Thomas MacMillan Photo
A multimillion-dollar development could transform a parking lot at the corner of Chapel and Howe streets into a new 136-apartment building with a street-level storefront — if Randy Salvatore can convince zoners to let him build it.
Salvatore (pictured), a Stamford-based developer pitched his plan to members of the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) Tuesday evening in the Hall of Records. He said he wants to put up a five-story apartment building in the Chapel West neighborhood. The project would be privately funded at cost yet to be determined, but in the millions of dollars, Salvatore said.
To build it, Salvatore seeks a special zoning exception for less parking than is required, and a whopping 10 zoning variances for increased lot coverage, small yards, and less open space than is required under law, among other exceptions.
The BZA did not vote on the application, referring it instead to the City Plan Commission for advice, as is standard procedure with applications that deal with parking requirements.
A number of neighbors and neighborhood groups voiced their support for Salvatore’s vision. He also faced opposition from the owner of a building next door at 70 Howe St.; the owner’s lawyer said that Salvatore has not shown the hardship necessary to be granted special zoning relief.
The board also heard opposition from a woman who lives in an historic building on Chapel Street that would be demolished or moved to make way for the new apartment building.
Two other historic buildings, on Dwight Street, would be preserved as part of the project. Salvatore’s plan combines properties at 1229, 1245, and 1249 Chapel St. and 169 and 175 Dwight St. into a large, irregularly shaped, 53,000 square-foot site, most of which is now a parking lot. The other historic house on the site is at 1249 Chapel.
Salvatore told zoners the new building (pictured) would have 136 market-rate apartments, 56 percent of which would be studios, 33 percent one-bedrooms, and 11 percent two-bedrooms. There would be a 4,000 square foot retail space on the ground floor on Howe Street. The rest of the building’s ground floor would comprise, a lobby, parking, and an “amenity space” for the building — possible a gym, lounge, or theater. The building would have a 3,500 square-foot roof terrace.
Plans call for 90 parking spaces — 50 in the building’s first floor and 40 in a surface lot nearby. He would also include covered secure parking for 36 bikes, according to a City Plan Department advisory report.
The building would have a brick-fronted first floor, with synthetic “wood” siding on the upper floors, Salvatore said. He said he’d like to start building next spring and have the structure up in 10 months.
“We’re ready to go,” he said.
Salvatore said he’s spoken about the project with a slew of local groups and individuals, including the mayor, Dwight Alderman Frank Douglass, area business owners, the nearby YMCA, Yale, and the Urban Design League. All are in favor of the plan, he said.
He acknowledged that he has encountered some objections.
One issue has been parking, he said. Regulations require one per apartment, or 144, counting spaces for the eight units in the Dwight houses. “We believe that’s way too much,” Salvatore said.
Traffic engineer Joe Balskus, with the Tighe and Bond engineering firm, told zoners that having 90 parking spaces is in line with the city’s goal of reducing traffic and “single vehicle occupancy trips.” He said the Chapel West has some of the lowest parking use rates in the city, and it’s trending downward. 360 State St., the new mixed-use tower downtown, includes a garage that has turned out to be too big, he said. If it turns out after the building is up that the parking is not sufficient, more parking can be secured nearby, he said.
In response to questions from zoners, Balskus said the planned parking spaces are smaller than normal spaces, at 124 square feet instead of 180. But they will not be “high-turnaround” spaces like you might find in a shopping center, he said.
“The tenants who do own cars, in view of the small sized apartments being provided, will most likely drive compact cars,” reads the City Plan advisory report.
Salvatore’s attorney, Carolyn Kone, ran through the many variances her client seeks. They are justified by hardship created by trying to build on an irregular lot, she said.
Kone produced letters of support from Miya’s restaurant, right next to the site of the proposed building, C.A. White, a nearby property company, the YMCA, and Rudy’s bar, across the street.
Eight people testified in favor of the application, including city Deputy Economic Development Director Tony Bialecki, Chapel West’s Brian McGrath, members of the Dwight Community Management Team, and Yale’s Lauren Zucker, who also wanted to put on the record that Yale should not be asked to provide parking if it turns out the building doesn’t have enough.
Not Everyone Pleased
Susan Bradford (pictured) was the first to speak in opposition to the application. She’s one of two principles at 70 Howe St. LLC, the company that owns 70 Howe St., which is just north of Miya’s restaurant. She said Salvatore’s plan poses a threat living conditions for her tenants.
Bradford said the first questions all prospective tenants ask her are about light, air, and noise. All three of those would be negatively affected by the new building, she said. The rooftop terrace would be “an attractive nuisance” that would create a great deal of noise for her tenants, she said.
Salvatore has not shown a hardship that would justify zoning relief, said Bradford’s lawyer, Steven Rolnick. Salvatore cited the irregular shape of the parcel, Rolnick said. “That’s self-created. It’s created by the applicant.”
Former Alderwoman Olivia Martson, who lives nearby at 228 Dwight St. requested that the board not vote on the proposal, but wait 30 days to give the neighborhood more time to talk about it.
Celeste Greer (pictured), who lives in 1249 Chapel St., said she objects to the plan. She called the house a beautiful historic structure that should be preserved.
Given a chance for rebuttal, Salvatore said delaying the vote wouldn’t help, given the amount of community input he’s already sought and received. And extra time won’t create solutions, he said.
As for Bradford’s objections, Salvatore said there will be more than 40 feet between her building and his, and the rooftop terrace will be on the opposite side of his building, “fully screened” from her tenants.
“I’m optimistic. I think we have a great plan,” Salvatore said after the meeting.
On the opposition, he said, “You can’t please everyone.”
Our zoning laws, if strictly followed, would probably turn downtown into the commercial area of a suburb. The zoning laws seem to be just a barrier so that development proposals can be evaluated by government on a case-by-case basis.
Looking at google maps, I find it interesting that neighboring apartment buildings, such as 70 Howe, seem to have no parking at all. The owner of 70 Howe is of course mainly objecting to the competition that newly built apartments would offer.
I like how the proposed building is urban in structure, and I hope that more storefront fronts the streets than parking garage. Does the building in fact need any parking at all? I have no knowledge of the occupancy of the Yale garage right across the street, but perhaps some agreement could be worked out?
One worry however, is that the street-level storefront space will remain unoccupied. That aforementioned Yale parking garage containing Yale Security's headquarters also has empty storefront space I believe.
All in all, the general direction of change will be the replacement of a surface lot with a structure with urban character.