FAIR HAVEN COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC EXPANSION

NEW HAVEN, CT

TPA provided site design, regulatory approvals, and construction documents for the initial expansion phase of the Fair Haven Community Health campus. The clinic sought to increase available parking for patients, staff, and service vehicles. Drivers unable to find parking at the clinic were using nearby bus stops, commercial loading zones, and residential zones much to the irritation of neighbors.

Expanding the clinic site to nearby parcels on Woolsey Street required approvals from the Board of Zoning Appeals for transition parking in a residential zone, a variance to reduce overall parking count, and a zoning map amendment to permit front yard parking. TPA coordinated with the clinic’s land use attorney, presented to Fair Haven Community Management Team, and prepared zoning amendment maps for approval by the Board of Alders. Additionally, TPA prepared site plan and coastal site plan applications for submission to the City Plan Commission.

The new parking lot provides 67 parking spaces, a 40% increase over the existing site. Wider drive aisles, a dedicated service zone, and full-size parking stalls promote on-site parking rather than illegal spaces on adjacent streets. Polychromatic solar-reflective pavement coatings applied to parking spaces mitigate urban heat island effects while providing visual interest in the landscape. New trees shade and buffer the lot from adjacent residences. Rain gardens, tree filters units, and a subsurface infiltration system relieve impacts on the combined sewer network. New LED lights with daylight harvesting controls will improve visibility at night when residents use the lot for overflow parking.