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Newington planning commission approves special permit for theater at 50 Rockwell Road with parking and cleanup conditions
Summary
The Newington Town Planning and Zoning Commission approved special permit TPZ 26-12 on July 22 to allow a performing-arts facility at 50 Rockwell Road, subject to two conditions requiring re-striping in the southeasterly corner of the lot and removal of stockpiled materials to maximize parking.
On July 22, 2026 the Newington Town Planning and Zoning Commission approved special permit TPZ 26-12 to allow a performing-arts facility at 50 Rockwell Road, the commission announced after a presentation by applicant Christopher O'Neil. The approval came with two conditions: re-striping the parking spaces in the southeasterly corner of the lot to match the prior approved site plan and removing stockpiled material (mulch and stone) from that same area to ensure maximum parking.
Christopher O'Neil, the applicant, said the project would occupy about "14,579 square feet" of the building and include two theater spaces — a roughly 3,500-square-foot main theater and a roughly 1,200-square-foot black box — plus support spaces. He told commissioners the lot contains roughly 157 parking spaces and that the zoning formula (one space per four auditorium seats) produces a worst-case requirement of about 66 spaces for the theater; "we're a 100% gonna comply with those conditions," O'Neil said during the hearing. The commission's conditions aim to preserve parking availability during performances and remove obstructions in the southeast corner of the lot. Final building permits, inspections and any required site work will follow the approval.
