Zoning Board & Planning Board - Regular Meeting

Vinita, do you have me as co-host?

Yes, I do.

Great.

Thank you.

We can start.

Okay. I'd like to welcome everyone and call tonight's meeting to order. I'm David Stein, chair of the Zoning Board, and it is 637 on September 14, 2026. I'd like to welcome everyone back after the summer break. The members of the board and the staff are holding tonight's meeting on Zoom. We're still on Zoom, right? Yes. Good. The public's in attendance both on video conference and by teleconference. I'd like to do a roll call of the board and the staff. Bill Morris. Here. Roseanne McManus.

Here.

Keith Walker. Here. Peter Rustin. Here. Now for the staff, Ralph Blessing.

Here.

And Vanita Mathur. I note that Jerry Bozak has been delayed overseas getting back and so will not be joining us tonight. And before I forget, please have the minutes show that Peter Rustin is being seated as a member for tonight's meeting. The board's microphones will be out throughout tonight's hearing. Applicants' mics will be on during the public hearing for their application. However, I would ask the applicants to please mute their mics when not speaking in order to reduce background noise. The first part of tonight's meeting is the public hearing, during which the public will have the opportunity to speak. Each member of the public will be muted until it is your turn to speak. Here's the procedure for the public to let us know that you'd like to speak. If you came in through Zoom, please use the raise your hand function and you will be unmuted when it is your turn to speak and we will call on you. If you called in on one of the telephone conference call phone numbers, please press star nine and this will raise your hand. Then press star six to unmute when you are called on. When members of the public speak, Please state your name and address for the record and whether you are in favor of or opposed to the application. The Board requests that members of the public limit your comments to three minutes so that everyone will have a chance to speak. This meeting is being recorded and will be posted on the Zoning Board's website. You can find the agenda for tonight's meeting and the meeting applications and other materials by going to our website, www.stanfordct.gov slash zoning. Okay, as I mentioned, Peter has been seated for tonight's meeting. And the first Two applications we have for the public hearing are applications 226-17 and 226-18. These both relate to Stanford Hospital. 226-17 is entitled Stanford Hospital, 171 Stillwater, 17 and 0 Stillwater Place. Map change. Applicant is seeking a zoning map change from the current VC, Village Commercial District, zoning district, to the HCDD, Hospital Complex Design District, zoning district. The second application for the hospital is application 226-18, Stanford Hospital, 1 and 29 Hospital Plaza, 31 Wright Street, Lot 2 Spruce Street, 171 Stillwater Avenue, 0 and 17 Stillwater Place, General Development Plan and Special Permit. Applicant is proposing to construct a 73,000 plus or minus square foot cancer center with a connected parking structure containing 355 plus or minus parking spaces. Roseanne, could you please read the two planning board letters for this?

Sure. To August 17th, 2026, Mr. David Stein, Chair, City of Stanford Zoning Board. Regarding ZB application 22617, Stanford Hospital, 171 Stillwater Avenue and 17 Stillwater, zero and 17 Stillwater Place map change. Now, David, These are the earlier planning board letters.

Yeah, I would not read the ones where it was tabled, but just the August 27th ones.

Great. So August 27th, 2026. CB application 22618 Stanford Hospital 1 and 29 Hospital Plaza, 31 Wright Street, Spruce Street, Lot 2, 171 Stillwater Avenue. zero and 17 Stillwater Place special permit, which had been tabled from the August 11th, 2026 meeting. Dear Mr. Stein and members of the zoning board, during its meeting held on Tuesday, August 25th, 2026, the planning board reviewed the above captioned application referred in accordance with the requirements of the Stanford Charter. Applicant is proposing to construct a 73,000 square foot cancer center, a special permit use. with a connected parking structure containing plus or minus 355 parking spaces. Lisa Feinberg and Jason Klein, Carboni, Torrance, Sandek, and Hennessy LLP made a presentation and answered questions from the board. After some discussion, the planning board unanimously recommended approval of ZB application 226-18 with the following conditions. The design of the parking lot with frontage on Stillwater Place and Stillwater Avenue be planned in such a way that facilitates future development that is consistent with its comprehensive plan category. And the use of the parking area within the 75-foot buffer from Stillwater Avenue be discontinued with the issuance of the certificate of occupancy for the parking structure. And the applicant updates the transportation demand management plan to pursue opportunities to decrease single occupancy vehicle use by employees and users to reduce the need for parking or eliminate the need for the parking area. Hold on, I'm just getting to the next page. The board found this to be in general harmony for the 2025 Comprehensive Plan, RES2, Residential Neighborhood, MU1, Mixed Use Neighborhood Center, and MU2, Mixed Use Community Campus, Future Land Use Categories. Sincerely, Stanford Planning Board, Jennifer Guzzino, Chair.

And the next letter.

August 27, 2026, to David Stein, Chair, Studio Stanford Zoning Board, regarding CB application number 22617, Stanford Hospital, 171 Stillwater Avenue and 0 and 17 Stillwater Place, map change. This had been tabled from the August 11, 2026 meeting. Dear Mr. Stein and members of the Zoning Board, During its meeting held on Tuesday, August 25th, 2026, the planning board reviewed the above-captioned application referred in accordance with the requirements of the Stanford Charter. Applicant is seeking a zoning map change from the current VC, Village Commercial District, zoning district, to the HCD-D, Hospital Complex Design District, zoning district. Lisa Feinberg and Jason Klein, Carmody, Torrance, Sendak, and Hennessey, LLP, made a presentation and answered questions from the board. After some discussion, the planning board unanimously recommended approval of ZB application number 22617 and found this to be in general harmony with the 2025 comprehensive plan RES2, residential neighborhood and MU1, mixed use neighborhood center, future land use categories. Sincerely, Stanford Planning Board, Jennifer Gazzano, Chair.

Thank you. Vanita, did we receive the certificate of mailing and the sign affidavit for these two applications?

Yes, we did.

Okay, good. I see we have attorneys Feinberg and Klein here. So, welcome. And please proceed.

Great. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. For the record, my name is Lisa Feinberg. I'm a partner. at Carmody Torrance Sandak in Hennessy. With me tonight is my partner, Jay Klein, also Michael Hinchcliffe from Payette, our architect, Ted Malone from Redness and Mead. Redness and Mead has completed the surveying and civil engineering work for the project. and Joe Bauskas from BHB, which is our traffic and parking consultant. And we are all here on behalf of the applicant, Stanford Hospital, represented tonight by Liz Longmore, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, and also Ed Oldak, Executive Director of Facilities Management. Before I get started with the presentation, I would like to just invite Liz Longmore to give a little bit of information about the process the hospital went through to get here tonight and sort of why the project you'll hear about is so very important for our community. Vanita, if you haven't already, could you promote Liz, please? Yeah, I think I did.

And Ms. Longmore, just... You need to unmute and then introduce yourself for the record, please.

Good evening. My name is Liz Longmore. I'm the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Stanford Health.

Good. Okay. Is that the end of it?

Nope. Good evening. Thank you very much. I'm here on behalf of our president and CEO, Kathleen Szilard, and all of us here at Stanford Health. I'm so pleased to be here tonight in support of this exciting project. I know you have a very busy agenda, so I will not take up a lot of your time, but I'd like to thank you for your consideration, your service to the residents of Stanford. You and your predecessors have played a vital role in Stanford Hospital's long-term success. Tonight has been a long time in the making. The application before you represents the culmination of many, many years of assessing the community's needs, including by working side by side with scores of nonprofits and city agencies. It also represents years of financial, operational, clinical, and construction planning. We've worked with scores of internal and external experts to put before you the best possible proposal to responsibly plan for the current and future needs of the communities that we serve and the residents in this area. We know that there are services that are critical to the wellbeing of our community, specifically cancer care, behavioral health care, which is the number one unmet health need in the communities that we serve, and rehabilitation services. The proposal you will hear about tonight will be truly transformative for our community and the care that we provide to our patients. It's not just an investment in a building, but it's an investment in every current and future patient who will walk through the door needing care from Stanford Health. I thank you again for your time and attention to this important project.

