Old Lyme Zoning Commission Denies Permit For Gas Station Convenience Store

In a decision that became official on April 8, Old Lyme Zoning Commission denied approval for a special permit to allow CPD Energy Corp to renovate the gas station at 85 Halls Road.

CPD had plans to replace three existing garage bays with a convenience store and sell food to go, primarily coffee and fast food provided by a franchise like Dunkin' Donuts. 

Local residents and owners of nearby businesses turned out in force for public hearings on the issue in January and March, mostly speaking against the proposal. Many said they feared it would worsen traffic and imperil a number of locally-owned coffee shops and convenience stores that neighbor the gas station. 

The Commission said it took all that into consideration when making its decision and cited a variety of reasons for its denial of the proposal:

• It is not consistent with the town's plan of conservation and development.
  
• The proposal does not comply with sections of Old Lyme Zoning Regulations regarding modification of non-conforming lots to achieve improvements.
  
• Commission members disputed the accuracy of the applicants' traffic study that stated there would be minimal traffic impact. 
  
• The site design was not adequately designed to achieve safety, comfort and convenience, nor was it arranged to conserve as much of the natural terrain as practical.