Council approves rezoning for proposed restaurant and cidery at 1670 W. 21st St.

The West Haven City Council voted June 3 to rezone 1670 West 21st Street from mixed use to C2, approving Ordinance 11-2026 and allowing the property owner to pursue a restaurant that would produce and serve cider on the premises.

City community-development staff described the request as compatible with the general-plan map but flagged two central hurdles: state alcohol-license proximity rules administered by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services and vehicle access from UDOT-controlled 21st Street. "Depending on the use they have to be located so many feet from community locations," staff said, noting a nearby school and the need for a conditional access permit from UDOT before site-plan approval.

The planning commission had recommended denial, citing limited access to the site and potential community impacts. At the council meeting, property owner Craig Odirk told the council the business would operate primarily in the evening and would not generate heavy truck traffic: "Our business would be pretty much in the evening after theirs are gone. It would be a very infrequent kind of a thing," he said, and described the concept as a family-style restaurant with in-house cider production.

Applicant Jason Dana emphasized the owners expect most revenue from food and said distribution would be considered later at a separate facility. He said preliminary conversations with UDOT about modifying an existing drive path were "positive," though no formal permit had been issued.

Council members discussed compatibility with surrounding uses and whether shared access agreements with neighboring property owners (referred to in the record as Kbell) were feasible. The council approved the rezoning in a roll-call vote: Dixon, Morris, Saunders and Schwab voted yes; Call voted no.

Next steps identified at the meeting include the applicant securing any required UDOT conditional-access permit and meeting DABS distance requirements before a final site-plan approval and alcohol license could be issued. The council and staff noted that those approvals are separate from the council's zoning decision and remain outstanding.