Norwalk : Apartment Complex OKd

Reversing itself, the Norwalk City Council has unanimously approved plans for a Pine Street apartment complex opposed by some residents who complain that it will destroy the character of their block. The 27-unit project at 12235 Pine St. is in a multifamily residential zone but will be built in a block of mostly single-family homes.

After the Planning Commission approved the project, residents appealed to the City Council, which killed it in July on a 4-1 preliminary vote. But council members later agreed to postpone further action to give the developer, Mike Mundy, time to modify his plans.

Mundy dropped one unit from the 28 originally planned and added more guest parking and a recreation room. City planners say his proposals for landscaping and open space also go beyond local requirements.

Councilwoman Grace Napolitano, who had backed the residents’ appeal after the Planning Commission approved the project, said she voted for the project this time because it conformed with zoning and because the developer “has done more than he’s been asked to.”