Council Approves New Building for 15-17 North Main, Originally Rejected by Zoning Commission

The application by CGG Realty Partners LLC to tear down two existing buildings at 15-17 North Main St. and replace them with a modern 18,500 square foot office building, that was originally rejected unanimously by the Town Planning and Zoning Commission, was approved by the West Hartford Town Council Tuesday night by an 8-1 vote.

Council member Steve Adler, who is unaffiliated, cast the dissenting vote, citing "commercial creep" and a concern with transition into residential areas.

Because of the rejection by TPZ, the application required a super majority approval of at least 6-3 by the Town Council to pass, and because of a last-minute significant change to the application, many Council members indicated in their comments that they felt comfortable going against the zoning board's recommendation.

In a lengthy public hearing that preceded the Town Council meeting, attorney Robin Pearson, representing the developer, informed Council members that a major portion of the original application – the requested change from RO (Residence-Office) to BC (Central Business District) zoning – had been withdrawn. The applicant wanted the zoning change in order to allow for first-floor occupancy by a bank, but the fear of encroaching commercialization of the neighborhood was a significant factor in the TPZ's rejection. RO will permit office occupancy, but not retail.

Pearson said that the applicant "responded totally" to the comments of zoning board members and neighbors by withdrawing the requested zone change, and decided to go ahead with the application, even though it still required the super majority vote.

The West Hartford Design Review Advisory Board had approved the application.

The building plan, as altered, still required Town Council approval because it contained a request to create a Special Development District in order to have some variances including fewer parking spaces, a height that is 2 feet 8 inches higher than permitted, and upper floor exterior signage if leased by one tenant.

The building will be approximately the same square footage as the two existing structures, but will have a smaller footprint and more parking spaces. Access from North Main will become a one-way entrance only, with all vehicles exiting onto Brace Rd., an issue of some concern to neighbors who expressed concern during the public hearing.

A dozen residents spoke at the public hearing, many of them residents of the West Hartford Center neighborhood, with mixed opinions about the altered application.

Beth Kyle, who lives on Arundel Ave., expressed concern about the building's status as a "gateway" between the residential and commercial areas of town. She also cited concerns about traffic on her street, which is often narrowed to allow only one-way traffic to pass by vehicles parked on the curve. Kyle recommended sending the application back to TPZ.

Keith Knowles,  who lives at 18 Arundel Ave., “better known as 210 feet away from the buildings,” he said, opposed what he perceived as lack of a buffer between residential and commercial occupancy.

But Dr. Walter Kunisch, whose dental office is located at 15 North Main, expressed support for the project "even though it's going to make moving my dental practice a high inconvenience."

Tim Floyd, a former Brunswick Ave. resident who now lives on Stoner Dr., also spoke in favor of the application as aesthetically "a vast improvement." He said he would be fearful of "a subtle bias for preserving the status quo" that might come from denying the application. Floyd said that if West Hartford always maintained the status quo, "we wouldn't have had Blue Back Square or outdoor dining."

Other than Adler, the rest of the Town Council agreed with Mayor Scott Slifka, and Minority Leader Denise Hall, and voted to support the application.

"What we’re looking at is really a new building that is 400 feet larger, closer to street, and has a smaller footprint," said Slifka, who himself lived in the neighborhood for 11 years. 

Slifka said that there are valid problems outlined by the neighbors, but he doesn't think this project will aggravate them. He also agreed that the building occupies a special spot as a "gateway," but that the application "strikes a fair balance." 

Slifka also praised Chris Gent, the property owner, for his desire to reinvest. "This is the first new office building in West Hartford since the recession, and it’s pretty darn significant. Given the process that went on, the give and take, the flexibility of the applicant – it would really send a terrible message if I were to vote to deny it."