Neighborhood Plan | February 2019 Contents
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Highpointe West H Highpointe East I g M h t a S S i t n t h S g i ) t 1 n te K ou (R St oss Cr St Hoyt Head of the Harbor North Lewis St lvd l B Avalon el R Head of the n iv B Norwalk r er Harbor South eld u S e B t e n E c Av ast W a e all l St P t C n S o S o l l m t a m g W m it n h i e y r S B c t e WallWall StStreet S e t t Av Mot RedevelopmentPlace Area t ard S Leon St Berkeley ) d et d tre 1 apel S n Ch n e e u u t E Railroad Pl o lm o St e R ( v b b h t A h e t t S r v r e u v o o Wall Street-WestA y Avenue o A b S N m r n t e a 7 7 e s d H r Arch e e S e t a t t W c Bu u u M A a o o pl n e R R a S in St t V rw S S Me NeighborhoodU U Plan The Berkeley WaypointeWest Ave Redevelopment Area at Waypointe Orchard St February 2019 The Pinnacle Jennings Pl (Waypointe South) Submittedtreet to Norwalk RedevelopmentBu Agencytl evens S er St St by Regional Plan Association e c a r r e T ) 1 st e e t r c R ( m l e v E e A v t A u d t un ic bo t s outh d c e S oun ne Mathews I-95 rthb n W No Co Park I-95 Area Wall St / West Ave Redevelopment Acknowledgments Wall St-West Avenue Norwalk Redevelopment Waypointe Residents Working Group Agency Focus Group Steven Adamowski Tim Sheehan, Executive Director Ben Brown Richie Ball Tami Strauss, Director of Bob Byrnes Christine Bradley, Norwalk Public Community Development Leland Civils Library Planning Betty Cosgrove Dick Brescia, Norwalk Parking Sabrina Church, Community Amanda Dentico Authority Development Planner Cynthia Diaz Tod Bryant, Norwalk Preservation Lauren DiBartolomeo Trust Waterfront Businesses Anno Domingo Diane Cece, Eastern Norwalk Focus Group Sean Dougherty Neighborhood Association Tom Devine, Devine Brothers, Inc. Ronni Eversleg Jon Eckman Jim Ero, Crown Prints, LLC Michael Franco Carolyn Fahey Bill Gerety Dom Imperioli Robert Fahey Nicholas Melfi, Norwalk Electric Laura Imperioli Steve Ferguson, Planning Motors Ariana Levin Commission Bruce Sclafani, Gus Sclafani Corp. Isaac Levin Bruce Gall James Madison Morris Gross, Norwalk Hospital Developer and Property Kimberly Madison Kathryn Hebert, City of Norwalk, Owners Focus Group Kathy McShane Transportation, Mobility, and Patrick Carino, Roe Co Holdings Roger Neal Parking Jon DiScala, Head of the Harbor Kristin O'Keefe Nora King, Planning and Zoning Bill Finger, WRF Sono Corp Kelsey Payne Commission David Fiore, Marcus Partners Pat Petout Steve Kleppin, City of Norwalk, Paxton Kinol, Belpointe Capital N. Rapens Planning and Zoning Michael McGuire, Austin McGuire Arlim Sachs Diane Lauricella, Coalition Company Diane Storck of Norwalk Neighborhood Dominika Michalska, Spinnaker Elina Tannenbaum Association Kim Morquie, Spinnaker Jackie Lightfield, Norwalk 2.0 Audrey Mullegalyamra, Chase Other Acknowledgments Britt Liotta, Norwalk Transit District Bank Dori Wilson, City of Norwalk, Eloise Melendez, Common Council Mike Oz, Capital Equities Group Planning and Zoning Dennis O’Connor, Norwalk Transit Stephanie Pelletiere, Capital Kimberlee Morton, Norwalk Transit District Equities Group District Stephanie Pelletier Chris Polo, Spinnaker Larissa Brown, Stantec Jason Petrini Nick Rodriguez, FD Rich Chris Mojica, Stantec Jerry Petrini Brian Westermeyer, Stantec Steven Serasis Institutions Focus Group Brian Bartholomew, Walker Parking Carol Solheim Azra Asaduddin, Islamic Center of Michael Connor, Walker Parking Doug Stern, Zoning & Common Norwalk Marija Bryant Council Christine Bradley, Norwalk Public Tyler Cruz Library Patsy Brescia, Lockwood Mathews Mansion Susan Gilgore, Lockwood Mathews Mansion Bob McDowell, Riverbrook Regional YMCA Amy Perry, Carver Foundation Bruce Root, Cornerstone Church Carol Solheim, Cornerstone Church 2 Wall Street-West Avenue Neighborhood Plan | February 2019 Contents Executive Summary / 4 Appendices / A1 Appendix A: Analysis of Deteriorating or Deteriorated Conditions / A1 Introduction / 7 Appendix B: Stakeholder Outreach and Visioning / B1 Planning Context / 7 Appendix C: Demographic and Planning Process / 7 Socioeconomic Analysis / C1 Consistency with the POCD / 8 Existing Conditions / 10 Land use and Recent Development / 10 Historic District / 13 Flood Risk / 14 Existing Zoning / 15 Infrastructure / 16 Plan Vision, Goals and Guiding Policies / 18 Stakeholder Insights: Assets and Challenges / 18 Plan Vision, Goals and Guiding Policies / 19 Implementation Actions / 21 Coordinated Planning / 21 Eminent Domain / 21 Opportunity Sites for Redevelopment / 22 Micro-units / 26 Parks and Open Space / 27 Waterfront Improvements / 29 Zoning Changes / 29 Norwalk Connectivity Master Plan Recommendations / 30 Financial Resources / 31 Reference Documents / 32 Guide / 35 Implementation Actions Summary Matrix / 36 Design Guidelines and Neighborhood Improvements / 39 Development Plan Review / 39 Applicability / 39 Relationship to other codes and regulations / 40 Design and Engineering Reference Documents / 41 3 Wall Street-West Avenue Neighborhood