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Bridgeport reviews zoning amendment to allow new multifamily and mixed‑use projects in LIC district
Summary
Planning staff presented a draft change to the Light Industrial Commercial (LIC) zoning rules that would allow new multifamily and mixed‑use buildings under a conditional‑use process, require mitigation studies and exclude industrial uses such as firing ranges and storage facilities.
Planning official Mr. Truman told the Borough Council on March 10 that a draft text amendment to Chapter 560 would, if adopted, allow new multifamily and mixed‑use buildings in the LIC (Light Industrial Commercial) district through the conditional‑use process rather than limiting such projects to conversions of existing buildings.
The change would permit demolition and ground‑up construction on lots in the LIC as well as conversions, Mr. Truman said, and would require applicants to demonstrate mitigation for potential impacts — including traffic, parking and sewer studies — as part of the conditional‑use review. "As part of the conditional use process, Borough Council could and would require a traffic impact study, a parking study, a sewer impact study, and neighborhood impact considerations," Mr. Truman said.
Why it matters: Council members said Bridgeport needs more housing options but stressed careful review. Allowing new construction in LIC parcels could increase housing supply in areas where vacant lots are scarce, but it will also give the council discretion to limit uses that could harm residential components of mixed‑use projects.
Key details: Mr. Truman said the draft limits commercial components of mixed‑use projects to non‑industrial activities and explicitly excludes uses such as firing ranges, funeral homes, car washes and storage facilities. He also described a narrow geographic area where the LIC applies (roughly the northwest side of Decal Street from Skookul Parkway toward Upper Marian and parcels along the Danhauer Expressway) and noted that because few vacant lots remain, most projects would likely involve demolition and rebuilds rather than new builds on vacant parcels.
Council response and public input: Several council members supported adaptive reuse when feasible but acknowledged the borough's limited empty parcels. A public attendee who stopped by earlier, Anne Buha, asked for additional information and expressed appreciation for public works; she was unable to stay for the full discussion. Councilmembers suggested the conditional‑use process and the required mitigation studies should give the council tools to minimize negative effects on surrounding neighborhoods.
What happens next: This topic was discussed in the work session (non‑voting) portion of the March 10 meeting. Staff indicated the draft amendment is still under consideration and is being prepared for potential advertisement and formal introduction at a future public meeting where the council could vote on ordinance language and any required public hearings.
Ending: Councilmembers asked staff to continue refining language and noted they wanted examples and studies to guide decisions when conditional uses are considered.
