Groton - More than 100 people jammed a public hearing on Tuesday before the Noank Zoning Commission on a request by Ford's Lobsters to double its restaurant seating and expand its parking.

Kristian Nyman, who owns the restaurant at 11 Riverview Ave., applied to change his permit to increase outdoor food service seating from 34 to 68 seats, expand parking from 26 to 42 spaces and obtain zoning approval for a 33-seat indoor restaurant and 16-seat patio.

Nyman received approval from the fire marshal for the indoor restaurant, but not Zoning Commission approval, Zoning Commissioner Arthur Tanner said.

The restaurant's business has caused divisions in the village since last summer, when Nyman put out lawn chairs on the southwestern end of the property to serve as a waiting area.

Some neighbors said Tuesday expanding the restaurant would bring noise and traffic, while others said they've seen businesses close in the village and don't want to lose another.

Matthew Ranelli, a Hartford lawyer representing three neighbors, said his clients want Ford's to run within its permit of 34 seats.

"They're not trying to put him out of business," Ranelli said. But he said neighbors must deal with the "traffic, dust, dirt, noise, odor and congestion" that comes with expansion.

But resident David Glass said he supports the restaurant.

"There are businesses that have closed in Noank," he said. Glass mentioned as an example the closing of Carson's and added, "It's hard enough to run a business."

All Nyman wants is permission to do what he already did this past summer, Glass said.

Ford's was cited in July with a cease-and-desist order, instructing it to remove excess seating beyond the 34 seats allowed by its permit after neighbors complained about the growing intensity of the business.

Nyman's lawyer, Brian Stone, said Nyman did exceed his seating permit by putting out extra chairs.

But Stone asked the commission to consider the circumstances: Nyman had been through two hurricanes, was trying to keep his business viable and didn't want to turn people away.

"There is no excuse, but what I am suggesting is that Mr. Nyman wasn't thumbing his nose at this commission or the village of Noank. He loves this village," Stone said.

If expanded, the restaurant would employ two traffic personnel during peak season to guide customers to the lots and advise them not to park on local streets, according to an engineer who helped present the planned expansion.

Christopher Buckley, a real estate appraiser from Niantic, said the expansion would not harm neighbors' property. While he said he could find no sales data, he said marketing data showed agents repeatedly cited Ford's, even including it in pictures, when trying to sell properties.

d.straszheim@theday.com

Twitter: @DStraszheim