Church Hill & Queen Street—

Retail/Office Complex Proposed For Prominent Borough Corner

By Andrew Gorosko

The developer of a three-building commercial complex proposed for the southwest corner of Church Hill Road and Queen Street has submitted plans for the redevelopment project for Borough Zoning Commission review.

Borough Zoning Official Jean St Jean said the commission plans to conduct a public hearing on Church Hill & Queen, LLC’s, redevelopment proposal on April 14. The geographically prominent site formerly held the White Birch Tavern and Village Texaco, both of which were long ago demolished. 

At the commission’s February 11 session, developer Peter Wiehl submitted four applications in connection with Church Hill & Queen, LLC’s, long-anticipated project, which combines retail and office space. The firm is based in Trumbull.

The applications seek approvals for site development, a special exception to the borough zoning regulations, and a Village District zoning approval. Mr Wiehl also submitted a set of proposed zoning rule changes, which would apply to certain physical aspects of the redevelopment project, if those rule changes are approved by the commission. The proposed changes concern front lot setbacks, signage, parking, mature trees on the site, and planted buffers.

The site at 14-18 Church Hill Road is owned by Pepper Partners Limited Partnership of Bridgeport. The partnership owns several parcels in prominent locations along Church Hill Road.

Last June, after the borough zoners had approved the new Village District zoning regulations for sections of the borough which have “business” and “professional” zoning designations, Pepper Partners was among several plaintiffs who appealed the Village District regulations in Danbury Superior Court.

The regulatory changes which were created by Village District zoning “will drastically reduce the ability of owners of land in the business and professional zones to develop their properties, and will significantly reduce the value of those properties,” according to that court appeal.

Last May, the borough zoners approved the Village District regulations to keep future commercial development in the borough in “aesthetic harmony” with existing architecture. Those zoning regulations are intended to preserve the appearance of areas in the borough with “business” and “professional” zoning designations. The intent of the rules is to “protect the distinctive character, landscape, and historic values” of the area by placing various restrictions and controls on commercial development. The rules are intended to have new commercial construction in the borough visually harmonize with existing architecture.

Church Hill & Queen’s application for the retail/office complex is one of the first projects to be subject to the Village District zoning regulations. The borough zoners made certain technical changes to those regulations in December.

In January, in a first step for winning approval for its proposed complex, Church Hill and Queen, LLC, sought and secured Police Commission endorsement of the traffic plans for the project. Police Commission members, acting as the town’s traffic authority, made various traffic-flow recommendations for the complex.

The redevelopment proposal calls for 17,154 square feet of commercial space. A one-story 6,338-square-foot building would be built at 14 Church Hill Road, in the area where Village Texaco formerly stood. Two two-story buildings, each of which would contain 5,408 square feet of space, would flank the southwest corner of Church Hill Road and Queen Street. Each of the two two-story buildings would have only a partial second story. Overall, the complex would contain 13,986 square feet of retail space and 3,168 square feet of office space.

The ground-level spaces would have a general retail use. The second stories would be reserved for offices. The structures would be built in a modern version of the Colonial style.

The project would be served by a common parking lot located behind the three buildings, which would have spaces for 86 vehicles.

The developer proposes two entry-exit driveways for the complex. One driveway, containing one entry lane and two exit lanes, would be located on Church Hill Road. To facilitate westbound traffic flow on Church Hill Road, the road would be widened near that driveway to allow westbound through-traffic to pass to the right of the westbound traffic that is stopped and waiting to make a left turn into the driveway.

Another driveway, containing one entry lane and one exit lane, would be located on Queen Street. Left-turn exits would be prohibited from the Queen Street driveway.

According to a traffic study prepared for the developer, traffic conditions in the area “will not be significantly affected by the additional traffic from the site.”

Barkan and Mess Associates, Inc, projects that the complex would generate 35 vehicle trips during the weekday morning peak traffic-flow hour, would generate 65 vehicle trips during the weekday afternoon peak traffic-flow hour, and would generate 70 vehicle trips during the Saturday midday peak traffic-flow hour. “Our analysis indicated that acceptable levels of [traffic] service exist at the study intersections,” Barkan and Mess says of existing traffic flow near the development site.

The proposed Church Hill & Queen complex would comply with an existing pedestrian safety plan for the area. Sidewalks would be built on Church Hill Road and Queen Street.

In its application to the Borough Zoning Commission, Church Hill & Queen states that its project visually conforms with existing architecture in the area, employing traditional architectural forms and thus reinforcing the local streetscape. Church Hill & Queen states the project would have a positive effect on nearby property values.