New zoning for second Norwich business park fails - what does this mean for the area?

NORWICH— After months of back and forth from the city and residents living in the northern part of Norwich, the city’s plan for a second business park has halted.

Proposed zoning drafted and amended for Business Park North, called the Business Master Plan District, failed on a an even 3-3 party split, with Republicans for it and Democrats against it, during the city council meeting Tuesday.

Residents in and around Lawler Lane and Old Canterbury Turnpike have opposed the city's plans to build a business park in the neighborhood. Their objections came even though the business master plan district zoning would have had stricter requirements than those in place under the current zoning plan.

Background:Business Master Plan District “tool in the toolbox” approved

Resident opposition

After concerns first arose, residents were formally introduced to the city’s plans at a meeting at the Norwich Worship Center on Nov. 9. A wide number of issues were raised that night, which were repeated at other city council meetings since then. These range from the traffic on that road and the safety of the area, to the potential disturbance of people and wildlife caused by industrial buildings, and questions about why the city would need a second business park.

On Tuesday evening, dozens of neighbors showed up, including with signs with slogans such as “Reject and revise the zoning plan for Business Park North,” which had also been seen around town. While people from the neighborhood wanted to talk about their opposition more, Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom (R) said the city council, which is also the city’s zoning board, could not take any more public comments. He said this was due to state regulations, as the public comment period had been closed in January.

With this, the Norwich Community Development Corporation’s Attorney Mark Block asked whether this regulation applied to displaying the signs. Nystrom said that was included, and asked the people to not display the signs.

The neighbors responded by asking questions during the meeting’s citizen comment general period that were indirectly about the project.

“Unfortunately, the members of the public were allowed to breach what should have been restricted,” Block said after.

Concerns about city council acting as sounding board

One concern that came from the public was why the city council is also the city’s zoning board, and has three sitting members, Nystrom and Council members Swaranjit Singh (D) and Stacy Gould (R), on the Norwich Community Development Corporation’s Board of Directors.

Responding after, Norwich Community Development Corporation President Kevin Brown said the city council also serving as the zoning board created  “dysfunction,” and politicized what should have been an economic development decision.

The dual role also created the irony of the city council approved creating the business master plan district as the public agency for it, and then votes against it as the zoning authority, Block said.

However, there is no issue with city council members sitting on the Norwich Community Development Corporation’s Board as there needs to be a balance between public and private interests in the organization’s decision making, Brown said.

“Our elected officials are the right sort of representation for that,” he said.

Though the Norwich Community Development Corporation is a private non-profit, having city council members on the board “opens up opportunities that we would not have if we were only private businesses sitting around the table,” Block said.

Planning efforts not wasted

Despite the decision, the money and effort that have been put into Business Park North so far is not wasted, as other ideas for commercial use may come in a couple years, Brown said.

“Even though the master plan wasn’t approved, ultimately, that area is zoned for general commercial, and planned development district,” he said. “The work we’ve done will still help inform how we go about developing up there.”

The Norwich Community Development Corporation had already purchased the 384 acre parcel of farmland in December.

More:Pivotal Business Park North vote is Dec. 8, three days after public outcry paused rezoning

As for Frederick Browning, one of the people from the Occum neighborhood who spoke that night, he hopes that city is more responsible about how it approaches development going forward.

“Norwich will come out fine, but once again, we don’t want situations like 4,000 cars going through our neighborhoods,” he said.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Norwich Business Park North rezoning plan fails