Norwich agency presses on with business park plans
Feb. 23—NORWICH — The Norwich Community Development Corp. is moving forward with state and federal grant applications and marketing parcels for development in the proposed second business park in Occum, despite Tuesday's City Council vote to reject a proposed master development plan district for the 384-acre property.
The NCDC Board of Directors voted Thursday to authorize NCDC President Kevin Brown to submit a $15.9 million federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, called RAISE grant, to the U.S. Department of Transportation "for the development of road and utility infrastructure to furtherance of the Business Park North project on behalf of the city of Norwich."
The business master plan district rejected in a 3-3 deadlock vote Tuesday by the City Council acting as the zoning board had included plans for an access road with a dedicated ramp off Exit 18 from Interstate 395. Brown told the NCDC board Thursday he anticipates receiving a letter of support for the grant from the Connecticut Department of Transportation and will submit the grant application by Monday's deadline.
NCDC already has submitted a two-tiered state grant application to the $875 million Community Investment Fund, created by Gov. Ned Lamont for the state's 55 distressed municipalities, including Norwich. Brown said NCDC requested $19 million for the entire cost of the road through the property, or an alternative of $11 million for a segment that would run from Canterbury Turnpike into the prime development land that borders I-395.
City Director of Planning Deanna Rhodes said the planning office generally does not issue permits for stand-alone applications for new roads with no associated development. She said if NCDC submitted a plan for the road only, staff would have to review the plan to decide how to proceed with it. More commonly, new roads are proposed for specific development projects, she said.
Brown said he had two meetings Thursday with parties potentially interested in parcels in the business park property, one a "green tech" firm and one a board member of the nonprofit, FORGE, which connects start-up product development firms with manufacturers. Lamont announced Wednesday that the state has formed a partnership with FORGE to work with Connecticut start-up firms. Brown said he would like the nonprofit to set up at least a satellite office in Norwich.
"We can still proceed with economic development opportunities with the existing zoning regulations," Brown said.
NCDC purchased the 17 properties, located on Canterbury Turnpike, Scotland Road, Lawler Lane, School Avenue and Bromley Lane and Route 97 in late December for $3.55 million with a plan to create Business Park North. The parcels had been compiled by developers who had proposed a golf course resort that fell through.
The section of the property off Route 97 near Exit 18 is zoned for general commercial development. The parcels west of Canterbury Turnpike are zoned as Planned Development District, with general commercial and planned development with much less restrictions than the proposed Business Master Plan District. Existing zoning regulations list types of development allowed, some requiring site plan review by the planning commission, some needing a special permit with a public hearing.
Some commercial development with buildings less than 5,000 square feet could be approved by planning staff. Allowed development projects with buildings larger than 5,000 square feet would be reviewed by the Commission on the City Plan, and some projects would require special permits with public hearings, such as colleges, commercial recreation facilities, restaurants, retail uses and large utility uses.
Housing is not allowed in the Planned Development District, but housing with mixed-use commercial uses could be allowed in the general commercial zone, according to city regulations.