Thanks, Liz. Mr. Chairman, may I go ahead and share my screen?

Yes, please go ahead.

So although I'm sure all of you are pretty familiar with the hospital, for the record, I would like to start by just orienting everyone to the property. So what you see here outlined in yellow is the 30-acre campus, including the area that is the subject of the zoning map change we'll speak about tonight down here on Stillwater Avenue. Other than the Stillwater properties, which we'll discuss, the remainder of the site is currently located in the Hospital Complex Design District, the HCDD. This includes more than a million square feet, which is utilized for various medical and healthcare uses, and just over 1,400 parking spaces spread out throughout the campus. The history of the evolution of the campus is extensive and the result of a collaboration between the hospital, Charter Oak communities, the Westside neighborhood, and of course, the city of Stanford. That collaboration has led to a thriving state of the art hospital facility, which provides our community with the very best possible care. One of the primary reasons the hospital has been so successful is because of its unwavering commitment to exceptional person-centered care. But you don't become the most highly awarded hospital in Connecticut by just staying stagnant. In order to ensure the hospital continues this legacy of excellence, leadership is always planning for the future. And that's really what brings us here tonight. The applications we're here to discuss will ultimately facilitate the transformation of the Bennett Medical Center with a $275 million investment that will modernize facilities and expand critical services. The plan really centers on four key initiatives, which Liz touched on just moments ago. The first component involves the relocation of the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Cancer Center, which is currently housed in the older portion of the hospital, shown here as the behavioral health. This is going to be moving to a new 73,000 square foot freestanding building on the southwestern corner. The second component is the transformation of the existing cancer center into that dedicated behavioral health facility right here. The third initiative involves the relocation and expansion of the van munching inpatient rehabilitation unit. And that's moving from the south building into space that within the specialty building on the fourth floor, which has been dormant shell space since the tower was first constructed. And then the last initiative involves improving parking and access across the campus. It's important to understand that all of these services currently exist on the hospital campus today. The project will simply allow the hospital to respond to ever-changing medical field and clinical advancements by increasing treatment offerings and embracing multidisciplinary collaboration, which is so often instrumental to quality patient care. Of course, in order to accomplish these goals, we need to obtain the appropriate zoning approvals. As I mentioned to you earlier, the entirety of the existing campus is in the HCDD. The HCDD, some of you may remember, was originally created via partnership between the city and the hospital back in 2010, when the hospital was engaged in its last comprehensive planning exercise. Leadership determined that facilitating an innovative world-class medical facility required an equally innovative land use strategy to guide growth into the 21st century. The HCDD was designed with this in mind and ensured that the hospital would be permitted to grow and evolve in place, which was something that was very important to the neighborhood at the time. Ultimately, this new zoning text facilitated the construction of several critical components of the city's healthcare infrastructure, including the new tower known as the specialty building and the medical office building on campus. And you can see those on the general development plan that we submitted with the applications. The specialty building is here and that medical office building is down here. Tonight, we are back before you in connection with the next exciting project, the relocation of the Bennett Cancer Center to that new state-of-the-art 73,000 square foot facility. As I noted, this is a new building, but not a new use for the campus. The existing Carl and Dorothy Bennett Cancer Center has actually served the Stanford community for more than 30 years and has gone through many transformations along the way, I believe somewhere along the lines of seven different renovations. By relocating the Bennett Cancer Center into this new facility, the hospital will ensure it has the space to innovate and meet patient needs through all stages of care. So the proposed three-story building and parking garage will be located here on the southwestern corner of the campus, which is space currently occupied by surface parking. Although we are only at the general development plan stage, we did include renderings of the building based on its currently anticipated facade, and you can see that here. The building is anticipated to incorporate a blend of elegant modern materials including a combination of non-reflective metal panels, stone panels, and a significant amount of glass to create transparency within the building. The proposed three-and-a-half-story parking structure, which is down here, will contain 355 parking spaces, and it will be connected to the Cancer Center building by a covered pedestrian walkway. The parking structure is intended to primarily support the Cancer Center building, but also will be available to service other parts of the hospital. The last component of this project may not be the most interesting, but it's incredibly important. Stanford Hospital prides itself on patient-centered care, and part of that care includes ensuring patients, doctors, staff, and visitors can physically access the facilities as efficiently as possible. And in this day and age, that means people need to be able to park. Today, there are 1,421 parking spaces on the site, and parking can still be challenging depending on the time of day. Unlike many other businesses, the hospital cannot simply shut down or reduce hours during construction projects. It is a vital 24-7 use. that requires convenient and efficient access. So this means without additional parking, parking on site would get even tighter during construction of the new Bennett Cancer Center. To help ease that strain in the interim and also improve conditions for the future, the hospital is proposing two additional parking lots, which you can see here. The Spruce Street lot, which is over here, would consist of up to 21 new parking spaces. And this lot would be primarily used by the Sacred Heart staff members, which occupy the Tandit building up here. The Stillwater lot, down here, if you can see my cursor, will consist of 53 spaces throughout construction, but the 21 spaces located within 75 feet of the Stillwater Avenue frontage are intended to be temporary. The red line on this plan, if you can see it here, depicts that 75 foot setback and is the result really of early conversations with your staff. When the hospital acquired...

Excuse me one sec. How many total spaces did you say would be there or up to how many?

53.

And then how many, up to how many would be eliminated?

21.

Of the 53.

Right. And then the portion that remains is going to have to be reconfigured. So some of those, we may lose a few more spaces.

Okay, thank you.

Sure. So when the hospital acquired these Stillwater properties, as we always do, we spoke to Ralph and Vanita about the hospital's parking concerns and the desire to rezone this parcel from Village Commercial to HCDD. While I think they were, and I don't mean to speak for them, they can certainly speak for themselves, but I think they were sensitive to the ongoing parking challenges and certainly supportive of the hospital's broader plans. They were less than enthusiastic about a permanent parking lot fronting on Stillwater Avenue. However, they were not opposed to parking on this lot that was consistent with the Vita Health and Wellness District policy goals and the type of development completed by Charter Oak to the west, which you can see here, that Charter Oak development with parking to the rear. So by agreeing to remove the portion of the parking within 75 feet of Stillwater Avenue, once the BCC garage becomes available, we would be preserving the depth necessary for future development along Stillwater that's really consistent with the goals of the neighborhood. So the first 75 feet of depth in the lot is proposed as temporary parking for the duration of the Bennett Cancer Center parking garage construction while the remainder of the lot interior to the campus would continue to be utilized to meet the hospital's parking needs permanently. In the interim, the hospital would maintain a robust landscaping buffer along Stillwater Avenue with parking hidden behind. We anticipate filing the details of that 75-foot landscaping buffer in connection with a final site plan application for the Stillwater parking lot. That's really it. We're happy to answer any questions that you all have and certainly questions from the public.

Okay. Thank you. And this is an exciting project. It's very interesting. And I'm happy to see the hospital continuing to grow to meet the needs of the community. So let's go to the board. Bill, any questions?

Yeah. Lisa, on the parking spaces, do you know how many of the parking spaces are used by employees, doctors, you know, that type of individual?

I believe the breakdown, I'm going to give you round numbers and anyone from the hospital will feel free to jump in if I get this wrong. But I think there are generally about a thousand spaces dedicated to staff and employees and

Is there any way to reduce it?

Any way to reduce it?

A number of spaces that are used by employees, for lack of a better term.

Sure. They do already have several transportation demand management strategies. They have a shuttle. I think there's a couple hundred folks that currently use the shuttle. There are actually some folks that bike. There are some people that use public transportation. So those those strategies are in place. But the truth is that, you know, certainly if you're a physician, like you can't be in a position where you're circling for parking. You've got to be able to get in and and meet with your patients. And. The climate right now for, you know, quality medical personnel is incredibly competitive. So things like sometimes you hear strategies of, you know, we'll make our employees pay to park. Those things are not necessarily super well received. So it's a balancing act. But we are continuing to sharpen our pencil with regard to TDMP, and that's something that the planning board asked us to do as well. So when we come back for a final site plan, assuming that this application is approved, we can provide some additional details there.

