First Selectman Fred Camillo is asking Greenwich residents to pick up the phone and write letters to state officials before a developer tears down three buildings at the gateway to Greenwich Avenue, including the 1894 Tudor Revival landmark at 2 Greenwich Ave.
Camillo issued a public appeal on July 15, urging residents to contact Todd Levine at the State Historic Preservation Office and the office of Connecticut Attorney General William Tong. He said he had already sent letters to both officials himself.
"Those offices have power to get involved when it comes to demolition of a historic or culturally significant structure like 2 Greenwich Avenue," Camillo said in the announcement.
The proposal, filed by Greenwich Avenue Properties LLC and MBMB Greenwich LLC, would demolish 2 Greenwich Ave., 10 Greenwich Ave. (home to Taqueria), and 10-12 West Putnam Ave. The three parcels would be consolidated into a four-story mixed-use building with 14 residential units and ground-floor and below-grade retail. The property is owned by New England Investment Partners, led by executive Jonathan Marcus.
The zoning relief the developers are seeking is substantial, according to the Town's official release: a partial fourth story in the three-story CGBR zone, a parapet height of 52 to 53 feet, and a floor area ratio of 4.06.
The 2 Greenwich Ave. building is a contributing structure within the Greenwich Avenue Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. But it has no local Historic Overlay zone, meaning its National Register status provides no local protection from demolition.
The Historic District Commission can only issue a 90-day demolition stay. The Planning and Zoning Commission doesn't review demolition applications at all.
"P&Z can't stop this demolition," P&Z Chair Margarita Alban said at the HDC's public hearing the week of July 7. "We are all looking to what state law can do at this point."
Camillo pointed residents toward the Connecticut Environmental Protection Act, Chapter 439, Sections 22a-19 and 22a-19a, which addresses "unreasonable destruction of landmarks of the state." Under CEPA, a private entity can invoke the law to seek state intervention against unreasonable demolition of historic structures.
The effort is already underway. Dozens of residents have written letters to SHPO, and RTM District 1 Chairman Frederick Lee received written notice that SHPO has begun its investigation of the proposed demolition.
In his letter to Levine, Camillo wrote that the applicants' own narrative admits the reconstruction "will not be a facsimile," and argued that "the people of Greenwich believe reconstruction is not preservation."
The applicants contend in their filing that more than a century of renovations have left the building's structure in a condition that "renders conventional rehabilitation impractical." Their narrative describes the project as one of stewardship, not demolition.
The proposal appears as a discussion item on the P&Z Commission agenda for Tuesday, July 21, at 4 p.m. The meeting is accessible via Zoom or local cable. No formal hearing or vote has been scheduled.
Residents who want to contact state officials can reach SHPO's Todd Levine at [email protected] or 860-500-2337, and the Attorney General's Office at [email protected] or 860-808-5318.
