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Norwich council adopts rezoning of 253 Lawler Lane to Planned Development District
Summary
The Norwich City Council on May 19 unanimously adopted an ordinance rezoning the parcel formerly known as 253 Lawler Lane from R-80 (residential) to Planned Development District (PDD), a change the applicant and planning staff said corrects a longstanding split-zoning anomaly and makes the lot consistent with neighboring commercial parcels.
The Norwich City Council voted 6-0 on May 19 to adopt an ordinance amending the zoning map to change the property formerly known as 253 Lawler Lane from R-80 to a Planned Development District (PDD).
The rezone was proposed by the Norwich Community Development Corporation (NCDC). Kevin Brown, representing NCDC, told the council the request is “really just a housekeeping matter ... to make all of the zoning in Aacom Industrial Center consistent” and that the parcel in question is about 6 acres inside a larger PDD area. Brown said the applicant posted required notices and sent mailings to abutters as part of the submission process.
The change follows a favorable recommendation from the Commission on the City Plan. City planning staff and council members said the rezone removes a split-zoning condition that complicated marketing and development of the lot.
During the public hearing, abutter Frederick Browning said he had questions about differences between R-80 and PDD uses and urged the council to be certain before voting. Deanna Rhodes, the city’s planning and neighborhood services director, explained that R-80 is a residential zone that nevertheless allows certain nonresidential uses — hospitals, government buildings, educational and religious facilities and some uses by special permit — while PDD and General Commercial are commercial zone designations with different use tables. Rhodes said the parcel’s split zoning likely dated to earlier subdivision patterns and the construction of the highway and that the rezoning “resets the property in total” and corrects what staff described as an oversight.
The motion to bring the ordinance to the floor was made by Alderman Gold and seconded by Alderman Hayes; the final roll call vote was 6-0 in favor.
The council chair noted staff are updating the zoning map as part of broader zoning regulation revisions to identify and correct other split-zoned parcels.
The ordinance takes effect per the city’s standard adoption and publication procedures.