Of these approximately 1,000 spaces which are used by employees, I can understand your argument with respect to doctors and all types of individuals, but I'm sure in that group there are certain individuals that are not as critical to the operation as the doctors are. There's no way to reduce that number? Asking the same question again.

Lisa, would you like me to speak about it? Sure, go ahead, Liz.

So we do offer- Just identify yourself for the record, please.

Sure, Liz Longmore, Chief Operating Officer for Stanford Health. So unfortunately, we're not in a position that some other organizations are where we can really leverage things like remote work and such because the vast majority of the individuals that are parking on campus are in some type of direct patient care function. But where we do have the opportunity to offer things like remote work or other benefits such as free shuttle service back and forth from the train station, encouraging people to take advantage of discounted commutation fares that we can offer, We also offer some transportation coordination through a concierge service that we provide for our employees to assist with these things. Our plan is to continue to offer and to encourage those things. But unfortunately, the nature of our business is direct patient care. So we do have a high parking demand as a result of that. But any way that we can work to reduce that, we have been working to reduce that. In addition to that, we have utilized some off-campus administrative space to try to reduce the impact of the parking demand within the campus, and we will continue to do that over time. But the vast majority of the activities that occur on campus are all direct patient care activities or directly in support of patient care activities requiring people to be on-site.

And I believe that I've read, and I think it was in the traffic study, which I can't find anymore, traffic study, that your parking demand during peak hours now is about 103%. Do you anticipate that type of activity to continue with this new development?

I think that the thought is that we're going to be able to reduce that demand by increase the supply so that the strain is reduced. With this new project, as I said, you know, we are not creating new demand other than perhaps organic growth. This is really a response to, you know, the need to modernize and respond to changes in, you know, the practice and technology that's available. And so it's not a project where they're looking to really increase revenue or anything like that. It's really a response to the existing needs within our community. So while the traffic site, interestingly, we had a lot of conversations around the numbers in the traffic study because We aren't creating new demand, but the state traffic authorities don't allow you to take credit for space that's being vacated. They treat it as if everything is occupied. So it's a little bit of a misnomer within the traffic study.

Speaking of everything being occupied, is there a large increase in impervious service as a result of this pandemic?

I don't think so, because we're building on top of a parking lot. So it's already impervious, but shouldn't be.

And then lastly, for the record, could you state why you need a special permit?

So we aren't sure that we did need one. That was more of a belt and suspenders approach, Bill. You know, we like to do that. But every use within the HCDD requires a special permit. Technically, this use already exists and we're not creating a new use, but because we were moving the use and creating a new building, we filed it.

Lisa, aren't you also building closer to street or boundary lines?

Yes.

And that requires a special permit, doesn't it?

Not a special permit, but it does require your approval. Okay.

Okay.

All right, David, I'm set for now. I'll probably have more questions later, but I'll give the floor up right now.

Good. Roseanne.

Uh-oh.

Suzanne, we're not hearing you.

Sorry, I forgot I muted myself. So my question is about parking, but in the opposite direction of bills. I feel like 10, 12, 15 years ago, whenever it was, when the new construction was approved, that we probably didn't approve a large enough parking garage. And you guys probably wanted to save money and didn't build a big enough parking garage. Because parking is an issue at the hospital. It is a terrible issue if you're going to visit someone or if you're running into the pharmacy, you want to pick something up and you do the valet. I mean, parking is an issue. And I want to make sure that it's not an issue anymore. So I... I don't want my nurses not there when I get to my doctor's office. I don't want the techs not to be there when I go to get an MRI. We talk about doctors, but a lot of times it's a lot more than the doctors that are doing the servicing. So I'm concerned that there's not going to be enough parking. So I never say that. I don't think I've said that in a long time, but- I don't think in the last time we built enough parking and I'm not sure if it's going to get any better now. So a comment more than a question, I guess, because I'm not sure what you can answer.

Well, I can tell you that in 20, gosh, what year was that? 2010, 2012, 20 something. We did get a parking garage approved, right? That has not been constructed. Go back to that one. on this corner of the site. And at that time, there was a lot of discussion around, is that the right location for a parking structure? And so our general development plan approval basically said, you're approved as to location, but you've got to come back to us when you're ready to build and basically prove to us that this is the right spot. After that, we did the medical office building, and I think that's the parking garage that you're referring to, Roseanne, because that's the only one that's been constructed on the site. And now, of course, we're proposing the parking garage connected to the BCC. It is going to improve parking substantially. We're going to go from, I think it's 103%. peak demand during, you know, during the peak hour, peak hours to 91%. But it's not, it's not the end of the story. So there will be a need for additional parking in the future. But these things are, I mean, it is, we've talked about this so many times, building parking is just astronomically expensive. And so right now, the focus is on, you know, building this state of the art cancer facility with parking that's going to improve things, but it's not the end of the discussion. And I can tell you that like leadership has for the past two decades, they continue to be very focused on solving that problem.

Okay, thanks. Sure. Again, it's going to be a great addition to help serve all the citizens of Stanford.

It seems like with parking, your plan is to provide it as you build the way you're doing here. So that if you were to build another building, then you would consider building a parking garage there.

Not necessarily. That is the way that it's happened, you know, in the past, but not necessarily yet. Mr. Chairman, I think there is a focus on the need to ensure that everyone can access the hospital efficiently. And there are challenges involved when you're within a neighborhood. There's only so much space and we don't wanna continue to sprawl, but there is a focus.

Okay, good, good. Next is...

Keith. Okay. I actually have a number of questions. I'll try and be quick. Thank you for your application here. And also, I just want to thank the staff. There is a lot of paper involved here and collecting and I think thought they did a really good job in gathering this. Lisa, you had mentioned that you're not creating new demand. Is Will there be new jobs in the creation of this center?

I believe there'll be, you know, a handful of new jobs and I'll let Ed jump in if I'm misstating anything there or Liz, but nothing terribly measurable. It's really, they're out of space. It was really about the space to be able to accommodate the types of treatment that that they want to be able to accommodate.

Gotcha. Okay. So in your application for the special permits, and I'm just going to read this to you in what you wrote, it says all new improvements are in conformance with the applicable standards for the HCD-D, the cancer center building and new parking structure. Respect applicable building setback standards. I'm As someone in real estate, I didn't know that setbacks, I'm not familiar with that term. I thought setbacks are binary. They're either within the code or they're not. And you wrote the words that they respect applicable building setbacks standards. So I'm trying to determine, are you asking for a change here or is the building within the current code?

Perhaps a better choice of words would have been complies. It is within the code. As David mentioned, the code allows for a reduced setback when the building height is below 45 feet. And that's pursuant to zoning board approval. So we are asking for that. But there's no text change and there's no special permit.

Okay. All right. Great. Yeah. You guys spent the time to prepare this, so I read it.

I appreciate that.

Thank you. Just two other questions, and I don't know whether there's someone on the call who can answer this. On the site feasibility report, there's questions about peak runoff, and in particular, and I wrote this down, and then, of course, we had the the scene that we had all over Stanford or downtown Stanford yesterday. It talks about the parking garage and it says standard two, no increase in peak runoff rates will be proposed. And I was just wondering what the thought process is on that, as well as when you build a parking garage, as you know, in particular during the wintertime, snow has to be, put somewhere. And when you put it on the edge of a property, is it sitting on a parking garage? Is it draining into someone else's property? A new building that's 73,000 square feet will create X amount of water and drainage. And I was just wondering what is meant if someone can answer that question. If not, they can get back to me.

Sure. I'll get started with it. And then Ted Malone's on the call as well. And he's our engineer. In terms of the, you know, the peak runoff, I think, you know, what happened over the weekend was a very unusual rain event. You know, I think it was like seven inches and an hour and a half, something like that. So. That's a little bit different than your typical runoff scenario. I know that when we talked about this after the rain event, Ted said it's actually going to get a little bit better from the way that things are draining today. In terms of the specific drainage plans, that and the snow removal plans, those are all details that'll come to you when we do the final site plan application and it's fully engineered. But Ted, if you wanna give a little bit of high level overview for Mr. Walker, that may be helpful.

