P&Z Board Delays Decision on Synagogue Application [UPDATED]

Updated 10:10 a.m., Nov. 28:

The Greenwich Planning and Zoning Commission wants the town attorney to review arguments presented by a lawyer for neighbors of an Orchard Street property before deciding whether to allow a realignment of that property.

The request to realign the boundaries of 92 Orchard St.  was made by attorney Thomas Heagney. Former Greenwich Tax Collector Louis Caravella plans to sell the property to Greenwich Reform Synagogue.

The 150-family congregation also plans to buy 22 Osee Pl., a property owned by Caravella’s son Randy, in order to combine the contiguous lots and create a parcel where it wants to build a synagogue, classroom and meeting space, and parking for 100 cars, according to synagogue officials. The congregation purchased the adjacent parcel at 96 Orchard in October. Synagogue board president Robert Birnbaum has said the congregation hopes to purchase the Caravellas’ properties by year’s end.

Neighbors have banded together to fight the realignment of property lines saying the size of the planned development will create more traffic in the area; impact existing flooding issues and set a precedent for future development in residential neighborhoods.

Mario Coppola, the Westport lawyer hired by residents, presented arguments that a similar proposal approved by the city of Manchester in upstate Connecticut, was overturned on appeal in state Superior Court. He argued that Greenwich’s development regulations are more restrictive than Manchester’s and therefore would certainly be grounds for a successful court challenge should the Orchard Street property lines be revised.

State Rep. Fred Camillo (R-151) raised the specter that the commission’s decision would be precedent-setting. “I grew up on Orchard Street … I would oppose the lot line (redesign) because it will lead to the next step that anyone can buy a group of lots — any neighborhood would be impacted by a decision (to redraw the lines). I feel very, very  strongly about this.”

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More than 50 residents signed up to speak at the Nov. 27 hearing. However only about a dozen spoke when Commission Chairman Donald Heller warned that comments would be restricted only to the property line issue—comments about pending development for which plans have not been submitted would not be allowed.

Heller said the commission was prepared to decide on the realignment request Tuesday night. After Heagney agreed with the board’s desire to seek counsel from the town’s attorney, the board decided to make a ruling on the request by Jan. 31.

Original story:

The Greenwich Reform Synagogue will have to wait to find out whether their proposal to realign property lines on a parcel they want to buy so they can build a 20,000 square foot facility in Cos Cob, will be approved.

On Tuesday night, the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously voted to extend the deadline to make a decision on the application to transfer property lines between two Orchard Street properties after hearing arguments presented by a laywer for residents who oppose the development.

The board now has until Jan. 31 to decide whether to approve the redrawing of property lines on Orchard Street. More than 100 residents turned out to oppose the application to former Greenwich Tax Collector Lou Caravella to move property lines on a parcel he owns at 92 Orchard St. Caravella is seeking to move the property line, thus reducing the size of the property he is in contract to sell to Greenwich Reform Synagogue.

The synagogue has plans to build a new house of worship, classrooms, and other amenities and parking for 100 cars on a parcel of land that would ultimataley be comprise of lots at 92 and 96 Orchard St. and 22 Osee Pl., in Cos Cob.

Synagogue attorney Thomas Heagney said the realigment of property lines doesn't necessarily mean the sysnagogue wants to combine all three parcels into one, so it can apply for a major development plan, as outlined by the synagogue's board president Robert Birnbaum in a letter to residents and Greenwich Patch. That comment prompted a round of boo's from the crowd in the Town Hall Meeting Room of Greenwich Town Hall.

Following the board's vote, resident Sarah Darer Littman, said, "Cos Cob Families Fighting for Residential Rights are very pleased that the P & Z Commission agreed to a continuance and are seeking legal opinion on the issues raised by our counsel. The standing room only turnout at the meeting also dispels GRS President Robert Birnbaum's narrative that opposition to this project comprises a small percentage of Cos Cob residents who just happen to be getting press attention. Make no mistake: we are organized, we are many and we are determined to fight to preserve the character of the neighborhood we love."

The Caravellas apparently did not attend the meeting.

Further details on the meeting will be posted on Greenwich Patch.