Commission approves text amendment and special permit for adaptive‑reuse hotel on Locust Avenue

On Dec. 16 the New Canaan Planning and Zoning Commission approved a text amendment to permit hotels in the Business C zone by special permit when the hotel is located in an existing structure as part of an adaptive‑reuse project, and voted to grant the special permit and site plan for a proposed hotel at 39 and 49–51 Locust Avenue.

The text amendment adds hotels to the list of permitted uses by special permit in the Business C zone with narrowly defined dimensional exceptions (limited increases in height, continuous wall length and floor‑area limitations) and a set of required affirmative findings the commission must make, including whether a project consolidates parcels, enhances the pedestrian experience, solves complex site constraints, or provides meaningful public amenities.

Commission deliberations on the special permit focused on two building options (option A with retail on Cherry Street dependent on an unresolved town land transfer strip, and option B without the strip), construction logistics, and neighbor‑requested conditions. The resolution requires merging the subject parcels before zoning permit issuance, confirmation that materials match the final presentation, a licensed landscape plan, a final construction logistics plan, town engineer items addressed, mechanical equipment screening, and a condition that the outdoor green space behind 39 Locust be limited to passive recreation for patrons unless future zoning approvals are obtained for outdoor events or dining.

Commissioners also asked the applicant to explore preserving parallel parking spaces along Cherry Street where feasible, and several neighbor‑requested conditions (such as refuse container locations and prohibiting trucks from entering the site for pickup) were added where enforceable by zoning staff. The commission emphasized design quality and operational stewardship in public comments.