The application requested capacity for 12 children with two full‑time employees and described a 15‑passenger van that the operator will use to transport children for pickup and drop‑off rather than encouraging parent parking in the rear right‑of‑way.

Why it matters: the property sits in a neighborhood commercial zone adjacent to Magnet Elementary School and the Taffyville Volunteer Fire Department. The commission conditioned approval on the van-based transportation plan because the rear access easement is only 12 feet wide, allows only one-way vehicle movement, and does not safely accommodate two-way traffic or routine parent drop-off.

Key details and conditions

- Capacity and staffing: Applicant projected 12 children and two full-time employees; the operator said volunteers would rotate as needed. Castillo told the commission the operator planned to serve primarily infants and very young children, and that licensing details would be finalized with the state licensing division before the operator applies for a child-care license.

- Transportation plan: The applicant will operate a 15‑passenger van (stated capacity) to pick up children from homes and return them to the site. Castillo said pickup would begin about 6:30 a.m. with drop‑offs between about 7:00 and 7:30 a.m.; afternoon drop‑off would occur roughly 4:30–5:30 p.m. Commissioners and staff repeatedly emphasized that the permit relied on the van transport approach: “The big key thing is the van. It doesn't work without the van,” a staff member summarized during the hearing.

- Site and access work: The operator will add an ADA ramp and make an ADA bathroom available inside the existing building. The plan proposes paving only the ADA parking space required at the rear; most of the rear area will remain gravel. The applicant told the commission staff parking behind the building will be reserved for employees.

- Waste and site maintenance: Commissioners required the operator to use rolling carts for trash and recycling rather than a permanent dumpster and to store carts at the side of the building so they are not left out beyond collection day.

- Waivers and exhibits: The commission granted waivers for the bond estimate, drainage calculations, elevations and signage and accepted a package of application materials and plan revisions submitted between November 2024 and May 2025 (staff exhibit list on the record).

Licensing and follow-up

Staff noted the applicant must complete licensing with the state child-care licensing division before operating and that the commission’s approval is conditioned on the van transportation and the other conditions (no dumpster, trash rolling carts, ADA improvements and resolution of city engineer comments). The commission also recommended staff ask the police department to consider a 15‑minute pickup/drop‑off space in front of the building, though it did not make that a mandatory condition because traffic signage is controlled by the traffic authority.

Vote and administrative items

Commissioner Kathy Wazinko moved to approve the special permit with the conditions listed in staff memos and the transportation requirement; Ella seconded. The commission voted unanimously in favor.

Ending

The applicant thanked the commission and said the service would fill a local need for infant care and transportation for families. Staff will verify final licensing, ensure the applicant’s operational conditions are recorded, and track city‑engineer follow‑up items.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-05-20 Commission on the City Plan","oneSentenceSummary","The Commission on the City Plan on May 20 approved a special permit to convert an existing office at 131 Providence Street into a child care center for up to 12 children, conditioning the permit on a required van transportation program and other operational limits.","taxTitle","Norwich, New London County, Connecticut","taxId",4639,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6542566,"City plan commission approves Panema Landing site changes, requires engineer sign-off on bond",1278,259000,1537000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3426086-bdd85131fb65f14ec7a92d8bb9b1088e&start=259&end=1537","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3426086-bdd85131fb65f14ec7a92d8bb9b1088e/thumbnail_259000.jpg","/articles/6542566/Norwich/New-London-County/Connecticut/City-plan-commission-approves-Panema-Landing-site-changes-requires-engineer-sign-off-on-bond","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6542566-a048d034c715f12f0623d129c81e9650/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139838&Signature=QX5y2cR3c6J5-dQ~rUw~4myIqJH5-ejoAU-Ogf82rB2rtqHUJ8r72gd599RRUgfwiT6QARNA4mSO9pmC1p0b~cUFu4I1N47beE5Z2O8DEnaeDIpWdkaw79cJS~WV29f~sE4E1n5eKdIoYzOY9KNlgae71NRyVvFTdrai5XbCrU3kO2JsuEd4TF795zRZb4uJ1W4z7xCAsihg5NghRfJuCqRrAi~WH8BlszF6LDbF0fiD5F7hX2QUe~c6DRpzY5xS6D0jFPOSaWnnhLnsDKTpqTnDtU9189ew69fKmJH6ko8cINKO7fCCaK5BA09AiUl2jzOWWWVuHTgbAeK3XgXk3w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Commission on the City Plan on May 20 approved a site development plan modification for Panema Landing at 555 and 575 Norwich Avenue that will allow conversion of part of the historic mill into a restaurant, with parking and access improvements, subject to conditions including review of the posted bond by the city engineer.

