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ZBA approves variances for two East Main Street buildings to allow 9-unit multifamily redevelopment
Summary
The ZBA granted variances allowing Southeast Connecticut Properties to convert two long-vacant East Main Street buildings into a proposed nine-unit multifamily development, including waivers for landscape buffers and building separation; site-plan and commission approvals remain required.
The City of Orange Zoning Board of Appeals on March 11 approved variances that pave the way for a proposed nine-unit multifamily redevelopment at 495 and 499 East Main Street.
Matthew Longo of Southeast Connecticut Properties told the board the two adjacent parcels have long-standing commercial buildings and the company’s plan is to merge the parcels, reuse the existing footprints and add a modest rear addition to one building to create nine apartments. “Our goal is to redevelop them to [an] apartment complex, maybe 9 units total,” Longo said.
The applicant asked the board to waive several multifamily requirements: relief from zoning regulation 6.4.0.6.0.1 to reduce the required 15-foot landscape buffer on the east and west property lines to 0 feet, relief from section 6.4.1 to reduce the minimum required distance between buildings from 30 feet to roughly 6 feet, and relief from section 4.8.0.5 to allow structural alterations to nonconforming buildings to exceed 50% of assessed value.
Staff and the applicant explained the request stems from the lots’ tight, built-up downtown configuration: the two buildings currently sit only about 6–10 feet apart and the site has existing parking and a steep grade to the rear, making the 15-foot buffer infeasible without removing circulation and parking. The applicant said parking calculations meet the city’s required total based on bedrooms; Longo said the nine units would be primarily one-bedroom units (seven one-bedrooms and two two-bedrooms).
Neighbors and a resident who identified himself as Joe Muscarella of 42 Canter Avenue spoke in favor, saying traffic is manageable and the project would bring investment to downtown. “I wanna put it’s good for Norwich… Bring some more tax… Bring some more to get my taxes down,” Muscarella said.
Board members said converting long-vacant commercial buildings in an area zoned for multifamily could reduce long-term nonconformities and bring investment to the neighborhood. Several members acknowledged traffic and access at the nearby intersection are concerns to be addressed during later site-plan and commission reviews. The board approved the variances; action does not remove the need for city commission site-plan approval and other regulatory reviews.
The applicant must still secure commission approvals and any building permits; staff noted the variance approval is a first step toward redevelopment of the parcels.
