Stonington — The Stonington Historical Society has withdrawn its application for a zone change to renovate and slightly expand the Old Lighthouse Museum.

The borough Planning and Zoning Commission had opened a public hearing on the controversial application last month and the commission had continued the hearing to Tuesday night.

Society President Rob Palmer said it withdrew the application before Tuesday’s hearing because it became apparent that there was not enough support on the commission for the application.

He said society members will now discuss their options going forward. He said the priority for the society is to restore and protect the building and its collection so it remains viable for the next 100 years.

Palmer said the society realizes that while neighbors are not opposed to the renovation of the lighthouse, there is still opposition to a proposed addition off the back that had been scaled back from a previous plan.

He said there is no time frame for returning with a new plan.

“We don’t want to come up with a strategy to defeat the opposition. We want to come up with a plan that works for everyone,” he said.

The society was seeking to change the zoning of the lighthouse property at 7 Water St. from Residential District 1, which does not allow museums, to Residence Preservation District, which allows museums by special permit. The present zoning designation does not allow it to expand because it is a pre-existing nonconforming use.

The historical society’s initial plan to expand and renovate the museum was criticized by some residents, and last fall it presented a scaled-back plan that calls for handicapped access and bathroom improvements, relocation of the entrance and ticketing areas to a 488-square-foot addition to the rear of the building as well as other upgrades to protect the collection.

The more traditional addition replaced a controversial glass pavilion that was present in the initial plan.

A group of residents have said they do not oppose the renovation of the museum but feel the zoning of the property should not be changed. Instead, they say the historical society should seek a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals. They also are concerned about increased use of the property and traffic.

j.wojtas@theday.com

Twitter: @joewojtas