Greenwich Academy's plan to build a new campus on 54 acres of forested land in Glenville ran into pointed questions from Planning & Zoning commissioners and neighbors at an Oct. 27 pre-application review.
The private girls' school wants to develop the former Rockefeller family property at 0 Glenville Road in three phases, starting with classrooms for 120 first- and second-graders, a squash center, eight faculty housing units and parking. Commissioners zeroed in on traffic along Riversville Road, wetland protections, tree removal and stormwater drainage, according to Greenwich Free Press.
Greenwich Academy purchased the heavily forested parcel from Indian Spring Land Limited Partnership in 2023 for $18,212,375, according to the town assessor's office. The land had been in the Rockefeller family for over a century and was the family's last large landholding in Greenwich, Patch reported.
What the school proposed
Interim head of school Reed Minor told commissioners that 76% of lower school families who would use the Glenville campus live in Greenwich. She said the new campus would ease constraints at the North Maple Avenue campus and help balance enrollment between Greenwich Academy, which has about 85 students per grade, and Brunswick School, which has about 110.
Attorney Tom Heagney, representing the school, said all vehicle access would run through a single entrance on Riversville Road. An initial proposal for bus and staff traffic on Pecksland Road was dropped after meetings with neighbors. That access point would be limited to emergency vehicles, and only if the fire marshal recommends it.
Heagney said school hours would be timed to avoid overlap with Glenville School. He said John Canning from Kimley-Horn had been hired to conduct a traffic study.
Under Phase I, 85% of the 54-acre site would remain undeveloped. Phase II would add classrooms for kindergarten and grades 3 and 4, bringing enrollment to 300 students. Phase III would add a sports center, outdoor classroom and additional athletic facilities. After all three phases, 75% of the site would remain untouched, according to the applicant's presentation.
Commissioners push back
Commissioner Dennis Yeskey questioned whether the project conflicts with the town's Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), noting that the plan's top priorities are preserving community character and developing housing. He pointed out that P&Z had previously declined other large projects, including Greenwich Hospital's Smilow Cancer Center, because the POCD prioritizes residential uses.
"This is a new school, on new grounds, as opposed to rebuilding a school in a residential zone," Yeskey said, according to Greenwich Free Press.
Commission chair Margarita Alban clarified that a site plan and special permit do not have to be consistent with the POCD, but the school's proposed zoning change does. The property sits in three residential zones, and Greenwich Academy is proposing to rezone a 1-acre portion to RA-2.
Commissioner Mary Jenkins said she was concerned about significant site disturbance on the 25% of the property slated for development. She asked for data on tree loss and impervious surface coverage, noting the plan includes 87 outdoor parking spaces not counting faculty housing.
Jenkins also raised concerns about the squash building, which is proposed to have nine courts plus bleachers and exhibit space.
Commissioner Ann Noel Jones said she lives in Glenville and asked whether high school students would drive themselves to the campus for activities. She added that the property was once on a short list of parcels the town considered buying for open space.
Commissioner Brooks Harris said the development footprint, while limited to 25% of the site, is "very concentrated and right up on the border of Upland Review Areas." He asked whether the school would commit to a conservation easement for the remaining land after Phase III.
Alban said the commission's concerns fell into three categories: traffic and parking, wetland impacts, and overall environmental impact. She said the traffic study should detail trip generation for the squash facility, classrooms and queuing on Riversville Road.
Neighbors speak up
Neighbors submitted extensive written comments and testified via Zoom.
Janet Lockton, a longtime neighbor, called the multi-phase approach a "bait-and-switch" in written comments. She wrote that the school's full plans call for 300 students, 18 faculty houses and a large sports complex. She asked what would happen with parking during squash tournaments.
Betsy Underhill of 52 Riversville Road said the proposed driveway would sit almost directly across from her house. She said drivers already use Riversville Road as a cut-through to Sherwood and King Street.
Francia Alvarez of the Greenwich Tree Conservancy asked about protections for what she called a "pristine forest." She said the Greenwich TreeKeeper Canopy program shows the property has a 97.61% urban canopy percentage. Noting a history of flooding along the Byram River, Alvarez asked whether tree removal would increase flooding for Pemberwick residents.
Pecksland Road resident Lisa Skinner described Greenwich Academy as a respectful neighbor but acknowledged the tension. "We would love to keep it green and serene. That's just not reality," she said.
What comes next
Greenwich Academy will present its proposal to the town's Wetlands Agency before returning with a formal application. The commission discussed scheduling a site visit before snowfall and asked the applicant to mark proposed building footprints with flags on the property.
Alban listed follow-up items including a traffic study covering Pecksland Road, a drainage proposal addressing the high water table, hours of operation, lighting and sustainability plans.
