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ZONING ORDINANCE TEXT AMENDMENT APPROVING A PETITION BY YALE NEW HAVEN HOSPITAL, INC. FOR DEVIATIONS FROM THE UNDERLYING ZONING ORDINANCE TO ALLOW CERTAIN SIGNAGE IN PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT 45.
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WHEREAS, on April 15, 1982, the Board of Alders approved a Planned Development District for the St. Raphael campus of Yale New Haven Hospital, Inc. (“YNHH”) pursuant to Section 65 of the New Haven Zoning Ordinance (“Zoning Ordinance”), identified as PDD #45, which included 10.87 acres of land on the block bounded by Chapel Street, Orchard Street, George Street, and Sherman Avenue (Tax Map 317, Block 213), and parcels known as 305-319 Orchard Street (Tax Map 315, Block 1293, Parcels 5, 6, & 7);
WHEREAS, in 1983, the Board of Alders amended PDD #45 to include additional parcels to the north and south of the original district, at 1370-1386 Chapel Street and 301-303, 321-323 Orchard Street (Tax Map 315, Block 1293, Parcels 3, 4, 5, and 8-12), and expanded PDD #45 from 10.87 to 12.12 acres;
WHEREAS, on January 7, 2020, the Board of Alders amended PDD #45 to include additional parcels on Orchard Street and George Street and to amend the standards and uses in PDD #45;
WHEREAS, in accordance with the provisions of Article XIII, Sections 2A and 2E of the Charter of the City of New Haven (“City Charter”) and Article VII, Section 64(d)(1) and Section 65 of the Zoning Ordinance;
WHEREAS, pursuant to Sections 64 and 65 of the Zoning Ordinance, YNHH filed a petition/application to amend PDD #45 for the purpose of deviating from existing standards in the underlying Zoning Ordinance in order to allow certain signage necessary to the redevelopment of the St. Raphael Campus (the “Petition”);
WHEREAS, YNHH submitted sufficient plans and other information in support of the Petition;
WHEREAS, the Petition was referred to the Board of Alders, which thereafter referred the Petition to the New Haven City Plan Commission for a hearing and report as required by Section 64(d) of the Zoning Ordinance and Article XIII, Sections 2A and 2E of the City Charter;
WHEREAS, on November 19, 2025, the City Plan Commission held a hearing on the Petition after provided due notice of such hearing as required by Section 64(d) of the Zoning Ordinance, Article XIII, Sections 2A and 2E of the City Charter, and state law;
WHEREAS, on November 19, 2025, the City Plan Commission rendered an advisory report to the Board of Alders after consideration of the factors set forth in Section 64(d)(2) and Section 65 of the Zoning Ordinance and favorably recommended the approval of the Petition as set forth in City Plan Commission Report No. 1674-06;
WHEREAS, on December 9, 2025, the Legislation Committee of the Board of Alders considered the Petition and rendered a favorable report recommending approval of the Petition;
WHEREAS, the Petition was referred to the City’s Department of Transportation, Traffic and Parking for an advisory report in accordance with Section 65(d) of the Zoning Ordinance and such advisory report indicated that the amendment to PDD #45 was not expected to have a significant impact on the traffic operations of the local roadway network;
WHEREAS, the proposed amendment to PDD #45 is consistent with the standards set forth in Article XIII, Sections 2B and 2C of the City Charter, as described more particularly in the Petition;
WHEREAS, the proposed amendment to PDD #45, as more particularly described in the Petition, is in accordance with Comprehensive Plan of Development of the City of New Haven entitled Vision 2025 and is consistent with the land uses and zoning classifications of neighboring parcels and the surrounding area; and
WHEREAS, the Petition satisfies the objectives for a planned development district, as set forth in Section 65 of the Zoning Ordinance, in that the proposed amendment to PDD #45 is:
(1) In accordance with the comprehensive plans of the City, including all plans for redevelopment and renewal; and
(2) It is composed of such uses, and in such proportions, as are more appropriate and necessary for the integrated functioning of the planned development of the City; and
(3) It is so designed in its space allocation, orientation, texture, materials, landscaping and other features as to produce an environment of stable and desirable character, complementing the design values of the surrounding neighborhood, and showing such unusual merit as to reflect credit upon the developer and upon the City; and
(4) So arranged as to provide a minimum of 250 square feet of usable open space per dwelling unit on the tract, except 125 square feet in the case of elderly housing units, subject to the specific minimum standards enumerated in section 15(a)(1)(g) of the Zoning Ordinance.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDERED by the Board of the City of New Haven that (i) the Petition and general plans for the amendment to PDD #45 are hereby approved and (ii) the text of the Zoning Ordinance with respect to PDD #45 is hereby amended in the manner requested by the Petition.
Except as amended herein, the Zoning Ordinance and the Zoning Map of the City of New Haven shall remain in full force and effect.
BE IT FURTHER ORDERED that the aforesaid amendments to the Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map shall take immediate effect upon passage, subject to the requirements of Article IV, Section 3 of the City Charter.