By Kerri Williams

WESTPORT – The Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously passed a new text amendment on Monday meant to help to save historic structures in town.

Text Amendment 859, which was proposed by the town’s Historic District Commission (HDC) and presented by member Wendy Van Wie, helps to tighten the language in zoning regulation 32-18, giving owners of historic structures incentives that include the ability to subdivide their properties. 

The amendment will replace a zoning code adopted in 2008 that offers zoning incentives in exchange for preservation of historic homes in the town’s residential districts. Under these regulations, the P&Z may authorize use, setback, height, parking, landscaping, coverage and lot area and shape incentives when zoning regulations discourage the preservation of historic buildings. In return for the zoning incentives, a preservation easement for the exterior of the structure is granted to the town.

The amendment received overwhelming support in letters from the public, with 18 residents writing to ask the commission to approve it. P&Z Chairman Paul Lebowitz pointed out the number of letters, commenting that it was good to see people getting engaged on what can be a complicated topic.

Edward Gerber, of Cross Highway, a former member of the HDC and owner of a historic home in town, said the new amendment will be “an invaluable tool” to help save historic buildings.

“I only wish we had had such a tool when I was a member of the HDC,” he wrote. “Instead, in a few significant cases, we helplessly stood by as several historically important structures were demolished.”  This text amendment, he said, would have given them a “fighting chance.”

Others brought up that the text amendment could help save a historic home at 125 Riverside Ave., a property that is currently slated for development. The home on the property dates to 1756 and is one of the oldest on the Saugatuck River.

“Let us avoid the tragedy of losing this historic house,” said David Meth in his letter to commissioners. “…Our children and grandchildren must know who we are and how we got here.”

Coming out against the amendment was Rick Benson, who has stated that the new text amendment is too strict as it only applies if a structure is pre-1800 or meets other historic criteria. He instead has proposed another pending application, Text Amendment 861, which he said takes a “much broader approach.” 

Benson said that the text amendment passed on Monday “will not result in the creation of any new lots or the preservation of any additional historic residential structures.” Benson’s proposed amendment accompanies an application to preserve a historic residence at 8 Otter Trail by subdividing that property. The Otter Trail house is about 100 years old and would not be eligible for historic incentives under the TA 859.

In response, Van Wie said that while a house can be historic at any age, the goal of TA 859 is to save “the most important houses” without “blowing up the zoning regs.” 

Van Wie said that houses like the one at 125 Riverside Ave. are some of the oldest in the country and are “very special houses in America.” She went on to say that the lot at 125 Riverside would not qualify for incentives under Benson’s text amendment.

Originally, Lebowitz had suggested that commissioners could close the hearing on TA 859 but wait to finalize a decision until hearing the alternate text amendment proposal. But at the end of the meeting, the commission said it was ready to vote. 

“I’d love to see it done and in the books,” Lebowitz said. “This is the perfect time to approve.”

The amendment passed 5-0 with little discussion. Voting members were John Bolton, Michael Calise, Breanne Injeski, Craig Schiavone and Paul Lebowitz. Commissioners Patrizia Zucaro and Michael Cammeyer were not present.

Kerri Williams

^{_{Kerri Williams is an award-winning writer and journalist. She has worked as a reporter at the Norwalk Hour, as Living editor at the Darien News-Review, and managing editor for the Norwalk Citizen-News. For Westport Journal, she is a reporter as well as a gardening columnist, writing “Cultivating with Kerri.” She recently published her first children’s book – “Mabel’s Big Move,” based on her daughter with special needs.}}