Is Ted here?

Yep, I'm here, sorry. For the record, my name is Ted Malone, professional engineer with Redness and Mead. So, you know, I phased the feasibility report into different projects. And with the northern proposed parking structure that's shown, I was just basically, we don't anticipate that runoff is going to be increased because the parking, the proposed structure is proposed entirely within a parking lot. So there are really no increases in coverage. And the two, the Stillwater and the Spruce Street, the Stillwater, we're in the process of designing for final site plan approval, a stormwater mitigation that's going to entail permeable pavers and whatnot. And we find with that, we're going to see a decrease in runoff from what pre-existed on the property. Spruce Street was previously developed with houses, driveways, before the roadway was reconfigured. So there's really no change. I think we may be decreasing slightly. And then... for the Bennett Cancer Center, we're trying to see opportunities to see if we can lessen the water going towards Merrill Avenue. So we're looking at decreasing runoff towards Merrill Avenue just because Merrill Avenue floods. And we're proposing to divert some runoff towards the on-site detention pond. And we're currently working at trying to reconfigure that and maybe change the meter structures so that we're not increasing runoff off the property.

Okay, thank you. I guess we'll see it. This is obviously what you do. Just pay attention to snow building up on parking decks. I've experienced it way too much in my life. It becomes a problem. So my last question, and maybe this is for the staff, Um, our sustainability amendment that we passed at our, at our last, um, meeting, um, I guess the hospital is sort of, I'm not sure which word I want to use is, is not bound by some of the things that, that we had passed or are they bound as far as roof and, um, as far as a green roof or solar roof or anything like that. That's a question for Ralph or Benita.

So they are bound. What we heard was that the cancer center does have particular requirements for mechanical space on the rooftop. So they need extra ventilation and those kinds of things. So my understanding is that if need be, there will be a special permit application that takes that into account if they can't meet the full requirement.

Ralph, since we're on the topic, can you just explain for everyone a little bit What happens where someone has filed an application and then after they file, there's a change in the regulations which either works against them or in their favor?

So if an application is filed before the effective date of a change, then they grandfathered in to the old regulations. So there is then no need to follow the new regulations.

But if the new regulation is more lenient for the applicant, unless it gives them more rights, then they can follow it if they want. Is that correct?

That is correct. Because the goal of zoning is not to be punishing. The goal is to allow for good development. And if the new guidelines or requirements are more lenient, then the applicant can benefit from that.

So in this case, the applicant will be filing its site plan after the effective date of our regulations.

Yeah, that's why they're subject to the new requirements.

Okay, good. So did... I guess, did Stanford Health consider putting solar, I know the parking garage was, the height was reduced, but did they consider, or would you consider putting solar on the top of the parking garage?

The top of the parking garage actually has parking.

So we don't- Understood, but you can put solar on, it's done everywhere. So you actually, you gain something for actually yourselves. I mean, there's money upfront, but you can actually put a, the spots that would be up there would actually be covered. So you'd be benefiting from them being covered at the same time. You could create electric for yourselves by having solar on it. I guess you haven't considered it.

I'm not sure if our team has considered it. I'm happy to discuss that with them and get your response before we come back for final, but we are prepared to accommodate the new sustainability requirements to the maximum extent that we can. I also would have a question for Ralph. I don't know the answer to this. If we were to do something like that with solar panels and we exceeded our building height, is it exempt from building height?

Yes, it is. So we, as part of the sustainability tax change, we also put in stuff that relieves the height limitations for solar panels on structures.

Okay. Thank you.

That's all the questions I had. Thank you for answering. Appreciate it. Okay.

Peter, you're up.

Yeah, I don't have any questions. Thanks. I thought the presentation was good, and I appreciate the attention to detail.

Okay. All of my questions have been answered. So, board, before we go to the public, is there anyone else who has final questions? Although we'll be back to the board anyway. But anything before the public? Okay, so Vanita, let's go to the public.

All right. So first we have Alexi Farrow.

Okay, Ms. Farrow, you need to unmute.

Hi, can you hear me?

Yep, give us your name and address, please.

Hi, my name is Alexis Farrow and my address is 28 Perry Street in Stanford.

Welcome. Thank you. Please proceed.

Okay, so I just have a couple of questions. I won't take up a lot of time. Firstly, I'm a community member here in Stanford's West Side. I've been residing in Stanford my whole life. I'm 33 years old. I've been residing here since 1993 when I was born. So I've seen a lot of the growth here and I think it's great. I love Stanford Hospital. I appreciate the attentive care that they give our community. And I definitely appreciate the growth of Stanford and of the hospital. But it's concerning to me that during this presentation and during even some of the questions asked, I've heard a lot about how this is going to grow the hospital and how the hospital wants to modernize. But I haven't heard anything about the community and how it will be affected, the community around the hospital. I have a son who's 11 years old. He's in the sixth grade. And although I live on Perry Street on the other side of the hospital, he goes to Turner River Middle School and his bus stop is actually on Stillwater Avenue. So he has to walk from our side of the West Side over to Stillwater Avenue. So I'm sure that with the increase or the expansion, should I say, of this Cancer Bennett Center, we'll have an increase of cancer patients or patients regardless visiting the hospital in the surrounding community. So how are we going to make sure traffic stays controlled and that our children and adults in the surrounding community stay safe? Because that's a primary location of the West Side, right? The only stoplight located in the neighborhood is right there at that Finney Lane corner. And when you start heading towards, I'm guessing that would be Stillwater and West Avenue. So there's a whole half of mile of the west side in Stillwater Ave that does not have any stoplights. There's another school at the bottom of Stillwater Avenue, the Stanford Charter School of Excellence, which has hundreds of students. And many of them walk because they don't have school buses for the surrounding neighborhood. And there's no stoplight there. And there are multiple car accidents in a week. So how is traffic going to be regulated for the increase of people that come through Finney Lane and Spruce Street and Stillwater Avenue?

Okay, thank you. Just a couple of things. First, if there's anyone from the public who wants to speak on this, please raise your hand. If you came in through Zoom... use the raise your hand function. And if you called in on a telephone conference call, phone number, press star nine to raise your hand and then press star six to unmute when it is your turn. And again, please give us your name and address. Thank you. Okay, Vanita. You're on mute.

All right. Give me one second.

Oh, one last thing. The questions that are asked will be answered at the end. So the applicant will make a note of all of your questions and we'll answer them all at once when the public is finished.

Next we have Mr. Vincent Dufault.

Hello. Just want to make sure you can hear me.

Yes, we can.

Great. Thank you. Good evening. I'm Vincent Tufo, CEO of Charter Oak Communities and leader of the Vita Health and Wellness Partnership, which we co-founded with Stanford Hospital in 2010. I'm pleased to offer the strong support of Charter Oak and the Vita Partnership for Stanford Health's proposed campus improvements, which will expand critical services in the area of adult mental health, acute rehabilitation, and advanced cancer care. The organizations I represent have a proud history of supporting and, where possible, assisting Stanford Hospital to become the institution that we know today, including playing a hand in the creation of the new hospital facility and, as importantly, numerous targeted initiatives to improve community health by bringing together local organizations in support of this common goal. During this uninterrupted 25-year partnership, we've been engaged in planning the latest set of campus improvements consisting of the proposed cancer center, new inpatient behavioral health unit, and van munching rehab facility. Charter Oaks Park 215 and Greenfield properties are located adjacent to the hospital campus and will be immediately next door to the proposed cancer center building and parking structure. I appreciate how open and engaged with the community the hospital has been throughout the process. The project team reached out to us and other members of the West Side neighborhood early in the planning process, listening to their concerns and incorporating some into the final proposed plan. During those conversations, we expressed our desire for the hospital to reduce the overall height of the proposed parking garage so that it wouldn't impose on the surrounding residences. And as I said, remember, these buildings are directly in our backyard. They are on the setback line for two major properties that Charterville Communities owns and manages. I'm pleased to see that the hospital has taken this step of reducing the parking garage height. Stanford Hospital's responsiveness in preparing this application reflects their commitment to the neighborhood, as has their involvement in the Vita Health and Wellness District over many years. Charter Oak looks forward to working with the hospital and the rest of our neighbors in continuing to expand equitable access to care right here in our community and to the long-term goal of continuously improving health outcomes. For the foregoing reasons, I hope you will join us in supporting this important project. Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, we have Ms. Leysha Lucero. Leisha, we can't hear you yet. Oh, can you hear me? Yes.

