Norwich commission approves seasonal evening‑hour extension for Saint Vincent de Paul Place to bridge gap before warming centers

The Commission on the City Plan voted unanimously Oct. 20 to modify Saint Vincent de Paul Place’s special permit to allow the nonprofit to extend its evening hours seasonally from Dec. 1 through March 15, and on other dates when the governor declares a cold‑weather emergency, in order to remain open until a designated emergency warming center opens.

Jillian Corbyn, director of Saint Vincent de Paul Place, told the commission the organization is not seeking to operate a warming center or nightly shelter but rather to “provide a safe, warm, and stable place during the late afternoon and evening hours” and to “provide a warm evening meal to help sustain individuals until morning.” Corbyn said the extension would apply only on the days a warming center opens or when the governor activates the state’s cold‑weather protocol; if no warming center opens, the organization will close at its regular 4:00…