Commission grants one‑year extension for 761 Main Avenue 132‑unit multifamily approval

The Norwalk Planning and Zoning Commission approved a one‑year extension of the site plan approval for a 132‑unit, four‑story multifamily building on the northern portion of the iPark Norwalk property at 761 Main Avenue. The developer’s representative, Lauren Calabria, told the commission the project’s northern building cannot proceed until a parking garage on the Wilton portion of the property is completed and inspected; the team expects garage inspections to finish by the end of the month. The applicant had requested a two‑year extension but commissioners favored a one‑year extension with the option for the applicant to return for an additional year if necessary.
Why it matters: the site is an existing mixed‑use property where the northern portion awaits parking relocation into a new garage; granting an extension preserves the approved project timeline while allowing the applicant to reapply for more time if construction progress lags.
Calabria told the commission the garage work was delayed by delivery of elevator and electrical equipment and that the development team had reconfigured internally after the death of a founding team member, Joseph Cotter, in October 2024. The current approval runs through July of the following year; the applicant explained typical completion timelines for comparable buildings are about 18–24 months and the two‑year request was intended to give the project breathing room. Commissioners said they are generally liberal in granting extensions when there is a good reason; Commissioner Galen (recorded as making the motion) moved to approve a one‑year extension and a colleague seconded the motion. A roll call vote recorded unanimous support from commissioners present.
The commission’s instructions: staff will file the extension in the project record and the applicant may return to request additional extension time if construction schedule slips further. No additional conditions were recorded beyond the standard extension language.