Steve Kleppin Provides Updates on the Norwalk Planning & Zoning Commission
In the final episode of the Real Estate Roundup, Managing Partner Eric Bernheim interviewed Steve Kleppin, director of Norwalk Planning & Zoning (P&Z), a commission that handles different aspects of development, long-term planning, issuing zoning permits, zoning enforcement, conservation measures, and other functions. Steve, who has been with the P&Z Commission for about five years, joined after working for the town of New Canaan.
Eric and Steve kicked off the podcast discussing the impetus for the recent merging of the Planning and Zoning commissions, which is expected to reduce redundancy and make it easier for developers to navigate. Also, included in the city plan, which was completed in 2019, was the recommendation to merge the two commissions to streamline processes and workflow. Next on the list is an overhaul of the regulations that haven’t been updated in 30 years.
One of Steve’s priorities is to simplify the structure of the regulations to make them more user-friendly, including shortening them and adding pictures and graphics for better illustration and ease of use. As an attorney who focuses on real estate and land use, Eric loved the idea of easier-to-navigate regs.
Steve described the effect of COVID on development in Norwalk, which mostly impacted residential development with the influx of the new residents to Fairfield County from New York City and, with people spending so much time at home, there has been an uptick in renovations. Office leasing activity remains similar to pre-COVID levels, and the train-oriented development has continued.
Other developments discussed include apartment and mixed-use projects around Glover Avenue, which are providing much-needed housing and services to office developments in the area like Merritt 7 Corporate Park; a TOD development near the Norwalk train station; and development on the industrial waterfront, on which the commission is collaborating with the Redevelopment Agency.
The podcast concluded with Steve explaining his simple philosophy about the efforts to streamline planning and zoning processes by saying if you put a solid city plan together that gets adopted and approved, and you have regulations that are consistent with that plan, then the projects that follow should not be controversial; they should be consistent with the plan and regs and anticipated from the beginning. Then the process on the development side should also be straightforward.
To learn more about the newly merged Norwalk Planning & Zoning Commission and development in Fairfield County, we encourage you to listen to episode five of the Real Estate Roundup.