P&Z approves Renzullo’s site plan and special permit

WINSTED —  The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a site plan and special permit application made by Michael Renzullo at its meeting on Monday, Jan. 12.

The approval came after a public hearing regarding a the plan and special permit application made by Renzullo for his property on 35 Willow St., which he purchased under his nonprofit organization Laurel City Revamp.

Laurel City Revamp is a nonprofit organization formed by former Selectman Renzullo in 2010 for the purpose of rehabilitating distressed and underused properties.

The Capitol Products building, located on 35 Willow St., was purchased by Renzullo in July 2011 via a quitclaim deed.

In May 2013, Renzullo announced that Willow Tree Bakery would open in the building in June of that year.

However, it took Renzullo six months to conform to zoning regulations cited by the commission.

The commission approved the opening of the bakery, with conditions, in November 2013.

As of this month, nothing has opened at the building.

Attorney Patsy Renzullo  addressed the commission at the meeting, representing his son, Michael, who was not allowed to be present during the meeting under state law. 

Much of the discussion centered around the proposal that the parking requirements be waived.

The initial plan for the building was to turn it into a bakery, but parking revisions are now necessary because the building, in addition to being a bakery, will house residential apartments and an office.

Commission member Art Melycher broached the topic of a guard rail for the building.

“What we had discussed last year was the sidewalk that goes across the front of the building and that it would have a guard rail across the whole length, from the bakery to the handicapped parking spot,” Melycher said. “If we have a handicapped person who goes up the ramp in a wheelchair and goes down the walkway, if they lose control of their chair they’re gonna flip out into the street where the parked cars are. If there are no parked cars there somebody might pull in and hit them. I know we discussed the railing going down the length, and I don’t see that included.”

Patsy Renzullo responded that the guard rail was not included in the proposal because it was not part of the original bakery approval.

“We thought that was not something required,” Renzullo said. “I’m here tonight to get this done. This has been here many times, again and again and again, and OK, maybe the applicant didn’t have all of his ducks in a row, but he took some of the signals from this board. This is a planning commission as well as a zoning commission, and it seems it should want to encourage this kind of development. The longer you wait, the harder you make it for each applicant. This is something this board has said it wants to encourage. We have a building official, and if he sees a problem he can veto. He can require a ramp.”

After an hour-long discussion, the commission voted unanimously to approve the amended application, with the condition that the building be in compliance with the regulations put forth by the town.

“Part of the problem with renovating these old buildings is that they were built before the advent of cars,” Commission Chairman Craig Sanden said. “Everybody lived in town and walked to work. At one time there was a trolley here. At one time there were horse carriages. 

Transportation was provided so a lot of these buildings on this side of the river have no parking, yet they’re capable of accommodating a lot of apartments. What do you do with 40 cars? You can’t put them on Main St. We revised our regulations a year ago to better accommodate and give us better flexibility. We’re not trying to restrict Winsted, we just don’t want Winsted or the developer hurt. It’s a very fine line we walk.”