The approval follows a presentation by Phil Biano, who said the project team has coordinated remediation and testing after soil excavated from the Panema site was identified in tests as exceeding residential standards at several off-site locations. “This was material that was thought to be clean...this was over burned material that was excavated, removed from the site, and then subsequently tested and found it exceeded some of the residential standards,” Biano told the commission. He said two Norwich sites have been remediated and that work is ongoing at a Franklin site with EPA coordination.

Why it matters: the site sits in the Mill Reuse Overlay District and involves a historic mill building. The commission’s vote allows the developer to proceed with access and parking revisions tied to the restaurant conversion while requiring technical items—bond amount, outstanding plan-review comments and city-engineer sign-off—be resolved before filings with the Department of Transportation.

Details of the plan and discussion

Brandon, the project designer on the applicant team, told commissioners the approved plan presented in 2021 anticipated a restaurant use. The modification before the commission would keep a curb cut onto Norwich Avenue, install a retaining wall around a small elevated parking area, provide five parking spaces south of the building (including a van-accessible handicapped space), and create a one-way clockwise circulation across the front with five parallel spaces. Brandon said the restaurant’s maximum patron area would be capped at 4,200 square feet and the team calculated parking based on one space per 75 square feet of patron area. “This is the approved plan we presented to you in 2021,” Brandon said, adding the current filing shows the restaurant would occupy both floors and has a kitchen on the first floor.

Commissioners and applicant also discussed grading and fill. Brandon explained the grading plan and said much of the site work would be net fill in a limited area and only minor cuts for benching the driveway. Commissioners pressed about slope stabilization for a proposed 2:1 slope; Brandon described erosion-control fabric, plantings and other landscaping options to stabilize steep areas.

City engineering and conditions

Staff and the city engineer identified outstanding technical items: bond estimate review, drainage calculations, and other plan-review comments. Dan (city engineer) told the commission the city engineer’s comments would be addressed and recommended that the existing bond be reviewed and increased if necessary to cover restoration tied to the new slope and work. Commissioner Kathy Wazinko moved approval with the condition that the city engineer review the bond and that outstanding conditions in the city engineer’s memo be completed; Ella seconded. The motion carried unanimously.

What was decided (action)

- Approval is conditional: the developer must resolve outstanding items in the city engineer’s memo, and the city engineer will review and, if necessary, increase the bond before further permits or DOT review.

What remains outstanding

The commission required the applicant to incorporate the city engineer’s comments before submitting documents to the Department of Transportation and to update the approval language to reflect the May 20 meeting. The applicant agreed to address remediations at off-site locations and to work with DEP and EPA where necessary.

Ending

Commissioners said they expect the applicant to return final plan revisions addressing the city engineer’s memo and remediation updates. The developer thanked the commission and said he looked forward to delivering a “good restaurant” for Norwich.","The Commission on the City Plan on May 20 approved a site development plan modification for Panema Landing at 555 and 575 Norwich Avenue that will allow conversion of part of the historic mill into a restaurant, with parking and access improvements, subject to conditions including review of the posted bond by the city engineer.","actionData","errors"]

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Commission approves special permit for 12-child day care at 131 Providence Street with van-transport condition

City plan commission approves Panema Landing site changes, requires engineer sign-off on bond