By Thane Grauel

WESTPORT — A plan to repurpose a tired-looking nursing home near Kings Highway Elementary School was delayed once again by the Planning and Zoning Commission after a contentious hearing this week.

The owner is seeking a text amendment to zoning regulations that would allow some additions to the building on Burr Road, off Post Road West, including five new rooms at the front, a mansard roof to hide rooftop utilities and changes to the parking areas.

The plan to convert the building to a memory care center would reduce it from 120 rooms to 68, and give the two-winged structure new brick siding, resembling the school across the street.

Outside there would be less pavement and more green area and trash bins — a longstanding concern of neighbors — would be screened off and farther from adjoining properties.

The proposal has faced several hearings in recent months, and Monday’s meeting was at times prickly because of longtime neighbor issues with the landlord.

Penny Wickey, who manages a neighboring property on Lincoln Street, complained of years of inaction on issues, including unscreened dumpsters, trash blowing around, and people and delivery trucks parking in a driveway, blocking her tenants’ access to the property and that of potential emergency responders.

“The reason that so much of this problem exists is because the landlord has allowed the tenant in its noncompliant and horrible neighbor status,” Wickey said.

“I have been told been told repeatedly by Rick [Redniss, the consultant representing the landowner] and by the landlord in a single conversation that the landlord does not consider property maintenance, or trash, or anything to do with the property outside of the building, its responsibility in any way,” she said.

Planning and Zoning Director Mary Young offered Wickey an apology, acknowledging that her zoning enforcement officer was restrained, by a 1960s-era P&Z approval, without authority to enforce conditions that would typically be customary today.

Some P&Z members appeared supportive of the proposal, but the history between the landlord and neighbors had Jon Olefson rankled.

“The thought of moving from the disastrous building and situation that’s there to something that’s much, much, much better, is absolutely enticing,” he said. “But I feel like I’m talking to a 15-year-old.”

“I drive by there all the time,” he said of the medical complex. “It’s a frickin’ disaster … If I were the Wickeys I’d be pissed.”

“I look at your plans and it’s reasonable,” he said to Redniss. “But Rick I don’t know why, I’ve got a landlord that treats this place like my 15-year-old’s room. So, they pretty it up … why’s this going to be better?”

“I’m struggling here … I completely agree that this new facility looks a lot better, lower density residents, likely needs fewer staff, which means fewer cars, in theory less trash, I get the math on all this,” Olefson said. “Why is it I go by this building and it’s like this landlord has intentionally left it to look like a tenement in the Lower East Side in the ’30s?”

“I understand in theory this is a benefit to the community, a benefit to the neighborhood, but if there’s just going to trash strewn about the place, so it’s a nicer building with trash around it,” he said. “It’s a nicer building with crap all over. It’s a nicer building with cars parked every which way.”

 “It’s confounding to me why they treat their property this way,” Olefson said.

Redniss noted that a new approval would allow conditions that are not currently in place.

“We have an opportunity,” Redniss said. “Look at what can be done with enforceable conditions.”

The P&Z voted unanimously to continue the hearing. It will be heard again Oct. 3.

Thane Grauel, executive editor, grew up in Westport and has been a journalist in Fairfield County and beyond more than three decades. Reach him at editor@westportjournal.com. Learn more about us here.