PZC Denies Permit for Mystic Dental Office

Dentist Dennis Flanagan has a bit more work to do before his proposed Mystic dental clinic becomes a reality.

After a nearly three-hour meeting discussing the proposed 9,000 square-foot dental clinic, the Stonington Planning and Zoning Commission denied Summit Street Development LLC a special use permit.

The PZC was unanimous in its decision ruling that the applicant failed to get a variance for the minimum lot size prior to submitting their application.

Summit Street Development LLC’s proposal was for a two-story, roughly 9,000 square-foot dental clinic to be built at the intersection of Masons Island Road and Harry Austin Drive. Flanagan, who, according to the Westerly Sun, also runs dental clinics in Groton and Willimantic, was to manage the Mystic clinic.

The plan was met with vocal opposition from the beginning with neighbors saying the building was too big to fit into the area, would cause safety hazards for bikers and walkers and increase traffic.

Many of those neighbors sat through the meeting on Tuesday night.

If applicant Summit Street Development LLC wishes to continue with the plans they can now apply for a variance with the Zoning Board of Appeals and then submit a special use permit application again to the PZC. The applicant could also decide to file an appeal of the decision in state court.

PZC Chairman Rob Marseglia said in the future it would be easier to come to terms with the project if it was smaller in size.

Several other members said that if the application comes back and meets the regulations regardless of the size the neighbors would like the building to be, the application would be approvable.