PROTECT NEW CANAAN RESIDENTIAL ZONING
Voice Your Opposition to a 200 CAR ABOVE GROUND PARKING GARAGE in a 4-acre residential neighborhood.
It’s illegal. High-capacity parking garages are prohibited in residential zones.
A private school of 78% non-residents is pushing for a change to residential zoning for the entire town of New Canaan. Why is Town Hall listening to parents from Westport and Greenwich?
It’s against our Plan of Conservation and Development. The community supports low-impact paved parking for daytime visitors to residential campuses. We don’t want a high-capacity, above ground private garage to be the first “Open Space” project of 2024.
New Canaan has a residential zoning problem.
A private school says they need the garage to fix traffic, but parking garages don’t solve traffic problems, they intensify land use. Residential schools everywhere have solved this exact problem without stadium-sized garages. In 2020 the school was allowed to increase enrollment without a traffic study and so the resulting traffic is a direct result of New Canaan ignoring a 2013 Planning and Zoning agreement.
The proposed garage will not be attached to sewer system, which is unprecedented for an area like ours. It’s simply not done. No other town in Fairfield county would allow this garage or such an arbitrary amendment to residential zoning.….why should New Canaan? Why is town hall listening to private school parents from Greenwich, Darien and Westport?
What’s in it for New Canaan? How many hours will our town employees, elected officials and volunteer commissioners waste on the problems caused by this structure? Why are our town employees wasting our tax dollars accommodating special permit violators? St. Luke’s can follow the law and solve their parking shortfall. New Canaan’s detailed regulations around parking have been thoughtfully composed over many years and reflect our community’s desires. It’s bad policy to throw out them overnight
Why is town hall listening to parents from Westport, Darien and Greenwich? This structure wouldn’t be allowed in those towns. Brunswick and Greenwich Academy have been responsible and transparent about expansion while St. Luke’s has been buying up property through shell companies. Why should New Canaan allow St. Luke’s School to build, build, build when other towns SAY NO? Demand that P&Z get answers on St. Luke’s expansion.
A 200 car above ground parking garage in a 4-acre residential zone is an illegal interpretation of New Canaan’s building code and in opposition to New Canaan’s Plan of Conservation and Development.
Sample Letter:
I’m a New Canaan resident and I oppose high-capacity parking garages in residential zones. Follow existing regulations which reflect the desires of the community. Other towns have solved this problem without stadium-sized garages and so can New Canaan.
“Parking structures, whether detached or attached, shall not be permitted, except in a Business or Retail Zone, where these Regulations allow parking to be provided underground, within the envelope of the building, or in a separate structure on the same site.” (Section 6.2.F.6)
Protect New Canaan Zoning and SAY NO to a 200 car garage in a residential neighborhood.
YES to Paved Parking
YES to New Field
NO to Text Amendment for 78% non-residents.
daniel.radman@newcaanct.gov
dionna.carlson@newcanaanct.gov
amy.murphy.carroll@newcanaanct.gov
stephen.karl@newcanaanct.gov
BoSDistribution@newcanaanct.gov