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ROWAYTONContinued jrompage 3said Conroy’s square footage figures were inaccurate. The two sides clashed over whether the new restaurant would actually be larger than the old luncheonette.“What people don’t understand is that the expansion of a kitchen and office space does not require additional parking spaces. Mr. Conroy reconfigured the dining space with what he was originallycredited with,” Bradley explained.Conroy, who bought the building from Henry Higgins in 1991, testified that he used drawings Higgins gave him and information from Planning and Zoning officials to determine the square foot-age. “We reconfigured the building so that it would not go over the limit,” he said. “We did the reconstruction with what was originally approved for dining so we could make better use of the space and make better use of the river.”Esther Flynn, who ran Cap’n Henry’s with her husband, Jim, for about 20 years, testified that Conroy included a space in his dining-area calculations that was not active commercial space while she was there. She said the area in question was used solely for family, friends and employees. “No one paid for their meal or was served there,” she told the board.Genuario presented four witnesses who claimed they paid for their meals and ate in the room when it became too crowded to eat in the main dining room. Genuario said the back room was classified as a dining area in Higgins’ original plan.While the ZBA based its decision on the fact that information was printed in the newspaper, neighbors maintained that they did not know about the construction.“Who reads the tiny legal notices?” asked a perplexed Drum-mond-Hay after the meeting. “I wish we had known about the plan before construction started.”Residents in opposition also questioned renovations made without a variance. The restaurant’s owners will seek a variance tonight for a second-story addition and a south-side entrance.“We were under the impression that nothing could be done without a variance and without our be-ing notified,” said Drummond-Hay to the commission. “When we returned home from the summer, we were amazed to find a dormer had sprung up and was built without a variance.” He said the dormer blocks the view of the river from the master bedroom in his home across the street.Conroy said he was never told he needed a variance. “We simply built what we were approved for,” he said, adding that he wants to get along amicably with his neighbors.“We clearly understand the concerns of some of our neighbors. We don’t want this to be a burden, but an asset to the community,” said Conroy, who lives two blocks from the restaurant in question.Some Rowayton residents came to tell the ZBA how much they looked forward to a restaurant in the area. “This is a chance for peo-le to enjoy the river which owayton is built around,” said Erin Becker.
Newspaper Details
Norwalk News
Norwalk, Connecticut, US
Thu, Mar 04, 1993
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 12 Mar 2022
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