FEW OPPOSE STORRS BUILDING
Author: Kimberly Graves - Chronicle Staff Writer
06/06/2006
Website: http://www.thechronicle.com
MANSFIELD - One of the closest residential neighbors to the $ 165 million Storrs Center project, urged the planning and zoning commission to approve the project first building during a public hearing Monday night.
Willowbrook Road resident Kristin Schwab said the proposed Dog Lane building will be an attractive addition to our street.
The planning and zoning commission must approve four pending applications for building 1 before the 12,106- square- foot, mixed- use building can be constructed on a 1.1- acre parcel.
The building will house commercial and retail tenants forced to relocate from their existing locations in the downtown area.
The PZC must approve proposed rezoning of land, proposed changes to zoning regulations, a special permit and subdivision application.
The public hearings for these four applications, started Monday night, were continued until June 19.
Mansfield Mayor Betsy Paterson said she is not aware of any organized opposition to the Storrs Center project.
She said the first building is critical because many of the displaced businesses want to stay and be part of the project, but cannot afford to be out of business for any length of time.
In total, there are 17 businesses that would have to be relocated.
Paterson also said there is not a lot of commercial development in Mansfield where the affected businesses could temporarily move. She said the project is a win- win situation for the town, the University of Connecticut and the region and she would like to see the vision of a vibrant Main Street become reality.
Construction of the Storrs Center project is expected to take five to eight years. Private contributions will fund 88 percent of the project, with 12 percent funded from public dollars.
Macon Toledano, vice president of planning and development for LeylandAlliance, which heads the Storrs Center developers, said the proposed threestory building is simple and elegant and would have visible storefronts.
Dog Lane resident Peter Millman said the building is "sensitively designed" and is a better alternative than looking at the back of a bagel shop and a university parking lot.
Irene Schein, owner of Storrs Automotive a business that must relocate because of the Storrs Center project supports the overall project, though she is concerned there may not be enough parking spaces.
Other business owners said parking is a nightmare. The proposal includes 47 parking spaces.
Town Council member Helen Koehn said she supports the project, but is concerned about the number of establishments that would sell alcohol.
Planning and Zoning member Gary Zimmer expressed concerns about sight lines, with the driveway to the proposed building on a blind hill, and the possibility of increased traffic, Tom Cody, an attorney from Hartford- based Robinson & Cole representing Storrs Center Alliance, the master developer of the project, said another application for the special design district will be submitted to the PZC in the near future.
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