Plan To Cut Down Trees To Expand Shopping Center Lot Draws Criticism From Stamford Planning Board

STAMFORD, CT — A proposal to expand the parking lot of a popular Bull's Head shopping center into a nearby wooded area drew criticism from the Stamford Planning Board this week, as members voted 3-1 to express opposition.

Residents also pushed back against the proposal in written comments to the board, saying the removal of nearly 50 mature trees to facilitate the parking lot expansion would be detrimental to the environment.

An application was brought forward by BE Properties LLC and G&T of Stamford LLC, seeking a zoning map change at 27 High Ridge Road, from residential to commercial. The shopping center notably houses HomeGoods and a T-Mobile store, among other businesses.

With the Planning Board's vote on Nov. 18, the applicant can now either withdraw the proposal or proceed to the Stamford Zoning Board, which would examine the application at a future date.

According to flyers posted online, a rally against the proposal was scheduled from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Nov. 22 on the public sidewalk in front of HomeGoods.

Edward Smith, principal at BE Properties LLC, told the Stamford Planning Board during its Nov. 18 meeting the project was about "making more and better and safer parking available for existing tenants and shoppers, without harming the neighbors."

Submitted documents state the parking lot is "regularly close to its capacity," and there are times when it's "completely full."

The documents say 40 spaces could be added by constructing a parking lot in the northeast corner of the shopping center, a .459-acre wooded area located on a steep slope.

An associated landscape plan notes 92 new plantings would be added around the new lot. John F.X. Leydon Jr., attorney for the applicant, called the plan "very lush."

Leydon said many of the existing trees at the site are invasive and harming the local ecosystem there.

Planning Board members, however, balked at the proposal, with Bill Levin calling it "just a really bad idea."

"When you drive up from the south, the first thing you see is this huge grove of trees on the side of a steep slope. It will basically be destroyed," Levin said, noting "it hasn't really been demonstrated there's an immediate need to add this parking."

Fellow member Ravi Subramanian said he's driven to the site a few times.

"Destroying the landscape of the trees for a parking lot is not, in my view, the right use of this. To change the zoning to allow for a parking lot to be created, I cannot bring myself to agree with that. It's going to be really dramatic for the overall landscape and the surroundings there," Subramanian said.

Planning Board Chair Jennifer Godzeno said she believed the proposal ran counter to the city's comprehensive plan and a focus on active streetscapes and walkability. She said the applicants could develop additional parking spaces by sharing lots with other nearby property owners.

Godzeno said the board received a "high volume" of letters in opposition to the zoning map change request.

"The proposed parking lot would permanently alter one of Stamford’s oldest residential streets and diminish significantly the creation of fresh, new oxygen for
human beings to breathe. Please protect our environment and reject this rezoning," wrote North Stamford resident Jack Clark Francis.

Another resident, Stephanie Moreta, wrote there have been consistent sightings of deer, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, turkeys and other wildlife in the area over the years.

"The Stamford 2035 Comprehensive Plan mentions conserving land and green space for natural habitats. The parking lot would eliminate a green space that has existed for over 100 years. Planting new trees would not suffice as an equivalent replacement for trees that have grown between 89 to 117 feet tall," she wrote.

Levin, Subramanian, and Godzeno voted in favor of a motion to deny the proposal. Chester Salit voted against the motion.