Saying they expect the state’s social distancing guidelines to remain in place as the COVID-19 virus pandemic persists, officials at The Glass House are seeking to extend to the end of the tour season a handful of special allowances from the Planning & Zoning Commission.
P&Z in May approved a Glass House request to allow a small amount of parking on-site at Ponus Ridge, and to permit overflow parking in the nearby West School lot. Granted amid coronavirus-related restrictions on museums the Glass House officials said would make its regular operation prohibitively difficult—specifically, observing social distancing requirements in small vans used to get tour-goers from a downtown Visitors Center to The Glass House itself—the allowances are set to expire at month’s end.
The organization is asking that they be extended through Dec. 15.
“Although the State of CT has been relatively successful in containing COVID-19, it is clear that the need for social distancing will remain well past the 3-month period previously approved,” the organization said in a memo to P&Z that forms part of its formal request for an extension. “The Glass House requests that the Planning and Zoning Commission extend the Modification granted on May 26th through the end of the Glass House tour season which occurs on December 15, 2020 per the 5th revision to the Glass House permit which was granted September 24, 2019. Should the West School parking area be unavailable, visitor parking will be restricted to the Glass House property itself. If State of CT Guidelines allow the Glass House to resume operations by transporting visitors from the Visitor Center to the site via our Bus, we will do so.”
P&Z is expected to take up the application at its regular meeting Tuesday night.
Under the temporary system approved by the Commission in May, The Glass House has been selling tickets online only for a “grounds pass” that provides access to the 49-acre site’s upper 13 acres and no building access. The organization also said that grounds passes would be limited to a maximum of 25 visitors at a time, with no group larger than five, and that on-site parking would be limited to 10 cars.
The Glass House also is seeking permission to hold a wedding on site Oct. 4 in lieu of one of its four annual “special programming events” of up to 150 people. The wedding would have no more than 75 people, according to the application.
“Guests will arrive at noon and park at West School by prior arrangement with the Board of Education and will walk across the street to the Glass House site,” the application said. “Two special duty police will ensure safety of the guests crossing.”
The wedding would end at 5 p.m., according to the application.