Commission approves 40‑unit multifamily project on West Street after CAM review; neighbors press questions on sewer, trees and construction impacts

After a lengthy public hearing and a separate coastal area management (CAM) finding, the Norwich Planning Commission approved a special permit for a 40‑unit multifamily development at 612 and 620 West Street.

The applicant team—engineer Brandon Hanfield (Yantic River Consultants), architect Jack Keer (Keer Associates) and owner representative Phil Bondo—presented plans calling for a 36‑unit apartment building fronting West Street and a four‑unit townhouse building to the rear. The development includes 55 parking spaces (including three accessible and four EV spaces), bicycle parking, a looped access drive using an existing easement through Cove View Condominium property, a trash enclosure, a network of pedestrian connections and a selectively cleared natural recreation area with a small fenced dog area.

Brandon Hanfield detailed grading and drainage: the plan demolishes existing improvements, regrades the West Street frontage to improve sight lines, and proposes stormwater treatment, infiltration and retention that will attenuate up to a 100‑year storm before discharge. He said the design treats the first 1.3 inches of rainfall on site and that any discharge to existing on‑site ponds will be equal to or less than current outflow rates.

Several neighbors questioned impacts. Suzanne Magna, a neighbor at Cove View, asked whether the project would affect a nearby “frog pond” and whether construction traffic would use the existing shared driveway. Hanfield said the pond is effectively isolated and that the project’s discharge is designed to match or reduce current flows. On sewer capacity, staff and the applicant said the private sewer connection will be cameraped and inspected before building permits are issued; if defects are found, the parties will need to coordinate repairs with the adjacent property owner and NPU (municipal utilities). On blasting, the applicant said shallow bedrock exists in parts of the site and “there may be blasting required”; any blasting would require permits and pre‑work condition surveys of adjacent properties.

Concerns about clearing of mature trees were raised; the applicant said a conservation easement and more than 100 feet of wooded buffer will remain along the southerly slope, that limits of clearing will be flagged by a licensed surveyor for construction, and that the owner committed that tree clearing will be limited to the plan’s shown limits. One resident objected to the proposed small dog area; the commission heard both that argument and the applicant’s intent to keep it informal and natural.

Staff reported minimal outstanding comments from the fire marshal and NPU review and said the city engineer and DOT have provided conditional approvals; CAM review came back that the project is consistent with applicable coastal policies. Planning staff provided a list of conditions and recommended reasons for approval. The commission voted first to approve the CAM finding and then approved the special permit with conditions; votes were taken by voice vote and documented in the record.

What’s next: The applicant must complete a pre‑construction camera inspection of the private sewer line serving Cove View and the site, address any deficiencies, finalize any remaining engineering comments, and secure all building and site permits. The commission included a condition that outstanding engineering and agency checklist items be completed before issuance of building permits.