Norwich planning commission approves plan for controversial Occum Industrial Center

Norwich ― With approval granted for a 12-lot commercial subdivision Tuesday night, the Norwich Community Development Corp. will pursue marketing of the new Occum Industrial Center as the city's second business park.The Commission on the City Plan late Tuesday voted 3-2 to approve the plan to divide the 384-acre property that runs north of Interstate 395 in Occum into 12 development lots, with a 7,700-foot-long access road into the land.NCDC President Kevin Brown said after the meeting the agency will begin contacting developers who have expressed interest in the property as it also pursues state and federal traffic permits for the access road. The plan calls for the road to run into the property from Route 97 near the I-395 exit ramp and end just short of Lawler Lane.NCDC purchased the 384-acre property, mostly former farmland, zoned for commercial and planned development in late 2022 for $3.55 million and plans to develop it as the Occum Industrial Center.Neighbors have opposed the proposal from the start, arguing it would be overwhelming for the rural area with narrow roads. Frederick Browning, who represents the group, Preserving Norwich Neighborhoods LLC, said neighbors plan to meet soon to discuss the vote and decide what steps it may take.Browning said the planning commission has been split on the project since the inception of the business park plan, voting by the same 3-2 vote in November 2022 to forward a favorable recommendation to the City Council for a previous business park overlay zone for the property. The City Council, which serves as the city zoning commission, ended up rejecting the overlay zone, but that did not stall the project, as the land already is zoned for general commercial and planned development. The plan has been opposed by neighbors along Canterbury Turnpike, Scotland Road and Lawler Lane surrounding the property. Residents have called the proposed development out of character for the rural Occum village. NCDC officials have met with opponents and made concessions in the plan, agreeing to reduce the maximum building height and increase the buffer zone on a lot nearest to a residence."I think the commission should have rejected it and gotten all the water systems, the drainage and engineering reviewed and fixed it," Browning said.The neighbors submitted a lengthy engineering report at the Dec. 19 public hearing questioning drainage plans for the proposed development. NCDC at that meeting declined a request by the commission to extend the public hearing so commission members could examine the claims. As the applicant, NCDC had the right to grant an extension or not. The commission relied on City Engineer Brian Long's review, incorporating his recommendations into Tuesday's conditions of approval.The commission held two lengthy public hearings in November and December before reviewing the submitted documents and testimony.On Tuesday, commission members Kathy Warzecha and Ella Myles voted against the application, as they had on the 2022 business park overlay zoning plan. Commissioners Jason Courter, James Quarto and Deane Nason voting in favor. All five members first voted to approve three waivers, one to allow a 10-foot-wide multi-use concrete path parallel to the road instead of sidewalks and two waivers for the design of the road.Warzecha said she found the plans submitted to the commission to be deficient on several fronts, and that many of the issues raised by neighbors can be addressed later, when specific development plans are submitted for review. But she said the subdivision plan could have included provisions to safeguard the neighbors."It can all be addressed, but a lot of that should have been on the plan," Warzecha said. "I don't have a problem with that, but a lot of that should have been on the plan."Warzecha also sought to increase the size of the 25-acre lot proposed for open space, asking for more open space that is not wetlands. Commission attorney Richard Roberts said the proposed open space complies with the commission regulations, providing 7% open space, more than the 5% required by regulations.c.bessette@theday.com