NORWALK — A proposal to alter the historic Stiles Curtis Dwelling inside the Norwalk Inexperienced Historic District, together with eight residences and two buildings to the property, has obtained its first approval inside the course of.
The problem, which was permitted last week by the Norwalk Harbor Administration Price, comprises preserving the distinctive setting up and together with two new constructions on the plot, in step with metropolis paperwork.
Constructed inside the 1830s, the development was dwelling to Stiles Curtis, who was born in Stratford and moved to Norwalk spherical 1832, in step with the historic analysis of the property. The historic analysis was carried out by preservationist Tod Bryant, of Heritage Sources.
“This wood-framed Italianate house is listed inside the Nationwide Register of Historic Places as a contributing asset to the Norwalk Inexperienced Historic District,” Bryant wrote inside the analysis. “Stiles Curtis was a wealthy service supplier and banker who was involved in a couple of of Norwalk’s most crucial early civic actions and corporations.”
In 1836, Curtis was elected as one in every of many first burgesses of the Borough of Norwalk, now commonly known as the First Taxing District, in step with Bryant. He served as warden of the payment from 1845-51.
In 1849, Curtis was a founding father of town’s first monetary establishment, The Norwalk Monetary financial savings Society. In 1857, he was one in every of many founders of The Monetary establishment of Norwalk, in step with Bryant.
The current Curtis residence, at 3 Park St., is of the Italiante style. The proposed new buildings would correspond with the home’s architectural style, in step with Bryant.
“The plan is well-conceived and can possible be architecturally sympathetic with the surrounding buildings inside the Norwalk Inexperienced Historic District,” Bryant wrote inside the analysis. “The height and mass of the model new constructing will possible be complementary to the prevailing setting up and will not overwhelm it.”
Two new buildings are proposed for the roughly 20,300-square-foot parcel, lawyer Elizabeth Suchy, who represents the property homeowners BPC Capital Administration, acknowledged all through last week’s meeting.
“The proposal is to assemble two additions on the rear of the Stiles Curtis Dwelling, connecting to it. One is a carriage residence design, and one different is a gradual type design to accommodate an additional eight or 9 residences in these two constructions.”
An entire of 10 residences might be constructed on the property, Suchy acknowledged. The home has office areas on the first flooring and two residences on the second stage.
As part of the making use of, the property homeowners are moreover requesting the Planning and Zoning Price to amend a zoning regulation to allow the event, in step with metropolis paperwork.
The proposed textual content material modification would lower the minimal lot measurement required for a historic preservation enchancment inside the East Avenue Village District from 30,000 sq. ft to twenty,000 sq. ft, in step with the paperwork. With out the proposed zoning change, the Curtis residence problem might be unable to go forward.
With the textual content material modification, about 10 totally different parcels inside the East Avenue Village District would fall under the model new regulation for enchancment, Suchy acknowledged.
“The historic preservation enchancment use was added as a special-permit use inside the East Avenue Village District environment friendly March 29, 2021, per the textual content material modification software program made by the builders for the three East Wall St. problem,” Norwalk Principal Planner Bryan Baker acknowledged in a memo to the Planning and Zoning Price.
“Staff recommends that the payment resolve whether or not or not eradicating the minimal lot measurement requirement altogether for historic preservation developments inside the East Avenue Village District should be thought-about of their overview of this software program.”
Since a nook of the property falls under city’s Coastal Zone, the problem went sooner than the Harbor Administration Price, which has no say over the zoning regulation. The problem will nonetheless be reviewed and voted on by the Historic and the Planning and Zoning commissions.
