Norwalk ZBA continues hearing on 38 Westmere Avenue variances after questions on propane placement and coastal rules

The Norwalk Zoning Board of Appeals on July 16 continued a public hearing on a multi-variance application for 38 Westmere Avenue on Bell Island after members pressed the applicants for clearer alternatives on above-ground propane tanks and asked staff for a formal interpretation of Connecticut Coastal Management Act (CCMA) guidance.

Kurt Lowenstein, a professional engineer with Blantec, and architect Clara Perentosi of Marquette Architecture presented a plan to lift the existing single-family house to meet FEMA elevation requirements and add a modest roughly 200-square-foot front addition. Lowenstein told the board the property is about 3,255 square feet — “essentially 50% of the minimum lot area” for its CD-1S zone — and described the irregular lot shape and floodplain constraints that he said make the requested front- and side-setback variances necessary.

Perentosi said the house would be elevated about 6 feet 8½ inches to meet Norwalk’s freeboard above the base flood elevation and that the small addition would create two flexible spaces and provide covered parking beneath the raised first floor. The homeowners, Leslie and Brad, were not present but submitted a letter saying they bought the house in 2015, work from home, and need modest additional space while committing to bring the structure into FEMA compliance.

Staff read their analysis into the record, noting the lot’s nonconforming status and that, while the proposed lift would meet FEMA requirements, planning staff did not find the hardship standard satisfied for further encroachment into setbacks. Tammy, the zoning staff representative, summarized a coastal-site-plan memo by land use planner Amelia Williams that “does not recommend allowing significant expansion of living space in flood-prone areas” as a CCMA-consistency concern, though the memo also said the proposed height variance could be consistent with CCMA goals.

The applicants disputed the implication that CCMA would categorically prohibit their work if the project is made FEMA-compliant. Lowenstein argued that the CCMA’s objective is to protect life and coastal resources and that a FEMA-compliant lift, along with on-site stormwater treatment the applicants propose, would not increase coastal hazards. “By adding a FEMA-compliant addition, it does not create more hazard to life because it is FEMA compliant,” Lowenstein said.

Board members focused significant questioning on the proposed above-ground propane tanks. The application shows three above-ground bottles on a concrete pad because, the applicants said, code constraints and serviceability concerns prevented placing an underground tank where the addition is planned. Board members asked whether the tanks could be relocated beside the new stairs, buried in another spot, or eliminated by converting the house’s systems to electric. The applicants said they would investigate moving the tanks, burying them where feasible, or exploring electrification, but said conversion would be costly and invasive.

Members also asked the applicants to try to reduce the requested height and other nonconformities where possible, to rework impervious-surface calculations by changing driveway materials, and to return with alternatives. The board requested copies of a prior memorandum from Steve Kleppin (dated May 14, 2026) referenced during the discussion and asked that Amelia Williams or coastal staff attend the next hearing to explain the CCMA analysis and whether the agency’s guidance should be read as recommendation or prohibition.

After discussion, board member Lee moved to continue the application to the ZBA meeting on Aug. 20, 2026 (third Thursday, 7 p.m., Zoom); the motion was seconded and approved unanimously. The continuation request asked applicants to provide: (1) clear options for propane-tank location or evidence on why burial is infeasible; (2) any possible reductions in lift/height; (3) analysis of impervious-surface mitigation (for example, pervious driveway options); and (4) the referenced CCMA/Steve Kleppin memorandum and a staff legal reading if available.

The board approved minutes later in the meeting and adjourned. The hearing will resume Aug. 20, 2026. Any additional written materials requested by the board should be filed with zoning staff in advance so they can be distributed to members prior to the continued hearing.