Proposed venue at former church in downtown New London receives pushback from neighbors

Oct. 25—NEW LONDON — A request to change a former church into a restaurant and venue space has been delayed after pushback from neighbors.

At a three-hour Planning and Zoning Commission meeting last week, neighbors expressed their concerns about loud music late at night, smokers, increased foot and car traffic in the neighborhood, and more.

The commission tabled the discussion until its Nov. 17 meeting.

Rod Cornish, owner of Hot Rod Cafe for 17 years, purchased the vacant former Apostolic Cathedral of Hope at the corner of Starr and Green Street in April for $315,000. He plans on calling the unique space Stone Temple Venue, and the special permit request seeks to change the use of the building and to get a liquor permit.

The request includes hours of Sunday to Thursday from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Friday and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. with internal music and the ability for live entertainment.

Commission Chairman Barry Levine said restaurants are allowed in the commercial business districts to have those hours.

Cornish said his intent has always been to create a venue space and fill a void he sees in the city for weddings, birthdays, retirements or any party with a maximum of 250 people.

At the meeting on Oct. 20, the Planning and Zoning Commission heard from multiple abutters to the property, including Frank McLaughlin, of 18 Starr St., the acting president of the Starr Street Association.

In his remarks, McLaughlin read the special permit objectives and said the commission shall take into consideration the "health, safety and welfare of the public, in general and the immediate neighborhood in particular."

He said one of the objectives is that the development will "be in harmony with the appropriate and orderly development of the district."

"We are very willing to support 157 Green St. so long as the property is developed and operated within the limits of the current zoning for that location without exception," McLauglin said. "We are very concerned about the location being open after 10 or 11 p.m. Loud music after those hours and potential disruption as patrons leave the venue will impact the neighborhood negatively. Further concerns include smokers congregating outside, drunks after 11 p.m., trash removals, vendors offloading supplies, entertainers loading in instruments, which will block our one-way, one-lane street."

Cornish was not present at the commission meeting last week. He said he had a prior engagement. He was presented by his builder, David Preka, of Advanced Group in Groton.

Preka said the hours of operation are what is permitted but not necessarily what will be used. He said loading and offloading would happen in front of the building on Eugene O'Neill Drive and there would be no more than ten trashbags on trash pick-up days.

Levine said the issue of noise is regulated by ordinance and not by zoning.

McLauglin said the neighbors had been told by Cornish that he planned this special events venue. He said members requested a meeting with Cornish and the then-association president Barbara Neff had said she would set up a meeting but never did.

McLaughlin said Neff resigned from her position three days after the residents received notification of the Oct. 20 planning and zoning meeting by mail. He said given the association's bylaws, requiring seven days notification for a special meeting, it was left with three days to meet and prepare for the public hearing.

Attached to his comment in the records, a resignation letter dated Oct. 10 by Neff said she had to resign, effective immediately, due to the lack of respect from a member.

"I will not tolerate being spoken to in the manner I was this weekend," she said in the letter. "I wish the organization only the best for the future, and regret any inconvenience my resignation may cause."

Neff could not be reached to further explain her comments.

Barbara Donovan, of 29 Starr St., pointed out that the developers are required to post a sign visible to the street 30 days prior to the public hearing meeting. She said the sign in front of the former church said Nov. 17.

Levine said the defective notice meant the commission could defer the meeting or it could proceed.

The commission proceeded with the public hearing but ultimately decided to recess the discussion on the property.

Cornish is now open to selling the property after the delay.

"I'm keeping my options open, but I'm still moving forward with the next meeting," Cornish said on Monday. "Every moment this doesn't pass, I lose money."

Cornish said he has spent money to buy the building, do landscaping and pay property tax, among other things. He said he has done everything within the regulations and feels he doesn't need neighbors' blessings.

Cornish said he has made himself available to the residents and plans on meeting with a representative of the Starr Street Association this week.

"If I thought it would be a disruption, I wouldn't do it," he said. "When you buy a home or rent an apartment in downtown New London, you expect things going on and events ... I'll be an addition to the neighborhood, more cars and more people ― isn't that what we want?"