Commission conditionally approves 29,000 sq. ft. parking-lot plan at 10591 Wisconsin Avenue

The Norwich Commission on the City Plan on Sept. 16 approved a site plan for a 29,000-square-foot parking lot, grading, lighting and stormwater-management system behind an existing building at 10591 Wisconsin Avenue, provided the applicant addresses outstanding city-engineer comments and posts required erosion- and sediment-control bonds.

BL Companies engineer Tim Houle presented the project on behalf of Norwich, Wisconsin LLC and the tenant, describing a proposal to add approximately 35 oversized parking stalls (10-by-35 feet) for delivery vehicles, two loading docks for tractor-trailers and an at-grade overhead door. Houle said existing building footprints will not change and the work lies outside mapped wetlands and floodplain areas.

Houle told the commission the team is working through city-engineer comments on stormwater and said recent test pits found better-than-expected infiltration at the western end of the proposed basin; he said the design will be revised to avoid previously unknown utilities discovered in the eastern basin area. “We can redesign this basin . . . and still meet the design requirements,” Houle said.

City planning staff and the city engineer recommended approval conditioned on their memos, updated erosion-control details, addressing stormwater comments and execution of the required bond. The commission voted to approve the plan subject to those conditions; staff noted the plan could be acted on at the hearing if the applicant addresses comments, but the commission required the conditions be met before final sign-off.

The applicant agreed to resubmit revised drawings promptly so staff can review them prior to the next meeting if necessary. The approval requires confirmation that the hydrodynamic separator and proposed treatment meet Connecticut stormwater guidelines and that the final basin location avoids existing utilities.