To the Editor:
WOW! A special district just for a single user, UROD, complete with special bonuses and incentives.
A significant proposal for the University of Connecticut, developed and presented by the Land Bureau, should capture the attention of all citizens. Every citizen is encouraged to come forward and make their voices heard.
A special overlay district extending from Long Island Sound in a zig-zag manner to Fourth Street and from Mill River to Glenbrook Rd for UConn. It will support expanded uses, including affordable housing for students and faculty, innovation centers, libraries, media labs, museum complexes, and research laboratories, especially relevant after COVID-19.
The proposed amendment before the Zoning Board at its May 5 public hearing is an applicant’s dream; it confers with some qualifiers special privileges including increased density, lot and building coverage, and height; parking capacity may be reduced by up to 25% subject to administrative review, with the Transportation, Traffic, and Parking Bureau elevated to a coequal partner in determining conditions for parking, and last and not least, the transfer of development rights at the complete and solitary discretion of the Zoning Board.
The Land Use Bureau has communicated that UConn is not subject to municipal zoning. The University Foundation and the University are independent tax-exempt organizations. The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled in Dupuis vs Submarine Base Credit Union, (1976), that an affiliation does not support exclusive dominion or exemption from local zoning. Nevertheless, regarding state-owned property converted to affordable housing, the Office of Legislative Research suggests that attorneys general have opined that furtherance of a state activity would qualify for immunity from municipal zoning and land use controls. No state statute addresses the relationship between the state and local zoning. It is conceivable that UConn can develop within the district with immunity from zoning.
The proposed amendments to the regulations are craftily constructed to expand the roles of the Zoning Board and land use staff to assert themselves indefinitely in evaluating the University’s housing policies, particularly the affordability of housing for university faculty, staff, and students.
The Land Use Bureau is keen to pursue the next shiny object. This myopic strategy demonstrates inadequate planning and a failure to comprehend the impact of significant tax exemptions on some of our city’s most valuable properties, while considering the future needs of our City. Additionally, it ignores the importance of balancing the needs of local residents and businesses and the managing of tax burdens. This approach also unveils a concealed agenda to redevelop the former 14-acre Brewer boatyard site for purposes other than the world-class boatyard and marina illegally removed by the current owner, in contradiction of Condition 7 of the Southend general redevelopment plan.
Typically, a special Committee or task force would be set up to explore the implications of such a huge undertaking. There appears to be no plan; let UConn do what it wants, and we will deal with any problems later.
The expansion of UConn in Stamford can be an exciting opportunity and can serve as a springboard for further ventures, but it must be approached wisely. We cannot allow UConn to develop in an undisciplined helter-skelter manner that could be detrimental to our long-term well-being.
A major overhaul of our city is being pursued, which will have far-reaching implications for everyone in the future. We have every right to demand specifics, to have a definitive plan, and to understand how the university plans to integrate successfully into our City and not to the detriment of the City.
These proposed amendments represent an irresponsible gamble that needs to be vetted.
These map and text amendments should be denied.
Michael Battinelli
Barry Michelson
The authors are members of the Stamford Neighborhoods Coalition