Okay. Thank you. For the record, my name is Leisha Lucero. I'm a resident at 40 Alden Street. I want to emphasize that this is not necessarily about opposing the hospital or the new cancer center. We understand how important these services are to Stanford and its residents and its ability to have access to quality health care. But what we're asking is for the quality of life of the residents who live around the hospital be considered as well. The concern is the continual loss of residential property and open space. Houses on parcels located on Spruce Street were bought by the hospital. And recently, the single house left on Wright Street was also torn down to make additional parking. My concern is, as a resident living on Alden Street, is that although the hospital has expanded on Spruce Street, that proposed parking lot, the hospital has also bought houses 60 and 23 Alden Street. So it's assumed that the hospital is going to continue to expand and essentially push out Westside residents. Changing the zone to accommodate 74 parking spaces may sound like a small change on paper, but it has consequences that we're already seeing in real time. At what point does parking and hospital expansion begin to overtake an entire neighborhood? We will always need parking. Always, residents, the hospital, and we understand that, but there has to be a point where we have to ask whether every available piece of land needs to become parking or whether it should remain part of the neighborhood. Stanford's own 2035 Comprehensive Plan recognizes the health disparities that exist on the Westside community. They recognize that residents on the West Side community have an eight-year lower life expectancy. So how does building more parking improve our current environmental conditions, pollution, and health disparities? Particularly speaking on that parcel where Spruce Street is located, children are now using it as a soccer field. A hospital plans to use it as a parking lot, taking away an essential space created by Westside residents without the hospital meaning to. Under the hospital's zone map change application under the section titled Quality of Life, it states that the proposed zone change will enhance hospital operations and improve the quality of life by allowing the hospital to better serve its patients. But what about the quality of life of residents? They claim in their application that, quote, the hospital has engaged in several conversations with members of the West Side community. But I ask who and when and over what period of time? Again, why not preserve the grass and create small gated walking path for residents and patients using the cancer center when they need a breath of fresh air? That would provide a benefit without turning every available piece of neighborhood land into another parking area. And again, no one is saying don't build on the hospital. No one is saying don't build the cancer center. No one is saying don't make the parking lot, the three-story parking lot into a larger parking lot. We need to build up, not across.

Ms. Lucero, your three minutes is up. Could you just try to wrap it up, please?

Yes. Just because Westside residents don't have the same resources, disposable income, information, communication, and time as other residents in other parts of Stanford, remember that your decision is irreparable. Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, we have Ms. Karen Gottlieb.

Can you hear me? Yes. Okay, very good. Thank you. Good evening, Zoning Board members. My name is Karen Gottlieb. I have served as the Executive Director of the AmeriCares Free Clinics Program since 1994 and continue to assist in donor relations and community partnerships. As many of you know, AmeriCares is a leader in the free and charitable clinic sector. We have had a partnership with Stanford Health since 2014, under which our patients are able to receive certain free services at Stanford Hospital and the emergency department, along with medically necessary care related to diagnostic testing and specialty care. It is a partnership that is meaningful for patients who face economic struggles, particularly in accessing health care and health-related services. AmeriCares is a strong supporter of the hospital's improvement plans. We have served over 30,000 low-income, uninsured residents of Fairfield County since 1994. Without the partnership with Stanford Hospital and their dedication to quality and equitable care for our patients, Our patients would not have access to this comprehensive system of outpatient health services. The financial assistance program provides free care to qualifying patients who cannot afford their bills. This population is, in fact, the patients we serve, keeping patients out of the hospital and able to care for themselves and their family as a goal we share. We are eager to have the new resources this project will provide available to the entire community, including those served by AmeriCares. The need for cancer care and behavioral health services is constantly growing. Treating patients efficiently in a setting with dignity and respect is evident in every detail of their plan. I have worked with many at Stanford Health and appreciate their demonstrated commitment to and involvement in the community. I urge your support of Stanford Health's proposal. Thank you and I would be happy to answer any questions.

Good, thank you.

Next we have Mr. Michael Peters.

Hello, good evening. How are you? My name is Michael Peters, and I am a lifelong Stanford resident as well as a Westside Stanford resident for all my life. Can you just give us your address, please? Oh, sorry. I'm a resident of Spruce Street, 72 Spruce Street. Thank you. Yes. I absolutely appreciate Stanford Hospital, the growth over the years. I've witnessed just the expansion of the hospital. But I will say that it does seem that the expansion is just becoming insatiable. And I wonder and worry that it might just continue to grow and grow and grow. And while it grows, we lose parking, we lose housing, we lose so much in the effort of growth. And I appreciate the growth, but I think that it affects the community in a negative way. Also, Stillwater Avenue is one of the major arteries for Westside residents to get in and out of the Westside of Stanford. Main Street is congested. Everyone who drives Main Street would know the car wash over there and just the businesses over there and the congestion that happens over there. And if you go over to West Broad Street, which are adjacent streets to Stillwater, the congestion is just... astronomical between target and the hospital um and i feel like this would be um the last stronghold of being able to get in and out the west side efficiently i mean i'm sorry the west side efficiently um if this project happens um not to mention there is a lot of buses that ride up and down stillwood avenue lots of foot traffic from children um and as alexis stated earlier just to echo her sentiments about um just the safety of pedestrians and everything else because this will be a lot more traffic on Stillwater Avenue. There haven't been any measures to make it any more safe for pedestrians or anything like that. So I'm just a little concerned about the growth and the speed of the growth and how it will adversely affect our community.

Thank you.

Okay. Thank you.

Next, we have Mr. Dan Lombardi.

Hello. Good evening. Can you hear me?

Yep.

Great. I'm Dan Lombardi. I live on Hubbard Avenue. I'm also the president of the Hubbard Heights Association, which is... a group of about 300 homeowners on the north side of the hospital campus. And like many of the other west side residents, we are quite concerned about the impact of this construction on our neighborhood and our area. And like them as well, we are excited about the possibilities and the the facilities that are going to be offered for our health growth of the entire area. So we thank the Stanford Hospital for that. But a project of this size comes with many concerns. And we've been good neighbors with the hospital since it relocated to West Broad Street in 1913. Vanita has a letter that was sent to the board today. So I'm not going to read the whole thing, but I do want to make a couple of points in it. And one of the points is representatives from the hospital, including Mr. Oldeck, have reached out to our association. And we're scheduled to meet sometime soon so the neighbors can hear more about this plan. But some of the issues we've had in the past, especially with the expansion in 2016, is that there were promises that were made to the neighborhood that just were not upheld during the construction. to the hospital at that time was originally planned to be located on the south side of the campus. But it was relocated to its current location on the north side of West Broad and Hubbard Avenue and significantly impacting traffic in our neighborhood. When the plan changed, the neighbors were not informed. And once construction was started, we were told that could not be changed. So many residents hold resentment over that kind of approach. There was a proposed greenway separating the hospital and the neighborhood on West Broad Street that was essentially eliminated. Signage of the hospital was really going to be just muted with only the logo at the top of the tower. In actuality, now there's a brightly lit entrance on West Broad that resembles the entrance to a shopping mall. So that was in the past, but now we're talking about the future. So some of our current concerns about this proposed expansion include the increased traffic in the neighborhood, along with the other Westside residents that have spoken tonight. In our case, especially along Hubbard Avenue, which is the primary artery to the main entrance. It's an ambulance route. We get plenty of traffic every day. And with the addition of 73,000 square feet of building space, we would anticipate another substantial increase in traffic on Hubbard Avenue and adjacent streets. Parking in the Hubbard Heights neighborhood during construction has been a significant issue, especially on our lower... areas on the south side of our neighborhood on St. George, Rochelle, and Hubbard Avenue. We were forced to have permit parking installed because many residents and patients were parking in front of homes, so much so that residents weren't able to park in front of their own homes.

