Norwalk ZBA keeps hearing open on Westmere home after members press to lower proposed height

The Norwalk Zoning Board of Appeals left open a variance and coastal site plan application for a proposed single‑family home at 1 Westmere Avenue on May 21 after commissioners said the project’s proposed heights exceed the 40‑foot maximum and should be redesigned to come closer to that limit.

Attorney Elizabeth Suchy introduced the application on behalf of owners Catherine and Paul Giusti and their design team. She said the replacement home is being designed to be FEMA‑compliant and to reduce existing nonconformities, and she noted revised plans removed encroachments in the 15‑foot coastal buffer. Project architect Robert Metzger and civil engineer Tom Nelson walked the board through elevations, massing and site work.

Why the applicants seek relief: the Giustis and their team said two physical constraints drive the need for relief. Paul Giusti told the board the property faces “some substantial hardships on the site,” citing Norwalk’s and FEMA’s required freeboard above base flood elevation and a 15‑foot municipal sanitary sewer easement that cuts through roughly one‑third of the lot and restricts where the structure may sit. Architect Metzger quantified the buildable loss, saying “a third of the buildable area on the site is off limits” and explaining that Norwalk’s additional 2‑foot freeboard above FEMA requirements increases measured building height compared with a conventional lot.

What the board pressed on: several commissioners said they were sympathetic to the floodplain issues but wary of approving a new single‑family dwelling that exceeds the city’s 40‑foot height cap. One commissioner said, “I’m reluctant to take a new house and go over the 40‑foot restriction,” and several encouraged the applicants to work with mechanical and structural engineers to reduce duct and floor system heights, lower ceiling heights where practicable, or otherwise rework the design so the measured height approaches 40 feet.

Technical details presented: the architects reported the second floor measures about 1,699 sq ft and the partial third floor about 794 sq ft (the third floor is roughly 47% of the second‑floor footprint). The proposal included a secondary roof midpoint variance (reported midpoint ~36.1 ft vs. a 32‑ft midpoint limit for that roof element) and a total building height near 43.8 ft versus the 40‑ft maximum. The engineering presentation detailed stormwater improvements that would reduce impervious cover from about 58.7% to 38.8% and add porous‑pavement and small detention systems to infiltrate runoff.

Staff position and regulatory context: Zoning staff (Lee Levy) read the staff memorandum noting the site lies in VE and AE flood zones and that, while revised plans reduced encroachments in the coastal buffer, staff concluded the requested height variances were not fully consistent with some Connecticut Coastal Management Act (CCMA) flood‑hazard policies because of the increase in living space in flood‑prone areas; staff also noted that the board must include a CCMA consistency statement in any findings.

Outcome and next steps: the board voted to keep the hearing open and asked the applicants to return with revised plans that reduce the requested heights where feasible. The board set a continuation for the June 18 meeting and said revised plans will be posted and the public allowed to comment when the item returns.

The hearing remains open; applicants and staff will return with updated drawings, engineering details and a refined explanation of any remaining variance needs.