Special meeting of the Common Council, public hearing will address re-zoning issue
NORWICH – The city’s Common Council will hold a special session and public hearing at 6 p.m. on Sept. 6, One Court Plaza, to discuss the re-zoning of five parcels of property following a motion by the Planning Commission on Monday.
Marylou Stewart of the Planning Commission made the motion to approve NYSEG’s request to re-zone the properties – located between Front Street and the Tops parking lot – due to an agreement between the energy provider and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Currently zoned residentially (R-2 and R-3), the five parcels would be re-zoned to a B-1 classification, and would be approved for business use only by the DEC.
The removal of thousands of gallons of coal tar and other contaminants at the site resumed in April, according to the DEC. Cleanup and decontamination of the properties – formerly the location of a NYSEG plant – was completed on schedule in June.
If the properties remain residentially zoned, said Mayor Joe Maiurano, the city would have no choice but to leave them vacant.
“Those five parcels of property, due to DEC requirements, can only be used for commercial or small manufacturing use,” added the mayor. “With development of that space, the city could bring in a retail business or a manufacturer, which would help our local economy.”
Maiurano reported that city officials are hoping to have a business or manufacturer in place by the end of 2012. Taking care of preliminary issues such as the re-zoning of the properties, he added, will help that plan move forward at a quicker pace.
“We do have some prospects at this point and we will try to pick what’s best for the city,” said the mayor. “Until it was cleaned up, there wasn’t much we could do. Now we’re moving ahead.”
The motion to re-zone the five parcels of property is expected to pass, said Maiurano, which would give the city an opportunity to bring new business downtown.
“Anything we can do to help the city’s taxpayers is a good thing,” he added. “Leaving an area of that size, in that location, vacant, wouldn’t make any sense.”
Marylou Stewart of the Planning Commission made the motion to approve NYSEG’s request to re-zone the properties – located between Front Street and the Tops parking lot – due to an agreement between the energy provider and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Currently zoned residentially (R-2 and R-3), the five parcels would be re-zoned to a B-1 classification, and would be approved for business use only by the DEC.
The removal of thousands of gallons of coal tar and other contaminants at the site resumed in April, according to the DEC. Cleanup and decontamination of the properties – formerly the location of a NYSEG plant – was completed on schedule in June.
If the properties remain residentially zoned, said Mayor Joe Maiurano, the city would have no choice but to leave them vacant.
“Those five parcels of property, due to DEC requirements, can only be used for commercial or small manufacturing use,” added the mayor. “With development of that space, the city could bring in a retail business or a manufacturer, which would help our local economy.”
Maiurano reported that city officials are hoping to have a business or manufacturer in place by the end of 2012. Taking care of preliminary issues such as the re-zoning of the properties, he added, will help that plan move forward at a quicker pace.
“We do have some prospects at this point and we will try to pick what’s best for the city,” said the mayor. “Until it was cleaned up, there wasn’t much we could do. Now we’re moving ahead.”
The motion to re-zone the five parcels of property is expected to pass, said Maiurano, which would give the city an opportunity to bring new business downtown.
“Anything we can do to help the city’s taxpayers is a good thing,” he added. “Leaving an area of that size, in that location, vacant, wouldn’t make any sense.”
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