Proposed Cancer Center Rejected By Greenwich Planning & Zoning Commission Again

GREENWICH, CT — Once again, the Greenwich Planning & Zoning Commission rejected a proposal from Greenwich Hospital for a new 57,000-square-foot cancer center on the corner of Lafayette Place and Lake Avenue.

The commission voted 4-1 last week to reject a zoning change to a hospital zone, and they ultimately denied the application.

The commission rejected an initial proposal in August of 2021, citing the potential impact to the character and feel of the neighborhood, and its conflict with the town's 2019 Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) — a document that serves as a guide for development in town.

Hospital officials have said the prevalence of cancer is rising, and specialized care requires more space. A new center next door to the hospital would be advantageous, they said.

Residents opposing the plan have argued that it would negatively change the character and feel of the neighborhood, as well as create more traffic problems and congestion in the area.

The hospital went back to the drawing board and came up with revised plans earlier this year they felt better addressed the commission's concerns.

The latest proposal reduced the footprint of the facility, and called for 30 percent more green space, an increase in the building setback from the road and the elimination of surface parking, among other changes.

However, the commission said again in its regularly scheduled meeting last week that the center would adversely impact the neighborhood.

Planning & Zoning Commission Chair Margarita Alban said she believed a cancer center of this magnitude would be an asset for Greenwich, and she praised the site plan, but the commission had concerns over the rezoning from the RMF to H2 zone.

"This has been so, so hard to do," Alban said. "We've lived the cancer situation as a commission. We've experienced it and this has been a very hard decision. I still lean towards the protection of neighborhoods that's in our POCD."

Commissioner Peter Lowe said he has a longstanding appreciation for Greenwich Hospital's role in the community. He was born there, he said, and his family has received "nothing but excellent care" there over the years.

"That said, with regard to this application, at the end of the day, we must all, I feel, be guided by our regulations and our 2019 POCD. The applicant's selection of this particular site seems to be in direct conflict with our town's POCD's primary guiding principles," Lowe said. "I struggle with the need to sacrifice a residential neighborhood to offer enhanced cancer care, given the availability of a variety of more commercial sites both in Greenwich and nearby communities, many of which are already home to specialized health care services and centers."

Commissioner Nick Macri voted for the zoning change, and said the neighborhood is one of the true mixed neighborhoods of single family residences, offices and multi-family homes.

"If we're saying, 'What is the neighborhood?' my thought is that it's very mixed and this use still fits in," he argued.

Commissioner Peter Levy disagreed.

"On paper, it fits in. But there's a community there that's very skeptical and there's a lot of unknowns," Levy said. "There are other options for such a facility. Does it need to be here? Well, that's the question."

Alban, Levy, Lowe and Dennis Yeskey voted against the zoning change, and Macri voted for it.

Alban then put forward another resolution on the zoning change which outlined detailed concerns of commission members.

She said that "the applicant has not provided compelling data to support how specific current and future needs of the town of Greenwich are not being met by existing local area cancer care facilities."

With regards to the POCD, Alban said the proposed zoning change would have removed residential and mixed-used buildings from eight parcels of land "with a proposed conversion to institutional use." She also noted the proposed rezoning is in close proximity to a historic district.

Additionally, Alban mentioned that the proposed facility would have provided 120 parking spaces when 169 spaces are needed. More parking could have been available at other hospital garages, but patients would have to be guided to the center by illuminated signage at the lots.

"This signage would be institutional in character and possibly ubiquitous. It's a cause for concern that this would transform the existing streetscape of the neighborhood into that of an urban medical center," Alban said.

Macri said that the center could be built somewhere else, but the proposed site is owned by Greenwich Hospital.

"They want to make the best use of their property," Macri said.

Alban reminded Macri that the commission's task is to determine the highest and best use for the town, not the applicant.

The vote on Alban's resolution was also 4-1.

Greenwich Hospital President Diane Kelly released a statement to Patch following the commission's decision to deny.

"The Planning and Zoning Commission’s decision is deeply disappointing. While this is a setback, the need for dedicated additional space continues to be of great importance to us at Greenwich Hospital and Yale New Haven Health," Kelly said. "We of course will continue to keep our patient needs a priority and will work to find an alternative solution."