Planning commission approves 24 Belden subdivision and site plan despite traffic and parking concerns

The Norwalk Planning and Zoning Commission voted to approve a subdivision and site-plan review for the 24 Belden Avenue property, allowing the roughly 1.428-acre parcel to be divided into two lots and clearing the way for a planned mixed-use redevelopment that includes hotel, residential and commercial uses.

The approval, made during the commission's public meeting, means 24 Belden will be split into two conforming parcels (to be addressed as 24 Belden and 9 Burnell Boulevard) and permits the project’s site plan to proceed under the city’s current CD4 zoning rules. The subdivision motion was moved by Commissioner Chapin and seconded by Commissioner Rowena; the site-plan approval passed by voice roll call with no opposition.

The applicant, attorney Adam Blank representing IJ Group, told the commission the property “functions as two separate parcels already” and that the split will allow each parcel to comply independently with CD4 lot and building standards. Project engineer Vince Hines joined the presentation to answer technical questions.

Why it matters: the site sits next to a major transit hub and a longstanding, partly vacant parcel in North Norwalk. Approval clears the largest regulatory hurdle for a redevelopment that supporters say will bring housing, a hotel and active ground-floor uses to a corridor targeted for revitalization.

Key facts and conditions - Property and proposal: 24 Belden Avenue, about 1.428 acres, proposed subdivision into two separate lots and a site plan for mixed uses. The parcel will continue to be served by city water and sanitary sewer; no new public street is proposed. (Applicant: Adam Blank for IJ Group.) - Formal actions: The subdivision was approved (motion by Commissioner Chapin; second by Commissioner Rowena). The related site-plan review was approved later in the meeting after staff and TMP commentary. The site-plan approval includes conditions drafted by staff and peer-review comments from BFJ architectural review, which the applicant has agreed to address.

Traffic and parking concerns City traffic staff — represented by Ben Young, senior traffic engineer with The Municipal Planning (TMP) group — told the commission that TMP had reviewed the applicant’s traffic materials and raised concerns about parking supply. TMP estimated the development’s peak midday parking demand could exceed on-site parking by roughly 164 vehicles under the study assumptions. Ben Young said the municipal Yankee Doodle parking garage across Burnell currently provides critical short-term capacity for Wall Street visitors; TMP’s figures show the garage’s typical occupancy can range from about 80 to 240 spaces of a 379-space capacity, with about 20 spaces reserved for police and roughly 15 spaces under a month-to-month arrangement with a nearby car dealer.

TMP recommended the applicant plan for off-street pick-up and drop-off to avoid blocking bus operations on Burnell Boulevard. Young said the applicant’s updated architectural sheets showing a path into the first level of the parking garage are “feasible,” but cautioned that in-garage pick-up/drop-off typically requires clear wayfinding signage and design elements so drivers and delivery services reliably use the spaces instead of stopping in travel lanes.

Applicant and public comment Attorney Adam Blank and developer Jason Milligan told the commission they will work to secure sufficient parking and that multiple underused private parking areas near the site could be used or renegotiated as the tenant mix becomes clear. Milligan said some existing underground parking on neighboring parcels is underused during daytime hours and the project team retains flexibility to adapt uses and parking as market demand becomes clear.

Several neighbors and community group representatives spoke in support of the redevelopment during the public hearing. Tanner Thompson, a transit planner and member of the Norwalk steering committee for the Norwalk Transit District analysis, urged the commission to plan for buses to remain at the Bridal/Brunel bus hub and encouraged a public restroom and pedestrian/bicycle amenities near the bus terminal. Mark Allen, president of the Wall Street Neighborhood Association, and Diane Loricella, a longtime resident, also spoke in favor of the project, praising the proposed reuse of an underutilized site.

What the approvals require next The approvals include the standard staff conditions and peer-review items; the commission asked staff to ensure the applicant submits revised landscaping plans that respect existing easements for transit operations on Burnell Boulevard and to add wayfinding/detail language for in-garage pick-up and drop-off into permit materials. TMP and the applicant agreed staff will take and retain the applicant’s traffic model for in-house review and future updates.

The approvals clear the primary local land-use steps; the developer will still need to fully satisfy technical conditions, building permits, and any required off-site agreements before construction begins.

Speakers quoted (excerpted) - Adam Blank, attorney for IJ Group: “This property really functions as two separate parcels already.” - Ben Young, senior traffic engineer, TMP: “The in‑garage pickup/drop‑off scheme is acceptable, but the applicant should be thinking about ways to actually enforce its usage and discourage pickup/drop‑off on Brunel or double parking on Belden.”

Ending The commission’s approvals allow IJ Group and its partners to proceed with final engineering, permitting and tenanting. TMP and staff said they will continue to monitor how on- and off-street parking is used in the Wall Street district as redevelopment progresses.