Norwich commission tables Ponemah/Panema Landing restaurant site-plan modification after state agencies flag excavated soil

NORWICH, Conn. — The Commission on the City Plan on Tuesday, March 18, voted to table consideration of a site development plan modification for Panema/Ponemah Landing at 555–575 Norwich Avenue until its April 15 meeting after concerns were raised about excavated soil and an upcoming Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and state public-health review.

The project application, identified in the meeting as Site Development Plan No. 1007M (A555575Through599NorwichAvenue), would modify access and parking to support converting the smaller Ponemah (rendered in the record also as “Panema”) Landing building into a two-story restaurant with patron spaces and a pedestrian connection to Norwich Avenue. The commission’s action was a motion to table to the April 15 meeting, which was seconded and approved by voice vote.

The commission’s concern followed remarks from a commissioner who read an email they said came from Patrick McCormack, identified in the message as a public-health official, reporting that Connecticut DEEP and the regional health district had been notified about material excavated from the site that had been removed to other properties. The email, as read into the record, said trucks reportedly were moving fill off-site and that items such as oil filters and shingles were found in some of the material. The commissioner urged the commission to postpone action until state agencies and city staff could inspect the site and the applicant could produce a written plan describing how excavated…