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Small Broadbridge Avenue church wins zoning special-case approval with standard permitting conditions
Summary
Reverend Garfield Richards received special-case approval to operate a small church at 22261 Broadbridge Ave (approx. 1,000 sq ft) after commissioners required building-permit structural review, health safeguards for lead paint, and confirmation of parking arrangements with the neighboring dental office.
The Stratford Zoning Commission approved a special-case petition from Garfield Richards to operate a small church on the right-third (~1,000 sq ft) of a commercial building at 22261 Broadbridge Avenue.
Richards told the commission he currently operates small services (roughly six regular members, occasional visits up to around 10–14 people), will use the space outside the dental-office hours and does not intend operations to interfere with normal dental practice. He said an interior non-load-bearing wall will be removed to create the worship area.
Commissioners and staff raised structural and environmental concerns — asbestos in older walls and exposed lead paint during demolition — and Jay Hovanska and the building department clarified that the required building-permit review will verify structural safety and address lead and health-department requirements. The applicant confirmed awareness of the property’s partial floodplain designation and said operations would avoid flood-prone occupancy.
The commission approved the special-case while making the approval conditional on meeting building-department structural requirements if the wall is load-bearing and on standard health and fire permitting conditions. The vote was recorded in the administrative session and carried unanimously.
