September 10, 2014
With summer drawing to a close, we wanted to bring you up-to-date on activities involving the proposed Mayapple Center for the Arts & Humanities (“MCAH”).
Currently we are preparing for the crucial Zoning Board Public hearing, scheduled for October 6th, in which the Zoning Board will vote to approve or deny the NSRPA, Inc-sponsored text amendment. It was unanimously approved at the August 5th Planning Board meeting. If the Zoning Board approves it, we will have effectively stopped any new commercial enterprise from operating in residentially zoned North Stamford neighborhoods under the guise of a post secondary school. These were the grounds for the zoning exception requested by the MCAH (although it is possible that the MCAH may try to pursue a different form of zoning exception in the future, the nature of which is currently unknown). NSRPA would like to have about 40 supporters at the meeting. Please let us know if you can attend — nsrpa2014@gmail.com
We are conducting a campaign to get the word out about the importance of the text amendment to all residents and homeowners in North Stamford. We need financial support from the community to press forward to a successful conclusion. This past weekend had a table at LaRocca’s Market on Old Long Ridge Road to drum up more support from the wider community. WE had about 80 households sign our petition.
We are also monitoring activity at 109 Mayapple. It appears that the MCAH held several of its advertised sessions this summer, without the zoning approval we believe is required. We met with Zoning Enforcement officials to review the evidence we have in support of our contention that violations have occurred. All summer, MCAH continued its website advertising blatantly offering courses and accommodations for cash.
The head Zoning Enforcement Officer has communicated with Ms. Slater’s attorney who represented that Ms. Slater did not conduct any commercial activity at the residence in violation of applicable zoning regulations. NSRPA intends to meet with the Zoning Enforcement Officer again to further discuss this summer’s activity at the MCAH and ask Zoning Enforcement to take appropriate action.
Lastly, Ms. Slater has announced on the MCAH’s Facebook page that MCAH has successfully been approved by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt non profit organization. This makes MCAH a charity and, should Ms. Slater ever obtain zoning approval to operate the MCAH at her residence, could allow to her to avoid paying property taxes on 109 Mayapple and 71 Country Club. Although the chances of that happening in the immediate future do not appear great, it creates another looming uncertainty and the unpleasant prospect of the City of Stamford effectively subsidizing the activities of MCAH to the tune of approximately $30,000.
Help us to protect the values of our homes and neighborhoods! The legal costs associated with the text amendment are high and we need you to help us get this initiative approved by the Zoning Board in order to protect our community. Please donate via the PayPal button on our website www.stopmayapplecenter.com or by check made payable to NSRPA, Inc., c/o Gretchen Gailiunas, 95 Mayapple Rd, Stamford, CT 06903. Thank you.
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August 8, 2014
We are pleased to report to the planning board unanimously approved the text amendment proposed by the NSRPA, INC. at it’s August 5th meeting.
Approval by the Planning Board means that the Zoning Board now only needs a simple majority vote to accept the amendment and it is expected that the Zoning Board will hear the amendment at their September 29th meeting.
NSRPA Committee members, accompanied by NSA (the North Stamford Association) Board members and supportive neighbors, were in attendance at the meeting. The NSRPA, Inc. attorney Jane Freeman, of Cacace Tusch Santagata, gave an expert presentation advocating the amendment. The Board’s questions were handled very efficiently by Attorney Freeman and they accepted her arguments (that were supported by the Planning Board Staff Report) and approved the amendment
Preserving the integrity of our Zoning Regulations protects the value of our homes and neighborhoods, but it takes time and money to be successful. It is imperative that EVERYBODY in North Stamford understand the benefits that this text amendment will bring by closing a loophole in the zoning regulations. So please – tell your friends and neighbors about this zoning issue that has implications for the broader community, not just one neighborhood.
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In anticipation of Michelle Slater filing a text amendment with the Zoning Board that would broaden the definition of permitted uses in the Zoning Regulations to allow the Mayapple Center in the RA-1 zone, the NSRPA, Inc.’s legal counsel has formulated an offensive strategy for us. About a week ago, NSRPA, Inc. filed its own text amendment with the Zoning Board. If approved, our amendments will protect all homeowners and neighborhoods throughout North Stamford from uses such as the Mayapple Center. Our text amendments define a “School, Non-Public” as only a nursery, primary and secondary school and effectively prohibit any post-secondary school such as the Mayapple Center. Our proposed amendments would also make the text of the Zoning Regulations, and the Land Use Schedule attached to it, consistent with each other, removing ambiguities with regard to the intent of the regulation.
We urge you to go to their website to learn more about this issue and how you can help.
www.stopmayapplecenter.com
The North Stamford Association is in full support of a recently formed group – the North Stamford Residential Preservation Association – which is working to stop the proposed development of a commercial enterprise in a residential neighborhood to be known as the Mayapple Center for the Arts and Humanities (Mayapple Center)
The owner of two residential properties in North Stamford has submitted an application to the Zoning Board of Appeals for variances and for approval of the enterprise as a Special Exception.
Among other things, the Mayapple Center enterprise would include “room and board” education center for adult participants, either for weeklong or 30 day residencies.
The area, as with most of North Stamford is zoned for single family residential use. If this is approved by the ZBA it will set a precedent for that or other special use activities in other areas in North Stamford.