The Norwalk City Council approved revisions to the Zoning Ordinance to make it easier for new and existing businesses to open and reopen as part of the City’s recovery from the impacts of COVID-19. The changes to the zoning ordinance will reduce regulatory barriers to provide much-needed relief for business owners.
“We’ve listened to our business community and found ways to streamline our approval processes. We’re confident that the changes will provide more clarity and certainty to the business and development community,” said Mayor Jennifer Perez. “COVID has challenged us to identify ways of working smarter to recover faster.”
With the help of the Norwalk Chamber of Commerce and local business stakeholders, staff identified issues that new businesses often confront when choosing to open in Norwalk, including land use regulations, sign regulations, and parking standards. In addition, procedural improvements to the code include greater staff approval authority for minor development applications, the streamlining of the processes to host special events in Norwalk, and more quickly complete commercial tenant improvements.
The work towards economic recovery is spearheaded by the City’s Economic Recovery Task Force, comprised of a team of City staff across relevant departments in partnership with members of our local business community. The team is designed to take quick, decisive action to move key items in partnership with the community