Norwalk City Zoning Code
ARTICLE 44
Hospital Zone
§ 118-440 Hospital zone.
A.
Purpose and intent. The purpose of this zone is to provide for the continued growth and development of Norwalk Hospital in a manner compatible with the surrounding residential neighborhood. Hospital facilities shall be designed within the capacity of the infrastructure necessary to support such operations. The provisions of this zone permit hospital facilities and specified accessory uses, which are supportive of, but clearly subordinate to, the primary hospital facility.
B. HOSPITAL
Special definition. As used in these regulations, the following term shall have the meaning indicated:
A voluntary, not-for-profit, acute care and short-term general hospital licensed by the State of Connecticut; which provides medical, surgical, psychiatric and obstetrical care primarily to inpatients and emergency room, ambulatory and clinical care for outpatient diagnosis and treatment and other uses customarily associated with a hospital. A "hospital" shall include, but is not limited to, offices for hospital administrators and hospital employees, including physicians who work for or are under contract with the hospital; hospital support facilities, such as medical laboratories, diagnostic testing centers, physical therapy and inpatient pharmaceutical facilities; storage facilities for medical equipment and supplies; hospital operations and maintenance facilities, such as food service and laundry facilities, housekeeping and maintenance storage areas; extended care facilities; overnight accommodations and cafeteria facilities for on-duty hospital employees and medical residents; medical libraries, research and educational facilities; cogeneration, incineration, water, electrical and heating equipment facilities; and off-street parking facilities.
C.
Regulations for hospital zone development. Hospital zone development shall be permitted by Special Permit in accordance with the provisions of § 118-1450, Special Permits, and the other requirements of this section, and shall include the following principal and accessory uses:
(3)
Accessory uses and structures. The following accessory uses which are incidental to and customarily associated with the principal use of the premises shall be permitted in a Hospital Zone, provided that the cumulative floor area devoted to such uses does not exceed 25% of the gross floor area of the hospital:
(a)
Pharmacies, gift stores, banking facilities, restaurants and retail or personal service shops, provided that access is only from within the building.
(b)
Day-care centers and associated recreational facilities.
(c)
Chapels and places of worship.
(d)
Auditoriums.
(e)
Offices for private physicians affiliated with and having staff privileges at the hospital and their employees, which may include private examination rooms, limited to no more than 10% of the gross floor area of the hospital.
(f)
Overnight accommodations within the hospital for patients' families.
(g)
Communication facilities, including radio communication centers, radio antennas and microwave facilities, subject to the standards of § 118-830B.
(h)
Employee services, such as credit unions.
(i)
Helicopter landing site for the reception and transport of emergency patients.
[Added effective 11-24-1995]
D.
Additional standards for hospital zone development. All development in a hospital zone shall be subject to the following additional standards:
E.
Lot and building requirements. See the Schedule Limiting Height and Bulk of Buildings, Commercial and Industrial, and all other applicable sections of these regulations, and in addition:
(1)
The height, bulk, location and use of all buildings and parking lots in existence or for which Special Permits have been issued as of the effective date of this section are hereby declared to be in conformance with the requirements of this section, provided that if such buildings are destroyed by fire, explosion, act of God or act of public enemy to an extent exceeding 50% of their assessed value, they may be reconstructed only if the height, bulk, location and use of the building is substantially as it had previously existed, subject to approval by the Director of Planning and Zoning. The owners of such property shall document by A-2 survey or other means, the height, bulk, location and use of the building as it had previously existed.
(2)
On lots where the principal use is a private physician's office or a D Residence use, developments shall comply with the Schedule Limiting Height and Bulk of Buildings, Residential: D Residence, over six dwelling units.
(3)
If two or more parcels of land are recorded on the Norwalk Land Records as being under the ownership of Norwalk Health Services Corporation or its subsidiaries and are divided by a public street, such lots shall be considered as one for the purposes of these regulations.
(4)
A maximum building height of nine stories and 115 feet and six stories and 75 feet shall be permitted for any portion of a hospital building within the nine-story or six-story building areas, respectively, as shown on the A-2 survey of the Hospital zone filed in the Norwalk Land Records.
(5)
Stair and elevator towers and appurtenant vestibules, of two hundred (200) square feet or less, shall be exempt from the maximum building height and story limitations of this section and as shown in the Schedule Limiting Height and Bulk of Buildings and Size of Lot, Commercial and Industrial Part 2 for the Hospital Zone.
[Amended effective 2-24-2012]
F.
(1)
Parking facilities and driveways shall not be closer than 15 feet to a property line which abuts a residence zone.
(2)
Entrances and exits to parking and loading areas shall be located and directional signs shall be placed so as to direct traffic away from local residential streets.
(3)
Buildings within a Hospital Zone may be attached or connected by an enclosed aboveground walkway which may cross a public street, subject to review and approval by the Director of Public Works and the Norwalk Common Council. Such aboveground walkways and their associated elevators or stairwells shall be exempt from the setback provisions of this regulation.