Plan | February 2019 Executive Summary Easton Figure 1: Neighborhood Location Map Trumbull Source: RPA Weston Westchester Wilton Fairfield Stratford Bridgeport Fairfield NY New Canaan CT Merritt Pkwy Westport 15 US 7 Norwalk Stamford I 95 Darien Wall St / West Ave Redevelopment Area Greenwich New Haven Line The Wall Street and West Avenue neighborhoods have seen tre- Long Islandmendous Sound growth and change over the last decade. Between 2010 and 2017 over 1,000 new apartments and 78,000 square feet of commercial space have been created. At the same time, the local community and the neighborhood’s anchor institutions includ- ing Norwalk Hospital, King Industries, Norwalk Public Library, Mathews Park, Stepping Stones Museum for Children, Factory Underground and the Wall Street Theater, have been leverag- ing human capital to foster an identity around art, science, technology, culture and health and wellness in the neighbor- hood. Building upon the value of its physical assets- including historic structures, urban form and waterfront- the vision for the future of the neighborhood expressed in this plan recognizes the tremendous opportunity that exists within the community to leverage the power of institutions, businesses and residents to reimagine, reinvent and renew the neighborhood into an innova- tive urban environment. 4 Wall Street-West Avenue Neighborhood Plan | February 2019 This opportunity to reframe redevelopment through the lens This plan describes a vision for the future of the Wall Street-West of peoples’ connections with spaces revealed itself through Avenue neighborhood as- the planning process through which this plan was developed. Over the course of 2018 and 2019 the Norwalk Redevelopment A healthy and vibrant Urban Core Neighborhood Agency, in collaboration with Regional Plan Association, under- with a strong economy driven by innovation and took an extensive stakeholder engagement effort to understand collaboration that is accessible, authentic, lively area opportunities and challenges and develop a vision for the and affordable for residents and businesses. future of the neighborhood. This engagement process was closely coordinated with the City Planning Department’s update of its This vision, which emerged through the plan development pro- Plan of Conservation and Development and a city-wide parking cess, is described in this document along with the public policy study undertaken by the Norwalk Parking Authority. Together, framework necessary to achieve it and the actions that should be these parallel, coordinated processes allowed the city to look undertaken to implement the plan’s stated policies. The recom- closely at specific needs and opportunities in and around Wall mended actions discussed in this plan focus on four key areas: Street and West Avenue within a broader, citywide conversation ⊲ Collaborative planning and investment about the future of Norwalk. ⊲ Development of opportunity sites Building on the momentum of private development along with the ⊲ Connectivity and mobility improvements renewal of community engagement throughout the neighborhood among its residents, artists, business community and anchor institu- ⊲ Design guidelines tions, this plan is an update and expansion of the existing Wall Street and West Avenue Corridor Redevelopment Area plans. Through the The plan also provides guidance on next steps with regard to plan development process it was determined that the plans for these implementation of zoning changes and economic development areas should be combined as these neighborhoods have become increas- strategies that will be necessary to achieve the vision for the ingly economically and physically connected over the past decade. Fur- future described herein. ther, the industrial waterfront to the east of the original plan boundar- ies and Norwalk Hospital to the west have also been included in order Realizing the vision described in this plan and implementing its to create a holistic neighborhood plan. This expansion recognizes these recommended actions will require a range of partnerships and key contributors to Norwalk’s economy and ensures that planning for substantial collaboration across agencies, departments, institu- the area accounts for the unique challenges associated with supporting tions, the private sector and the local community. The ability such uses as redevelopment occurs within the broader neighborhood. to exercise acquisition of property by use of eminent domain rests with the Common Council of the City of Norwalk. The As shown on Figure 2, the Wall Street-West Avenue neighborhood Norwalk Redevelopment Agency must follow the procedures plan area is bounded by Cross Street and North Avenue to the north for acquiring real property by eminent domain under a rede- (inclusive of parcels on both sides of the street), the Norwalk River to velopment plan as set forth in Chapter 130 Section 8-127a of the east, Route 1-95 to the south and Woodbury Avenue and Maple the Connecticut State Statutes.