As far as the construction... You're at three minutes.

Okay, great. Just one last point I would like to make, and this is actually a solution to some of the issues with parking. Some of the ambulatory and behavioral health services that are outpatient, that are going to be on this campus, could those be moved to another location, whether it is the campus on 260 Longridge or the Tully Center where there's more parking, less congestion? So that's a question for Ms. Longmore. Could some of those services be moved out of this campus up to places that could better deal with that traffic? Thank you very much. Appreciate it.

Good. Thank you.

Next we have Ms. Priscilla Dorsey.

Ms. Dorsey, you need to unmute. There you go. You can proceed. We're not hearing you. Okay, Benita, why don't we go on to Heather Cavanaugh and come back to Ms. Dorsey.

Yeah. Thank you. Good evening, Chairman Stein and members of the Zoning Board. My name is Heather Cavanaugh, and I'm the President and CEO of Stanford Chamber of Commerce. I'm sorry?

Hang on, we'll get to you in a minute.

On behalf of the Chamber's Board of Directors, I'm here tonight to express our strong support for Stanford Health's pending application and to respectfully urge the Zoning Board to approve it. Stanford Health is an essential partner in our community and its commitment to providing high quality care has never been more evident than during the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time of unprecedented challenge, Stanford Health remained steadfast in caring for our residents, adapting its services and responding to the evolving needs of the community. The proposed expansion will enable Stanford Health to provide additional cancer, behavioral health and rehabilitation services to those who need them. Stanford is the second largest city in Connecticut. And as our population continues to grow, so does the demand for accessible high-quality healthcare. This expansion represents a responsible investment in meeting that growing need. Stanford Health's role extends well beyond healthcare. It's an important and valued member of our business community, serving on the Chamber's Board of Directors and many other boards throughout the city, contributing to the economic and civic vitality of Stanford in many meaningful ways. The proposed expansion will also create jobs and generate additional economic activity, benefiting the best businesses and families throughout our community. Access to world-class healthcare is also a significant factor for businesses considering where to locate, grow, and attract employees. Companies want to know that their employees and their families have excellent healthcare close to home. Stanford Health helps make Stanford a more attractive place to live, work, learn, and do business. This application is ultimately about preparing our community for the future, expanding access to essential services and ensuring that Stanford residents and our neighbors throughout the region have access to the care they need. On behalf of the Stanford Chamber of Commerce and our Board of Directors, we respectfully, for these foregoing reasons, urge you to approve Stanford Health's application and support its continued efforts to serve our community. Thank you for your time, your consideration, and most of all, your service to our city of Stanford. Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, we have Ms. Saira Lopez. Actually, we needed to go back to Ms. Priscilla Dorsey.

Yeah, we do.

Ms. Dorsey, could you? I apologize, Ms. Lopez. Can we go to Ms. Dorsey, please? Yes.

Ms. Lopez, hang on a second. Ms. Dorsey, you can proceed.

Can you hear me? Yes. Please. Well, good evening, members of the zoning board. My name is Priscilla Dorsey, and I live at 72 Spruce Street. And I'm here to express my opposition to the post Stanford hospital expansion. This area is already heavily congested and the narrowing roads create a serious safety concern, especially for children getting on and off school buses and more traffic will only increase that risk. Residents are also already facing shortage of street parking. Losing additional parking spaces to the expansion would put even greater burden on the people who live here. I urge the zoning board to prioritize the safety, parking needs, and quality of life of our residents. Therefore, approving this expansion, before approving this expansion, sorry. Thank you. Also, to mention that there was no type of notice. Notice was mailed to people living on this district about the public hearing.

You didn't get a mailing address?

No, I did not.

No, I did not.

Okay. It was by word of mouth, and that was the only way that I heard about this. Okay? Because... Ooh, enough notification, you know, time to register. You know, the link... went live this morning. And I, like I said, by word of mouth, that's the only way I've heard about this meeting.

Well, I'm glad you were able to find out about it and have a chance to make your opinions heard.

But is it possible for, you know, us to get more notice in regards to, to, um, these public meetings?

I will ask staff to respond to that at the end of this public comment. Okay.

Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Mr. Lopez, you can unmute now.

Ready. I don't believe this Sony chain should be approved as a Stanford resident.

Ms. Lopez, could you just introduce yourself, please, and give us your address?

Yes, my name is Aira Lopez. I live in 13 West Washington Avenue. I am a Stanford resident. Thank you. I don't believe this zoning change should be approved. As a Stanford resident, we don't need more traffic in your community. Traffic is already a serious problem, especially for your children who relate in buses and have to deal with long delays every single day. Adding more traffic will make already difficult situations worse. in affecting negative or community quality of life and safe of the real children. I don't support this change in children be approved.

Okay, thank you.

We have Ms. Alexis Farrell with her hands raised again. Should we go back to Ms. Farrow?

Okay. Thank you for letting me speak again. This is just a really quick question that I forgot to touch on. Just piggybacking off of what Bill said a little earlier with his question. At the hospital, there are many vacant spaces. I was just there last week because my son unfortunately had to get stitches. So we were at the emergency room last Wednesday. And although it was difficult to find parking for me, I drove past several parking lots, gated parking lots that had many vacant spaces. I mean, 20 open spaces at a time. And I do understand that physicians and nurses need to access the building and be able to make it there quickly, especially in critical moments. But I heard Lisa mentioned that there are and I could be wrong. over 1,000 spaces dedicated to staff and personnel and physicians. So just piggybacking off of Bill's question a little bit, are over 1,000 physicians and nurses there at one time? I mean, why are we trying to build a new parking lot? Like, is there a way we have we internally tried to utilize what's there or make some changes in house before trying to add on? Because I again, I've been a Stanford resident for a long time. I don't know. on the board and on the panel who lives in the community, how often you go to the hospital or drive by. But I'm there often. I work for SWACA for the state of Connecticut. So I'm there once a week for a meeting with the rehab department. And every time I'm there, it is hard to find parking for me. But there are tons of vacant lots. So I do understand people wanting to have parking, physicians wanting to have parking. But I don't want that at the expense of my son, God forbid, being hit by a car. because there's not enough traffic control and stoplights for all this traffic that's going to come. Sorry, that's just my last question. Thank you.

Good. Thank you.

Next, we have Mr. Dave Adams.

Hi, Zoning Board. Pleasure to see you all this evening. This is Dave Adams. I live on Glenbrook Road. I just had a couple of questions. One of the questions that I had was in regards to the 70-foot setback, I didn't really get a clear understanding of why there's a setback there and why there would be a temporary leniency on that setback. I mean, if that could be explained more in depth, that would be great. And, you know, further than that, I hope you guys definitely, guys and girls, sorry, Roseanne, do listen to the community's concerns. I think that the traffic in this area all around the hospital is a constant concern. And I, too, have tried to go to the hospital, whether this was pre-COVID or something. I was picking somebody up, and I... could not find a parking space inside the campus and did end up, as Mr. Lombardo spoke about earlier, parking somewhere in the neighborhoods around the hospital. Has there ever been a thought that perhaps if we're going to try to accommodate more parking on these sites that we perhaps dig down and create underground parking facilities rather than in, you know, infringing upon our neighbors as the representative from Charter Oaks spoke of before. And also, it would increase, you know, probably be easier to support that structure under the ground. And I think it would be a much more efficient way to increase your parking footprint without actually increasing your footprint. Anyway, those are my thoughts. I like the idea of throwing solar panels as a canopy over the parks and structures. I think that was a great idea. Thank you, and that's it, bye.

Thank you.

David, those are all the speakers that we have.

Okay. Attorney Feinberg, you want to respond to the public comments, please?

