Westport Neighbors Delay Plans for Local Panera Bread

The Westport Planning and Zoning Commission pushed back their decision to approve the site plan for the bakery-café for one week based on neighbors’ complaints of insufficient parking, increased traffic, trash and noise pollution.

If everything goes to plan, Panera will eventually open its doors where the former True Grace nail salon used to operate in the plaza at 1850 Post Road East. The plaza, located on the Westport-Fairfield town line, is currently home to , Home Goods and .

Westport Planning and Zoning Director Larry Bradley said that the neighbors’ concerns are important, but they are not part of the site plan standards, which was the decision on the table for the commission last Thursday.

Bradley explained that if Panera Bread complies with the standards of Westport’s regulations, the commission is obligated to approve the site plan.

“Off site impacts are not something that are typically allowed to be considered in a site plan application,” Bradley said.

Kurt Eichhorn, of 402 Greens Farms Road, a potential neighbor of the new café-bakery, told the commission that he supports Panera Bread, but is concerned that additional traffic and deliveries will bring hardship to him and his neighbors. Eichhorn lives directly behind the future Panera Bread location.

“We are supportive of Panera. We think it’s an excellent addition to the town,” he said, adding that it will be an anchor tenant for the plaza, which will increase rent for the whole plaza. “It’s a good story.”

Eichhorn expressed concern about the additional 40 employees who will be coming and going between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m., and most likely parking behind the plaza.

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“Where do those headlights shine?” Eichhorn asked. “They shine in our yards.”

Eichhorn showed photos of the double-sided fence between his back yard and the plaza, which was constructed in 2008 when Home Goods opened. He said he would like to see the owner of the plaza build a higher double-sided fence as the current one suffers from several defects. Eichhorn said that would eliminate some of the noise and light pollution that disrupts his neighborhood.

“We’d ask that you defer your decision here and step back until we have a little more time to discuss with the parties about what could be done to ensure neighborly relations and reduce the impact to the neighborhood,” Eichhorn said to the commission, adding that the additional noise and trash impacts the property value of his and his neighbors’ homes.

Hariet Terbell, of 401 Greens Farms Road, agreed with her neighbor and described the fence as ‘third rate’ and ‘falling apart.’

“What I’m asking here is that we get a higher fence so that we block a commercial area from a residential area,” Terbell suggested.

Peter Romano, an engineer for Westport-based Land-Tech Consultants, presented the Panera site plan, which has already been approved by the Westport Health Department, Westport Fire Department and Westport Police Department. The only request by the fire department was that the old fire lane lines be repainted. The police department’s only concern was parking, which was what Romano’s presentation last Thursday was primarily about.

Romano explained that the lot, which consists of 382 spots, is never 100 percent full. He said that Panera would only need 24 additional parking spots, a number he believes will be easy to achieve.

Considering the neighbors’ concerns, Westport’s Planning and Zoning Commission opted to push their approval off for one week with the hopes that the owner of the plaza and the neighbors could work out a resolution.

Romano agreed to work with the neighbors and said that he would call a meeting in order to come to a resolution. The commission will decide on Panera’s site plan Thursday at 7 p.m.