STORRS CENTER ZONING APPLICATIONS ARE APPROVED BY MANSFIELD PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
Author: Mansfield Downtown Partnership, Inc. and LeylandAlliance LLC
06/18/2007
MANSFIELD, Conn. (June 18, 2007) - The Mansfield Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) tonight unanimously approved two critical zoning applications submitted by the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, Inc., and Storrs Center Alliance, LLC (an affiliate of LeylandAlliance LLC) for the new Storrs Center development. The first application proposed numerous amendments to the Mansfield Zoning Regulations that provide for a new Storrs Center Special Design District zone, including permitted use provisions, application requirements, approval criteria and approval processes. The second application provides for the rezoning of the 47.7 acre Storrs Center project area from Planned Business 2, Professional Office 1 and Rural Agricultural Residence 90 to the new Storrs Center Special Design District zone classification.
The Commission’s determination was reached after four nights of public hearings beginning on March 28th of this year. The applications included a new Master Plan, with a very detailed set of maps for the project, special design guidelines and comprehensive parking, traffic and storm water drainage studies. The Commission reviewed extensive presentations from the members of the Master Developer team, including architects, engineers, and traffic, parking and retail consultants. As discussed publicly during the hearing process, the approvals included a brief list of conditions providing added clarity to certain areas of particular interest to the Commission. Particular attention was given to such issues as building scale and massing, traffic patterns, parking requirements, architectural detailing, water and sewer infrastructure, and sustainable development practices.
With these key approvals, a framework is now in place for the execution of the entire Storrs Center project. The next steps in the approval process include submission of engineering permit applications to the Mansfield Inland Wetlands Agency, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. An application will also be made to the Connecticut Department of Transportation Traffic Commission for a state traffic certificate that would authorize improvements to Storrs Road. These applications are expected to be submitted within the next few months. With zoning in place, the development team can also begin to design detailed site plans and zoning permit applications for the first phase of the project. Upon completion of these detailed plans, the first zoning permit applications will be submitted to the Mansfield Planning Director and the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, as outlined in the amendments to the Mansfield zoning regulations approved tonight.
Cynthia van Zelm, Executive Director of The Mansfield Downtown Partnership, states, “We’re thrilled that the PZC has approved the Storrs Center zoning applications in such a timely manner. We appreciate the thorough and thoughtful process through which the hearings progressed. Our goal now is to move forward with the necessary permit applications for Phase 1 of the project and to secure funding for the parking garages proposed to be constructed during this initial phase.”
The Mansfield Downtown Partnership will continue to work on securing essential funding for two of the parking garages planned for the project. Requests are pending for state and federal funding to support these municipal facilities. Thus far, fundraising efforts by the Town of Mansfield and the Mansfield Downtown Partnership in support of the project have been very successful, with over $6 million dollars received for improvements to Storrs Road. Plans for Storrs Road are an essential aspect of the Storrs Center project and the team’s effort to create a new “Main Street” environment for Mansfield. Completion of the next stage of approvals and commitments for the necessary funding for the garages could allow for groundbreaking for the first buildings in Phase 1 as early as late 2008.
Macon Toledano, Vice President of Planning and Development for LeylandAlliance LLC, the developer for Storrs Center, states, “The approval by the PZC reassures us that we are moving in the right direction and that our vision for Storrs Center is consistent with the broader plans that the public officials and citizens of Mansfield have for their Town. The new zoning regulations give us a solid framework for the execution of that vision. We are excited that we can now start to work on the detailed plans for the first phase. If we can move quickly through the next stage of approvals, then we can hope for a groundbreaking late next year.”
As reflected in the Map Amendment, Storrs Center has been planned as a center of civic activity that links the University of Connecticut, Mansfield businesses and civic functions, local citizenry and visitors within a pedestrian oriented, mixed-use, ”main street” environment. The project will include on-street retail and restaurant activity, offices, public gathering places, and up to 800 units of new housing. Residents, students, tenants and visitors will enjoy the ability to walk to the many uses within Storrs Center as well as theater, sporting events, shows, and lectures at UConn, hiking trails, and many nearby civic institutions such as the Post Office and the Mansfield Community Center. Conceived as a pedestrian oriented center of civic activity, Storrs Center will be a destination for locals and visitors alike, accessible on foot, bicycle, by bus, or by car.
“This is a good day for Mansfield and our citizens. We greatly appreciate the efforts of the Planning & Zoning Commission in diligently reviewing and approving the Storrs Center zoning applications”, states Mansfield Mayor Betsy Paterson. “The approvals allow the Storrs Center project to advance to the next steps. This is an important and positive milestone for the development and a significant vote of confidence for the Storrs Center vision.”
As described in the Map Amendment, the project has been planned in several phases that will be developed as a series of interconnected neighborhoods. As the project grows, the Town of Mansfield will benefit from an expanding tax base through the efficient development of only a small area of previously developed land at the center of the Town (at full build-out, the estimate of additional net tax benefit is $2.5 million annually). The project will also bring with it an expanded job market including an estimated 895 permanent jobs annually after full build-out of the project
Principles of “smart growth” and long term sustainability have been central to the planning of the project from its inception. Early site evaluations determined that development should be concentrated near existing uses and infrastructure in order to best protect valuable ecosystems. Accordingly, the footprint of the new development has been limited to approximately 17 out of an overall 47.7 acres in the project area. Most of the remaining space will be preserved as open, conservation area, maintaining a long-standing policy and commitment of the Town of Mansfield. The plan calls for protecting significant wetland areas and a vernal pool. A state-of-the-art storm water management system will dramatically improve the quality of water reaching the wetland area. Infrastructure and buildings will be constructed in accordance with a carefully studied series of sustainable building guidelines under development with the Mansfield Downtown Partnership.
Ultimately, the project will provide a model for the state, the region, and the nation in terms of creating a vibrant new downtown through community participation, careful design, land planning strategies, and the application of fundamental principles for “smart growth.”
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