Zoning issues part of Preston-Mohegan talks for Norwich Hospital
Preston — The Preston Redevelopment Agency held a special closed-door meeting Wednesday to discuss draft proposed zoning regulation changes at the former Norwich Hospital property, along with draft documents that could lead to a purchase and sale agreement with the Mohegan tribe for the 393-acre property.
The town and Mohegan tribe both approved a memorandum of understanding May 19 covering the tribe's plan to acquire the entire property for an as-yet undefined development totaling several hundred million dollars. The two parties agreed to a 90-day extension of the original Nov. 19 deadline to Feb. 19.
Preston Redevelopment Agency invited Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Arthur Moran, Town Planner Kathy Warzecha and attorney Harry Heller, a land use specialist hired by the commission to help craft zoning regulations for the area that encompasses the former hospital property, called Preston Riverwalk. Warzecha was unable to attend.
At the start of the meeting, Preston Redevelopment Agency Chairman Sean Nugent said the agency and tribal negotiators wanted to brief town planning and zoning officials confidentially at this point in the negotiations on possible uses for the property and possible zoning regulation amendments while everything is still in draft form.
Nugent declined to comment on any specific possible zoning regulation changes that could emerge from the negotiations. He said negotiations with the tribe are on track to be completed by the Feb. 19 deadline.
Arthur Hennick, education officer for the state Freedom of Information Commission, said Wednesday that the PRA was within the state FOI law in calling for the executive session, and the agency cited language directly from the law in the agenda justifying the closed-door discussion.
“Discussion of a preliminary draft of zoning regulation amendments, and a preliminary draft summary narrative of the amendments, regarding the Preston Riverwalk site,” the agenda stated, “it being hereby determined by the PRA that the public interest in withholding such draft documents clearly outweighs the public interest in disclosure.”
The PRA used similar language to describe the closed-door discussion of a preliminary draft of the Property Disposition and Development Agreement regarding the sale of Preston Riverwalk to the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority.
Warzecha declined to comment prior to the meeting about what the draft zoning regulations might address or the decision to discuss the possible regulations in executive session. Warzecha said it was a Preston Redevelopment Agency decision, and planning officials were invited to the meeting.
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