Yes, sir. I will do my best to respond. But if members of my team think that I either have missed anything or feel like they need to jump in, please let me know. So the good news is that it appears that everyone is excited and supportive of the hospital's proposed $275 million investment in the healthcare needs of our community. There were several questions around potential impacts to the community related to traffic, safety, open space and growth. And I'm gonna try to provide some, some clarity and facts around that, hopefully. In terms of traffic, I've said this a few different times, but I'd like to give a little bit more detail around it. This is not an expansion. This is a response to the existing needs of our community. So right now, the Bennett Cancer Center, I believe, is around 40,000 square feet of space located within the main hospital building, the older portion of the hospital building. The proposal is to move that cancer center to the southwestern corner of the site and build a new 73,000 square foot So there is additional square footage, but that is in response to existing needs and changes in the medical environment over the last 30 years since the Bennett Cancer Center was originally constructed. Similarly, space is being backfilled with behavioral health and the rehab center, all in response to existing needs. There are no new curb cuts proposal. I heard a lot about the safety and circulation concerns on Stillwater Avenue and the surrounding streets. There is not a single new curb cut proposed over there. The parking lot that we are proposing would be accessed entirely internally. So you would have to gain access to the campus through the existing entrances. And as one speaker noted, when the hospital originally, you know, did expand the campus, we the hospital put in multiple traffic signals because that was a necessary mitigation response to the increase in traffic. And so those signals will continue to be utilized to access the existing campus. I heard some about open space. The area on Spruce Street that's being proposed to be converted into parking, those of you who were on the board back in 2010, I believe it was, when we, you know, proposed this dramatic change to the hospital campus, it involved the realignment, discontinuance and realignment of roads. And one of those roads was right in Spruce Street. That used to be a a right angle right into Spruce. And so that was sort of realigned to create a gentle curve. And the result of that was that there was additional property owned by the hospital leftover on the east side of Spruce Street. So that space has been owned by the hospital since 2010. or earlier and was never dedicated as open space. It is private property. And so it's intended to be used by the hospital to meet the needs that you heard about related to to parking. In terms of expansion and concerns about the hospital's growth and impact on the neighborhood, you know, the hospital is very sensitive to being a good neighbor, spends a lot of time with the community. And the homes that were talked about that the hospital owns on Alden Street, they've owned those homes since 2010. This is not a new acquisition and there is no plan to expand onto Alden Street or take those residences away. In terms of sustainability and environmental impacts, we didn't talk about this today, but we did have to submit a sustainability scorecard. I believe our requirement is to meet a grade C. We are going to achieve a grade B. The HCDD also has an additional requirement that you don't see in all the zones where we have to achieve lead basic certification. So that will also happen in terms of outreach requirements. We did not just outreach once or twice. I mean, this is a constant. I believe certainly, and you heard Mr. Tufo speak about this, this outreach for this particular project has been going on for at least a year. We have emails, particularly with Hubbard Heights, going back to last year. September. There is a bit of a disagreement in terms of history when it comes to what took place in the past. As some of you may recall, the original plan with the hospital dates back to I don't think they started the study in 2005, sort of evaluating what made the most sense. Should they move to a new campus? Should they stay in place? And it was at that time that the Hubbard Heights folks were extremely clear that they wanted the hospital to stay and they wanted them to grow where they were. And they understood that that was going to involve additional acquisitions and expansions and modifications to the site. And the hospital agreed to do that. And it was a very complicated endeavor. There were property swaps, there were road discontinuances, and there were a lot of zoning approvals. And it was envisioned as a 10 to 15 year plan. And that was back in 2010. And they were able to accomplish everything, I think it was about seven years. So The hospital takes the integrity of the organization really seriously and is really committed to this community. So any suggestion about misrepresentation or mischaracterization of anything, it's truly concerning to the hospital. So I can tell you, because I have been lucky enough to be involved, have been involved since then, the very beginning that the hospital has been 100% compliant with each of its approvals. But that's not to say that things haven't changed. Any plan that develops from a purely conceptual phase into construction drawings, there are changes, you know, things progress. But with each of those changes, there is always significant outreach and notification. Nothing is done in the dead of night. And I have all of the facts to back this up. We actually went through this six or seven years ago again. So everything was compiled again to ensure that the hospital is compliant with its approvals. So while there may be things that changed that some folks may have preferred to be otherwise, nothing was done without approval and everything was done 100% in compliance with what was approved. Let me see. If I have missed anything, I guess the other thing I would add with regard to traffic is you all know this, but maybe some folks that are less familiar with the zoning process don't. Anything that we file is not only reviewed and approved by Ralph and Benita and you all, but it's also reviewed by your highly qualified technical staff. And Stanford is lucky enough to have in-house traffic. technical staff. So our traffic study has been reviewed by Luke Buttonweiser. it will be reviewed again when we come in with a final site plan application. And on top of that, the state of Connecticut is also involved in reviewing our traffic studies. So everyone, I hope, can rest assured that this is not something that's just done on a whim and that it is being reviewed very carefully to ensure that there are no issues unforeseen consequences from what is being proposed. I'm just checking my notes. I think we can all agree that Stanford Hospital is a vital part of our community and continues to double down in its commitment to this city. The current proposal is an example of that commitment. You have received what I would consider an onslaught of letters from instrumental community partners. You've heard from some of those folks tonight, and I think that that's really a testament to that dedication. There are always going to be some folks that disagree, but I can promise you that Stanford Hospital continues to be completely committed to being a good neighbor and doing what is in the best interest for our community. I'm going to ask my team if they think that I have missed anything. I'm being reminded that there was a question about perhaps moving outpatient psychiatric care to other sites. And I can confirm that those programs, the outpatient will be moving or will be housed at 260 Long Ridge Road and Tully in connection with this project. So again, I think that was one of the things that Liz Longmore tried to address that, you when possible in terms of a TDMP strategy, moving appropriate services to some of the other hospital locations. Anybody, team, did I miss anything else or board, did I miss anything else?

It was a question from Dave Adams, I believe, regarding the 70-foot setback and the use of that for your temporary parking.

The 75-foot setback?

Right. I think he believed it was a requirement of our regs.

Oh, okay.

To just explain why it's being done.

Sure. So when we originally approached staff about wanting to put parking on that site, there was a concern about parking meeting the street. Ralph and Benita felt strongly that that was not in line with the plans for the Vita Health and Wellness District, that activating that street frontage was important. And so we were asked to create a 75-foot setback in terms of permanent development plans so that in the future development can take place that's in line with what you've seen completed by Charter Oak communities. And that 75-foot setback is not an accident. That is actually the depth of the Charter Oak development before you get to parking. So that was a self-imposed or self slash staff imposed setback and not a requirement of the regulations.

Okay. Ralph, is there anything or Benita, anything you want to add to any of the public comment?

There was a question about the notice requirements. So I did look up. So the certificate of mailing states that the mailing went out to 116 neighbors. So the mail goes out to people who are within 100 feet. of the property. So it's possible that Ms. Dorsey's address might be beyond that. But there were also other notices. There were seven signs posted all around the property. And then there were also legal notices in the newspaper that were put in twice before the hearing. So the applicant did meet all the notice requirements.

The other sort of clarification that may be helpful is that anyone that isn't technically the property owner wouldn't necessarily receive a notice. So, for example, if there is an apartment building within that 100 foot setback, that notice would go to the owner of the property, but not to individual residents if they are not the owners.

The other thing that I want to mention is that you can sign up for the land use registry. So you would send an email to stamfordlanduse at stamfordct.gov and ask for meetings. And that would receive four meetings of

Well, I think you froze. Benita, I see we have one more person who would like to speak. Can you let them in?

Yeah, Mr. Dan Lombardi.

Yes, hello, thank you. I'd just like to respond to Ms. Feinberg's point about the history. Going back to the plans, there was a set of plans that was presented to the neighbors at that time. And the points that I made about the location of the main entrance, the lighting, and the greenway were absolutely made to us at that time and changed. And to my knowledge, and I've been here for over 30 years, there was no notice of those changes. And I have several residents who are also at that original meeting that can corroborate those facts. But we can easily look at the plans that were filed and see where the original location was and the lighting and those kind of things. So yes, we do have a disagreement there. But again, we support the hospital and its plans. We are just concerned about the impact on the community and that once the plans are approved, that they stay approved and do not change. Thank you.

