Zoning commission removes mural requirement for 1260 West Broad Street; owner offers donation instead

The Stratford Zoning Commission voted on April 30 to modify a prior special-permit approval for 1260 West Broad Street by removing condition number 4, which had required a system of murals or place-making installation along the building’s north elevation.

Barry Knott, attorney for GFI Partners (the property owner and developer), asked the commission to delete the mural requirement in the approval letter dated Sept. 29, 2022. Knott said the requirement imposed a cosmetic obligation beyond the commission’s regulatory authority and noted the company had already invested heavily to remediate contamination and construct the new facility. William (Bill) Buckley, project manager for GFI Partners, and other speakers described substantial environmental cleanup, landscaping and lighting improvements and said the redevelopment had transformed a formerly contaminated, vacant site.

Planning and Zoning Administrator Smitha Otata and staff briefed the commission on the origin of the condition and the limited legal basis for imposing cosmetic requirements under the zoning regulations. Otata told commissioners the Architectural Review Board had provided aesthetic recommendations but that the zoning regulations do not authorize mandatory murals as a special-permit condition. Otata said the applicant offered a $25,000 contribution to the Stratford Arts Commission in lieu of the mural and staff reminded the commission that donations and arts-program decisions fall under separate town processes.

Commissioners discussed sightlines from Metro-North trains and nearby streets and several members and participants observed that trees, utility lines and the angle of view would make a continuous mural along the north elevation largely invisible to many train riders. Staff and commission members discussed alternatives such as façade lighting, fake windows, landscaping or other visual elements to reduce the perceived mass of the building; the applicant said the facility already includes design elements and lighting along the Interstate-95-facing elevation that improve the gateway appearance.

After discussion the commission voted to modify the prior approval by removing condition number 4 (the mural requirement). The motion to amend the earlier approval and eliminate the mural requirement was seconded and carried by affirmative vote. The transcript records that the applicant volunteered a $25,000 contribution to the Stratford Arts Commission; the vote and the decision to remove the condition were recorded in the commission’s administrative minutes.