Norwich ― An Occum neighborhood group and four residents critical of the proposed second business park have filed a lawsuit against the newly approved city plan of conservation and development, which changed the designation of the sprawling property from rural to business park/commercial.

Preserving Norwich Neighborhoods LLC and residents Frederick Browning, Chase Cochoran, Sue Jacobson and Nola Oldfield are challenging the Aug. 15 approval of the 2023 Plan of Conservation and Development by the Commission on the City Plan.

The plaintiffs argued in the nine-page complaint that the new plan abruptly changed the designation of 17 properties purchased by the Norwich Community Development Corp. for a second business park from “rural area” in the 2013 plan to “Business/Commercial” in the new 2023 plan.

The suit noted that the land is designated as “agriculture lands” and “conservation areas” in the 2018 state plan of conservation and development, making the new Norwich plan inconsistent with the state designation.

The properties are zoned as either a commercial or planned development district. NCDC, a nonprofit development corporation designated as the city’s economic development agency, purchased the combined 384 acres in December 2022 for $3.5 million to create a second Norwich business park.

The previous owners had compiled the properties, mostly former farmland and woods, and won approval for a golf course and condominium development that fell through.

NCDC this summer received an $11.4 million state grant to build an access road into the property from Route 97 near the Interstate 395 Exit 18 ramp and another $500,000 state Urban Act grant for engineering and design work.

The suit seeks a court order to “overrule, reverse, declare illegal or otherwise overturn” the planning commission’s Aug.15 plan approval.

Deanna Rhodes, Norwich director of Planning and Neighborhood Services Department, declined to comment on the pending litigation. The commission discussed the suit in executive session during a special meeting last week.

City Manager John Salomone said city officials are disappointed the suit was filed as NCDC President Kevin Brown has been meeting regularly with Occum residents and NCDC has made design changes to the business park plan to accommodate some residents’ concerns.

NCDC was not named in the lawsuit, and Brown declined to comment.

c.bessette@theday.com