By Thane Grauel

WESTPORT — The Planning and Zoning Commission has declined a request by Chabad Lubavitch for a zoning certificate despite longstanding issues regarding dumpsters.

The commission on Oct. 3 did not act on a request by the organization at 79 Newtown Turnpike.

Chabad Lubavich, at the site of the former Three Bears Restaurant, has grown in recent years. It now has an addition and a preschool. The addition of a playscape area for the youngsters displaced a dumpster area, which already had issues.

“I’m not sure why it’s such a problem, but it continues to be,” Planning and Zoning Director Mary Young told the commission at its last meeting.

The request to issue a zoning permit despite a lack of required screening was made by Cathy Walsh on behalf of the organization.

Walsh sought a zoning permit, “which has been withheld due to her lack of compliance with this commission,” Young said.

“Once upon a time the dumpster was going to be where the playset now is, the playset that no one knew was coming and just got legalized by variance by the ZBA a couple weeks ago, necessitating a new home to be found for the dumpster, displaced by the playset,” Young told commission members.

“ZBA members queried the applicant about why they were willing to leave the dumpster looking so unaesthetically pleasing when they’ve gone to such great extent to make the building and the site so attractive,” Young said. “Not a good answer left on that question, perhaps different choices made by different folks there, spending their resources in other ways.”

“Good news, they still commit to doing something about the dumpsters, it’s just a matter of when they do that,” Young said.

“If we say yes to this, what’s the incentive for them to do something about the dumpster later?” commission Chairwoman Danielle Dobin asked.

“That’s a good question, I’m not sure I have an answer for that,” Young replied.

Dobin said she had reservations about approving something the ZBA would not.

Member Jon Olefson said he read the materials, including the staff report, and reread them.

“How hard is it to go to frickin’ Home Depot and get a hundred dollars’ worth of wood and put it up around it,” he said. “I’m just, I’m confounded by it.”

“I love Chabad,” Dobin said. “They’re right in the middle of a residential neighborhood, I don’t understand why this isn’t being screened.”

“No,” said member Amie Tessler. “Nope, that’s it. I’m done.”

“You have the right to not make a decision tonight,” Young told the commission members.

And that’s what the commission did. Read the P&Z staff report here.

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.