Mystic — The Stonington Zoning Board of Appeals on Tuesday approved two variances requested by the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center to make improvements to its newly opened Coogan Farm Nature and Heritage Center on Route 27. 

The variances will allow the nature center to reduce the size of two buffers required by zoning regulations. 

The nature center now is scheduled to return to the Stonington Planning and Zoning Commission on Feb. 3 to continue its effort to obtain approval for the improvements. 

At a public hearing last week, Planning and Zoning Commission members expressed concerns about the number and type of special events that the nature center could hold at Coogan Farm. The state Department of Transportation also is requiring the nature center to increase the distance between two driveways on the site. The plans were supported by adjacent property owners, such as the Elm Grove Cemetery and Precious Memories Preschool, at both the PZC and ZBA hearings. 

The nature center plans to renovate the Coogan farmhouse into a welcome center/retail shop on the ground level, classrooms and meeting spaces on the first floor and offices on the top floor. The small, white barn across the driveway from the farmhouse would be turned into classroom and exhibit space. 

A 41-space parking lot would be constructed in the lower field next to the farmhouse. A gathering plaza will be constructed between the farmhouse and the white barn. 

The second portion of the project involves redesigning the 2-acre Giving Garden and creating an adjacent outdoor classroom in an area that was once a quarry. 

In addition, a post-and-beam pavilion called the Hamm Pavilion and Outdoor Classroom would be constructed next to the stone foundation known as the Paddock, while the Greenmanville Trail would be created to take visitors from Route 27 to the Hamm Pavilion. 

The third part of the project involves the construction of a bicycle/pedestrian trail from Clara Drive through the property to Route 27. Three parking spaces are proposed for the Clara Drive entrance.

j.wojtas@theday.com

Twitter: @joewojtas