ZBA approves new home near Compo Beach

By Thane Grauel

WESTPORT — The Zoning Board of Appeals has approved the construction of a new home in the Compo neighborhood.

The owner of 29 Danbury Avenue has requested permission to demolish an existing home and replace it with a new FEMA-compliant structure.

The new structure would move street access from Bradley Street to Danbury Avenue and reduce some nonconformities.

The existing home on 0.1 acre has 1,780 feet of living space. The new structure will be elevated because it is in a flood zone, with a two-car garage on the lower level. The first floor would be 16.5 feet, more than the required 12.

Tuesday's discussion continued at a previous meeting.

Chris Russo of Russo and Rizzio LLC in Fairfield, presented for the plaintiff.

“We're here for a very limited sort of question, we've gone through the whole presentation,” he said. “We had discussed the difficulties, but the commissioners made a comment regarding the safety of the proposed dwelling and requested a second means of egress to the exterior from the main first floor.”

Russo presented the latest plans during the online meeting and said a second exit staircase is on this level.

“We're making the building FEMA compliant, which the existing building is not,” Russo said. “This explains the need for this gap.”

“The difficulty you've expressed to us is that it's an undersized lot, there are two fronts and you're reducing non-compliance,” said ZBA President Jim Ezzes . “Is it correct?”

“That’s right,” Russo replied. “We are eliminating and reducing a number of non-compliances and the fact, again, that we are in a flood zone.”

The two-story Colonial on the corner of Danbury and Bradley Street was built in 1930, the same time as many of the neighborhood's original homes.

The application to the Zoning Board of Appeals lists the owner as Harold Homes LLC. City land records show they were sold to Gillian Gallo on May 23 for $1.76 million.

The first floor would include an “open concept family room,” kitchen, dining room, living room and office.

The second floor would have a master bedroom, master bathroom, two other bedrooms and two full bathrooms.

“The upper floor simply contains an egress area to a roof deck, which is a common feature in the neighborhood,” Russo's letter in the application reads.

However, the project requires deviations for the withdrawal of non-compliant lots; setback in residence district A; and coverage in residence district A.

The ZBA vote was 5-0, subject to certain conditions. One of them was signing a non-conversion agreement, meaning the basement could never be converted into living space.

Thane Grauel grew up in Westport and has been a journalist in Fairfield County and beyond for 36 years. Contact him at [email protected]. Know more about us here.