The owner of the vacant commercial building at Grove and Elm Streets is seeking to amend the New Canaan Zoning Regulations so that a new pet store planned for the space can also offer grooming services.
The 2007-built glass-and-brick exterior building at 272 Elm St. has been vacant since TD Bank closed its branch there nearly four years ago. The property’s owner, V.M.I. Inc. managing principal Frank Vuoso, in 2023 proposed installing a high-end car dealership there.
During a special meeting in December, the Planning & Zoning Commission approved part of a new plan from Vuoso, to change the property’s use from a bank to a retail pet store. (Pet Pantry is located on the same block, at 21 Grove St.)
However, the Commission did not approve another part of the plan that called for the former drive-up teller area of the bank to be enclosed to create a full-service pet grooming area.
The property is located in the Business A Zone, and the regulations currently do not specify that “pet grooming services” qualify among the “service establishments” that are specifically allowed there with site plan approval (see pages 80 and 82 here). P&Z discussed the prospect of a text amendment to the regulations to make it clear that such services are allowed in the zone, and voted in favor of the retail use only.
In a subsequent memo to P&Z, Vuoso suggested specifying the following among permitted uses in the zone via Special Permit: “Pet grooming facilities shall be permitted on lots with a minimum area of 20,000 square feet. Such facilities must operate as an accessory use to the primary business on the premises and shall be located in a separate, designated room within the building. The overnight boarding of animals is strictly prohibited.”
Such an amendment “ensures that pet grooming services are appropriately scaled to lot size, maintain compatibility with primary business uses, and protect surrounding properties from potential impacts associated with overnight boarding,” Vuoso said in the Dec. 26 memo.
P&Z is expected to take up the application at its regular meeting on Tuesday night.
In her memo to P&Z ahead of the meeting, Town Planner Sarah Carey noted that “[s]taff has no objections to the proposed change, and finds that it is reasonable to allow such a use in the non-retail commercial zones.” No letters for or against Vuoso’s application have been submitted to the P&Z Department at Town Hall, she said.
That would be terrible! It would back up to the pet pantry. Why would we allow that ? PP has been a good New Canaan, family owned establishment. Terrible to have this competing store right next to it. Shame on them
I agree. Not nice for Pet Pantry. Take Starbucks in their God awful location and move them there. A much better match.
I agree with you. Starbucks is in a terrible location and is a hazard for pedestrians the way cars drive in and out of that spot
Perhaps a Green Laundry Mat would be nice.
Question for the group here : Does the town have a say on what sorts of businesses can, or can’t, go into available spaces, or is it merely “landlord’s choice?” Because, if memory serves, didn’t we just have two pet stores? Only to learn that this town ain’t big enough for the both of ‘em? Seems there should be a cap on certain types of merchants like, oh I don’t know, nail salons, grocery stores (remember when we had 3??) and pet stores literally across the parking lot from existing pet stores. I’m no city planner, but this current proposal doesn’t seem to have a “best practices” ring to it.
As many people have heard me say…We are not a Mall. With the exception of a category ban like P & Z placed on Marijuana sales the town can not deny a business the right to open. These are private transactions between Landlords and their Tenants. While I agree it defies logic why someone would want to open a direct competitor next to a well established and loved business the municipality does not have the legal authority to say when there is “enough” of one category. Also, The Pet Choice closing was not New Canaan specific, the Canadian owned chain shuttered all its US locations.