KENT, Conn.—The Planning and Zoning Commission wrapped up two long-continued applications last week, changing the use of buildings at 13 Lane St. from a commercial/industrial to residential and granting High Watch Recovery Center two modifications of conditions imposed when it got a special permit in 2019.
The Lane Street property has been zoned commercial/industrial for decades and the rear building on the lot has been employed for a variety of commercial and industrial uses, some noxious to others living along residential Lane Street.
The front building morphed into apartments over four decades without benefit of formal permitting by the Planning and Zoning Commission. It currently has four dwelling units in the turn-of-the century frame building.
The new owners, John and Diana Deanna, want to turn the rear building into their own private residence, a use more consistent with the village residential zone. But the Planning and Zoning Commission wrestled with how best to handle the density of occupation on the lot with four undocumented apartments at the front of the property and the potential of more apartments being created in the rear building in the future.
Instead of a full zone change, the commission’s attorney and the applicant’s attorney identified Regulation 9320.4, which allows a nonconforming use to be changed to another nonconforming use if it is not more detrimental to the neighborhood.
Noting the strong community support for the change and the need for affordable housing in the community, the PZC approved the use at its March meeting.
The commission then turned its attention to the controversial application from High Watch Recovery Center, which had sought to modify eight of the conditions imposed when it received its 2019 special permit to construct a detox wing.
The application for modification met with fierce resistance from neighboring property owners who objected to relaxation of the controls over the facility, which has grown dramatically in recent years.
Within a month, the High Watch administration withdrew four of its requested modifications, including adding two beds to the detox wing; a policy change that would have allowed admission of individuals in police custody or mandated by court to attend treatment; elimination of the requirement that local officials be notified if a client left campus without authorization, and limitations on the use of the facility’s public address system.
With the public hearing finally closed after multiple extensions, and the clock ticking on when the PZC had to make a decision, High Watch removed two final items from its request: the use of its new assembly hall for professional development programs open to persons not employed by High Watch, and a 90-minute extension of the hours during which it could admit clients.
“What’s left are two simple things,” said PZC Chairman Karen Casey, “a provision that notification of local officials will be made ‘except when prohibited by state or federal law,’ and a representation that they have a private ambulance service for non-911 calls.”
She added that High Watch has been “working well with the local ambulance service.”
“If there is a problem, we can reassert that they have to have a private company,” she said.
The much-modified application was approved without dissent.
The PZC also approved a temporary permit for Kent Green, LLC, to allow Kent Memorial Library, which is occupying temporary quarters at 12-13 Landmark Lane while its Main Street location on is expanded, to hold its outdoor book sale on Green Pastures Lane during the summer.
The library will use a building at 4 Green Pastures Lane, across from its temporary quarters, for book storage and the lawn in front of it for the sale. Green Pastures Lane will be blocked off to vehicular traffic during the days the sale is open.
Finally, PZC members approved a change of use for 25 North Main St. from office to retail. Caitlin Soltys will use the space for a consignment boutique.
