Council approves parking waiver for Dunn Industrial Condominium, requires 32 stalls and occupancy limits

The Norwalk City Council approved a parking-waiver for a change of use at the Dunn Industrial Condominium that would allow the owner to operate a membership-based sports/recreation facility using the existing 27 parking stalls, provided the council’s amended condition to secure 32 stalls is met and occupancy/use limits are enforced.

Planning staff explained the original site plan (for two 19,000-square-foot office/warehouse buildings) required 54 stalls per building (58 total on the approved plan). The proposed recreation use increases the calculated requirement to 101 stalls. The applicant and staff proposed limiting occupancy to reduce the stall requirement; the applicant suggested a 120-person cap, which staff’s calculation would translate into 32 required stalls. Staff said additional striping in loading-bay areas could provide 20–25 more stalls if necessary.

Council debated whether to regulate by the term “tournament” (as one trigger to void a waiver) or by a firm occupancy cap and whether to require advance paving/striping rather than policing an overflow later. After discussion, a motion to require 32 stalls as a condition of the waiver passed on roll call. Council added a condition that the waiver would be void if future uses or events increase occupancy beyond agreed limits, and staff will coordinate exact language with the owner and update the resolution.