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Norwalk cites Van Zant/Rowan property for long-term contractor storage; owner fails to appear
Summary
At a Jan. 29 citation hearing, Norwalk hearing officer Gary Olbers found violations at the 65 Van Zant / 28 Rowan properties for storage of construction equipment and materials after demolition, ordered cleanup and continued the case to March 19 with fines accruing.
Hearing officer Gary Olbers said Jan. 29 that Norwalk has cited a pair of adjacent parcels at 65 Van Zant and 28 Rowan for contractor storage of equipment, vehicles and materials after the demolition of a former deli building.
The city presented aerial and recent photos showing excavators, dumpsters and piles of masonry and soil. Olbers said the city sent a notice of violation on Dec. 17 and that the owner met with city staff and submitted a redevelopment application on Jan. 15, which the planning office later described as deficient. Olbers said the property has not been merged for redevelopment and that a zoning approval, even if pursued, could take months and would not allow immediate storage in the interim. "We do not want this turning into a permanent store at the contractor's yard," Olbers said.
Diane Cece, of Olmstead Place, speaking for the East Norwalk Neighborhood Association, told the hearing that complaints about equipment on the site date to late 2023 and urged immediate removal and the immediate start of fines. "We are requesting that you demand immediate removal of the equipment and the site to clear it up," Cece said, adding that earlier complaints about a boat and other equipment went unresolved for months.
Deputy zoning inspector John Hayducki confirmed the timeline in staff records: the city inspected after the Dec. 2024 notice, served citation paperwork and recorded that the building department had closed a demolition permit in July 2024. Olbers said constable service notified the owner and the owner had appeared at the zoning office on Jan. 14 but was not present at the hearing.
Olbers set the matter for further hearing on March 19, 2025 and explained the local daily fine rate the city can pursue if violations continue. At one point he noted the accrual at the city rate of $150 per day and said that, if left unabated through the March date, the total could reach approximately several thousand dollars. Olbers said staff will resend the notice and continue monitoring the site; he described the next steps as: continued hearing, continued inspections and potential daily fines until corrective action occurs.
The hearing record includes staff photos and prior enforcement history that show equipment on the parcels since at least September 2024, and residents told the panel they believe some equipment was present as early as fall 2023. Olbers closed by saying the city will follow up by email and return to the site regularly to confirm compliance before the March hearing.
