Busy busy busy, on Wooster St. The owners of a popular Wooster Street pizzeria are looking to open a new restaurant at the site of a vacant former liquor store down the block — leading a dozen neighbors to voice concerns about parking problems in an area defined by New Haven pizza history and tourism. That restaurant pitch and parking critique came to City Hall Tuesday night during the latest monthly meeting of the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA). The commissioners hosted a public hearing on an application by Zeneli Properties for a special exception to permit a restaurant that serves alcohol and to permit 0 off-street parking spaces where a minimum of 20 spaces is required at 175 Wooster St. That single-story commercial building has been owned since 2021 by Aleko, Gazmir and Jeshar Zeneli, the three brothers who run Zeneli Pizzeria e Cucina Napoletana at 138 Wooster St. The 175 Wooster building, now vacant, used to be home to La Bella Vita Wines and Liquors. The BZA didn’t vote on the Zenelis’ zoning-relief application Tuesday. Instead, they referred the matter to the City Plan Commission for review, and will likely take a vote next month. The Zenelis’ application states that they’re looking to open a new full-service restaurant with a bar at 175 Wooster, which currently includes the vacant retail space as well as a vacant garage. The parking-related request is looking for relief from the city zoning regulation that requires one parking space for every four seats. The Zenelis are looking to include around 80 seats in this planned new restaurant. “Many of the existing commercial establishments on Wooster Street have little or no parking. The location of the restaurant will not alter any existing traffic patterns,” the application states. “Given the recent development of hundreds of residential units in the immediate Olive Street Chapel Street and Fair Street area, the Wooster Street establishments cater to a large number of pedestrian customers. Applicant will also provide bicycle parking as required by the regulations. The presence of Uber and Lyft Ride services will also contribute to minimizing the need for on site parking. Further, there is public transportation down Chapel Street via CT Transit.” The application also states that this plan would see a full second floor and “a minimal third floor” added on top of the existing building. Otherwise, the “existing building footprint” would not change. And it states that this proposed new use for the building is appropriate for Wooster Street, which is already home to Pepe’s, Sally’s, Consiglio’s, Gioa restaurants and Libby’s pastry shop, as well as Zeneli’s pizzeria. Attorney Raymond Lemley said during Tuesday’s meeting that the Zenelis would have to go before the City Plan Commission for site plan review for the restaurant buildout. The BZA hearing, he stressed, was specifically about the requests for a liquor permit and for 0 on-site parking spaces. The Zenelis’ existing pizzeria “has been a good neighbor and and they want to continue to be a good neighbor” with this new restaurant, Lemley said. The public portion of the hearing, however, revealed just how concerned some of 138 Wooster’s neighbors are about a new restaurant at this vacant site harming their quality of life — particularly in regards to parking. “It’s really difficult to park near our home,” said Rhea Boyd, who lives on Chapel Street behind 138 Wooster. “I’m really concerned about accessibility in the neighborhood” given that this new restaurant would attract more people to the neighborhood, including people who want and need to park their cars. Claudia Reuter, another nearby Chapel Street resident, expressed the same concern. “Parking is truly already an issue,” she said. While the Zenelis’ existing restaurant is “a great neighbor to have on Wooster Street, “such a big project right up against residential lots” could cause problems — in regards to traffic and trash. “It’s just potentially a huge quality of life issue for all of us.” Wooster Square Alder Mandy Martinelli also testified on Tuesday, expressing concern that a new restaurant with no new parking at 175 Wooster could “add more stress” to residents who already struggle to park in the area. “I have major reservations about the parking,” said David Daniel, one of several residents of the Columbus Mall co-op across the street at 190 Wooster who testified at Tuesday’s hearing. “I don’t think that most of the people going to the restaurants here are local.” Many drive in from elsewhere in Connecticut or out of state. “The parking situation, it’s frankly already untenable.” “This is a wonderful historic neighborhood,” added Chapel Street resident Adina Hoffman. She said that another restaurant on Wooster Street could bring with it not just more cars, but “probably more rats.” She said neighbors’ gardens on Chapel Street, for example, should be gardens, and not backstages for pizza parties. Not everyone who spoke up during Tuesday’s hearing was against the restaurant and parking-relief proposal. Josh Quagliaroli, who lives at Columbus Mall, said he doesn’t think the increased car traffic associated with this proposal “is really going to impact the neighborhood that much” given how many vehicles already come to Wooster Square. “I think an additional restaurant, especially by the Zeneli brothers, would be welcomed here.” Before closing out Tuesday’s hearing, Gazmir Zeneli — who appeared alongside attorney Lemley — said, “We know there’s a problem with parking on Wooster Street.” That parking problem has existed for a while. He said he’s open to receiving feedback from neighbors. He also said that 175 Wooster as it exists today just does not have enough space to allow for on-site parking. The post Wooster Restaurant Plan Prompts Parking Pushback appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less