Okay.

I don't see any other.

Thank you. Okay. Ford, any comments? Last questions for the applicant. David. Lisa, anything you want to say?

Can I ask a question? Sure. Okay. So just a point of clarification. Stanford Health is the largest employer in Stanford. Is that correct? You are right. Okay. Just want to just clarify that. Um, I think, Lisa, you did a very good job and explaining Sort of the idea of that you're not creating New demand. Um, which definitely sort of answers a lot of the questions in regard to traffic and et cetera. I did read your traffic study. I did see it's, I think it said there were averaging something like 20 crashes around Stanford Hospital or something like that, or they took, it was close to 100 over five years and they just averaged it out. I think the hospital, whether it's reality or not reality, let's just go with it's reality, should probably figure out a way if, because I see it all the time, the buses and the kids, we should work together as a community to figure that out. I think it just inures to everyone's benefit. You know, when people get sick, they're not always in the right frame of mind going to a hospital. or a medical facility. And I don't think that this will increase traffic personally. I understand the community's concerns, but I think whether it's reality or not, I think Stanford Health has a little bit of a PR issue in regard to that. And I think you should figure that out. What's the best way to work with the community as a whole over there to sort of figure this out? I'm sure there are small things you can do together to increase safety, especially for those kids. So that's it.

Okay. I think we're in a position to close both of these applications. Unless anyone disagreed. Yes.

I got a message that somebody's logging in to speak. Could we give that a minute? Okay, we have Mr. Dave Adams. Do you want me to go to him in the meantime?

Sure, go ahead. And then we're going to close the comments from the public.

Okay.

Thank you again, Chair. Dave Adams, Glenbrook Road. And thank you, Mr. Morris, for paying attention to one of the questions that I had. There was something else that I had referenced since and this is, you know, uh, you know, both directed at the applicant and also the land use department in, in, in terms of, you know, future preference or future encouragement of development. Um, and that is, uh, underground, uh, parking structures. Um, I did discuss it, uh, you know, during my comments earlier and that I, I just wanted to, uh, put out the thought that perhaps putting, uh, or increasing the capacity of a parking structure by going down into the ground rather than building a taller and taller parking structure as was referenced by the representative from Charter Oak as I talked about earlier. And this is what we see in more developed cities, a lot of the buildings, they all have parking structures built underneath the building to accommodate for parking. Because no matter what, as you continue to develop and the density grows, there is still going to be a need for parking, as has been talked about over and over again. Even though, as you know, I do consider myself to be an environmentalist, and I am talking about the need for increased parking. Thank you, Mr. Blessing. I think that it is a good idea to possibly pop into your heads in terms of perhaps this project, but also in projects in the future in which we are trying to struggle with the traffic, we are trying to struggle with the parking. Increasing the parking reduces the burden on the traffic because vehicles can get in and out more quickly without spending more and more time circling a parking lot as Ms. Feinberg had referenced earlier, which we don't want anybody to have to do. Anyway, those are my thoughts. I hope I've delayed this meeting long enough for the other person that wants to speak to get on the meeting. And I hope you do actually answer these questions because I do think they are pertinent. Thank you very much.

Good.

Thank you.

Attorney Feinberg, would you like to Give us any closing remarks.

Sure. And just to answer Mr. Adams question, that certainly I suppose underground parking is always possible, but you all know structured parking is around $40,000 a space. And when you go underground, that's multiplied many times over. And in this particular location, the water table is a little bit higher than others. And so that makes it even more expensive. So, you know, the hospital is, while focused on parking, they are most focused on providing patient-centered care and the very best care possible, which is also always a very expensive endeavor. You know, cancer is an unwelcome guest in all of our lives. We have all been touched by it in some way or another. Investing in this state-of-the-art facility where our community can receive that quality care is just one way that we can fight back. So we hope that you will approve these applications so that Stanford Hospital can continue this incredibly important work. Thank you.

Good. Thank you. Okay. Nothing further? Okay. Then we are closing applications 226-17 and 226-18.

Thank you all very much for your time.

And thank you to your team, Ms. Longmore and the others. We appreciate your being here tonight.

Thank you very much for hearing us.

We're going on to our next application now. And that is application 226-11, Vanderson-Deguesu, 25 Debero Lane, site and architectural plans and or requested uses, special permit, coastal site plan review. as well as an application for approval for addition to the Stanford Cultural Research's inventory. Applicant is proposing to preserve the existing historic structure, remove a portion of the rear, and construct an additional two dwelling units with garages and patios. Roseanne, could you please read the planning board letter for this? You're muted. We're going to buy you a new computer.

Referral comments. Hold on. I got it right here. It didn't open like my other ones. Let's see. Here it is. august 12th 2026 to mr david stein chair stanford city of stanford zoning board regarding cb application 226-11 vanderson de jessu 25 de barra lane special permit dear mr stein and members of the zoning board during its meeting held on tuesday august 11th 2026 the planning board reviewed the above captioned application referred in accordance with the requirements of the stanford charter Applicant is proposing to preserve the existing historic structure, remove a portion in the rear and construct two additional dwelling units with garages and patios. Elena Coleman, architect, made a presentation and answered questions from the board. After some discussion, the planning board unanimously recommended approval of ZB application 226-11 and found this to be in general harmony with the 2035 comprehensive plan RES2, residential neighborhood, future land use category. Sincerely, Stanford Planning Board, Jennifer Gazzino, Chair.

Good. Thank you. Vanita, did we receive the certificate of mailing and the sign affidavit for this?

Yes.

Okay.

Good.

Let's see. I see someone there that says Elena Kalman, although I don't think you're Elena. Are you presenting?

Chairman Stein, good evening. This is Jim Lunney. I'm going to be presenting part of it, and then I'm going to turn it over to Elena. I'm just going to do the introduction, and then she's going to go over the architectures with you.

Jim, it's good to see you again.

Good to see you too, Chairman.

Please proceed.

Okay. For the record, my name is James J. Lunney III. I'm a lifelong resident of Stanford. I'm licensed by the state of Connecticut and New York as an architect. I'm also licensed by the state of Connecticut as assistant building official. I have CASIO credentials, and I've been enforcing the zoning regulations for over 33 years. I'm here before you tonight on behalf of my client. Vanderson to Jesu and 25 to Barrow Lane. I'm going to basically first, I'd like to start by thanking you all for the time you spent reviewing this project in the past. And I want you to know that we have heard your concerns. And we have addressed them and I'm going to turn it over to Elena Kalman to go over the presentation as far as the architectural changes to comply with the board's suggestions and concerns. And then I will come back in and I know it's been a long night already and briefly go over some of my overview of the significance to the neighborhood as well as the city as a whole so without further ado i'm going to step out of the screen and the name will actually reflect the person speaking uh elaine will be in my space so okay i will see you all soon okay thank you jim thank you

We are playing musical chairs today a little bit. Okay, so now, my name is Elena Kalman. I live in Stanford since 1985 and I am an architect on this project. Some of you have seen my previous presentation, but we made some significant changes to the project and I will demonstrate it to you right now. What it really entails is that originally we were going to take down the existing historical structure because it is very difficult to to restore the basement basically foundations which are old rubble and need to be reinforced so we were going to build a replica but hearing your previous board's criticism, we took it into account and now we are actually preserving the structure at a greater expense to my client and adding additional two units. As of right, we are allowed 2.55. We are asking just for one additional dwelling unit to build three units. We also made the building lower and simplified the roofs. So hopefully it meets your approval the way it is now. Let me share the screen with you if I could.

Yes.

Okay. Share. Screen two. Can you see my screen now? Yes. Okay. Okay. So I know there are a couple of board members that have seen this project before, but there are also some new board members. So I'm making kind of a introduction from the very beginning. This is the location map. The project is located at the end of the Barrow Lane, which is a small street connected to Hamilton Avenue. Uh,