Allan Appel Photo
Dixwell/Munson/Orchard intersection, looking south to the triangle, from Shelton.
Do anything you want. As long as you don’t mess with my building.
Barbara Oliver gave that message to city planners who asked her and her neighbors what kinds of new businesses and new looks they would like to see along Dixwell Avenue.
“Oliver’s” building is the Victory Gardens senior development at 309 Dixwell near Henry Street.
Oliver, in foreground, with Sgt. Shayna Kendal and Dixwell District Manager Lt. Manmeet Colon.
Her response triggered a useful discussion about the city’s new commercial corridor zoning initiative among a dozen neighbors who convened at the community room of the Florence Virtue Homes on Orchard Place for the regular monthly meeting of the Dixwell Community Management Team.
City Plan Deputy Director for Comprehensive Planning Aicha Woods has been touring community management team meetings laying out the city’s unfolding initiative. Its aim is to change zoning along the city’s three major commercial corridors — Grand Avenue from East Street, Whalley from Sherman, and Dixwell from Henry — as these major thoroughfares angle towards downtown.
The city considers these transitional areas underutilized. A major culprit: antiquated zoning that makes it difficult for new small business owners to jump the hoops of applying for variances and navigating other approvals.
Woods, standing, presents, with team chair, Nina Silva, at left.
“The goal of the project is to lead to more opportunity by reducing zoning compliance hassles and also looking to add enhancements to the public realm,” like better sidewalks and streetscapes, Woods told neighbors. She was accompanied to the meeting last Thursday by fellow city planner Karolina Ksiazek and Livable City Initiative (LCI) commercial development planner Arlevia Samuel.
“We’re having a hard time bringing in businesses” to Dixwell, Samuel said. Some businesses :that want to come in aren’t zoned for it.”
Whalley still has zoning on the books dating from the 1950s when the rules were designed to attract car dealerships, Woods noted. Dixwell, she said, is fairly liberal with the permitted uses.
Still, zoning might need to be revisited there as well to allow more density.
For example, the ‘r Kids Family Center, on lower Dixwell, recently announced plans for a long-needed expansion, which included added a second floor, without expanding the footprint. The process included going through a lengthy application for a variance because of limitations of height in the zoning ordinances.
Samuel provided another example: In certain areas of the Dixwell corridor, which is largely a BD zone, a small developer who wants to put in straight residential may have to go to the Board of Zoning Appeals for a variance because certain sections are zoned for mixed use.
Woods turned the discussion to improvements in the public realm along the corridor, such as better organized intersections and improved sidewalks. The focus turned to the area around the Dixwell/Munson/Shelton intersection and the area near Henry Street.
“That’s a challenging intersection,” she said. The department understands its significance, although a specific plan for its improvement is not yet ready, she added.
That’s when Oliver, who had been quiet, was ready to add her piece to the discussion.
“I stand there all the time. The lights tell you what to do. What’s so challenging?” she asked.
Oliver then expressed concern that the rezoning plans articulated by Woods and her colleagues might result in municipal takings. Like the land her sister-in-law owns land where the no-longer-operating Walt’s Cleaners sits.
Samuel assured Oliver the city’s not looking to take over properties. Oliver reiterated how much she likes the senior complex in which she lives. “I hope your plans don’t mess with my building,” she said.
“It’s good to hear about what works well,” Woods replied. “Your pedestrian experience is good,”
Samuel, LCI’s manager for neighborhood and commercial development.
The City Plan Department has just retained a consultant to develop visuals and other materials so that future discussions of Dixwell and the other two corridors — each of which presents a unique rezoning challenge — will have more detailed materials to focus discussion. Also coming onboard will be a new director of zoning to replace longtime zoning maven Tom Talbot, who recently retired.
Woods said that dates for upcoming workshops will soon be announced.
In the meantime, for an overview of the initiative, the city has set up a dedicated site, newhavencorridors.com, where people are encouraged to offer suggestions online.