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Officials worry about Harbor Point zoning infractions Stamford Advocate 10/07/2008
STAMFORD - The highly anticipated Harbor Point project, an 80-acre development on the South End, has city officials concerned about flagrant zoning violations.
Robin Stein, director of planning and zoning, told Zoning Board members last night about several infractions discovered at the Harbor Point work site, which would include 4,000 units of housing, hotels, office buildings, parkland and more than 100,000 square feet of retail space.
The developers agreed to stop the project until they have discussions with the city this week, Stein said. One violation may affect a barrier built by the Army Corps of Engineers for hurricane protection. The blunder, which could affect safety and insurance costs, has come to the attention of state and federal officials, Stein said.
Another unanticipated development was construction of the park. Designed as teardrop-shaped park, the topography has changed considerably, Stein said, calling the latest shape a "mound."
In the portion of the project between Henry and Pulaski streets, trees were cut down without permission. Construction crews also blasted rock, which they were not authorized to do.
Contractor O&G Industries started erecting steel on a six-story office building in early September, before getting the permit.
They "jumped the gun," said city engineer Lou Casolo, who speculated the contractor might have thought the building permit was forthcoming.
"It's an aggressive project. It probably has an aggressive timeline," Casolo said.
After the city learned construction had begun, Casolo issued a stop-work order Sept. 16 and levied a $1,600 fine. The steel portion of the project is continuing while the rest of the project is on hold.
In early September, developer Building and Land Technology of Norwalk took control of the project from Antares Investment Partners, the Greenwich firm that conceived of the project.
At the time, representatives told South End residents ground preparation was complete and building permits would be granted within 10 days.
Stein prefaced his comments by saying that Harbor Point is the most significant development since urban renewal, but the project has "been challenged as far as enforcement and oversight" are concerned.
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