Until last week, zoning regulations did not permit a stadium in the B-1 district (Downtown Development District), the area the covers most of Downtown.

If City officials had met for over a year discussing the possibility of a baseball stadium when one had not been allowed where they were seeking to build it, one might ask what else is or is not allowed in different sections of Hartford.

At the Planning & Zoning Commission meeting where this matter was being discussed, there was also confusion about if a brewery — one of the proposed items for the Downtown North re-development project — would be permitted in this area.

Package stores are allowed, as evidenced by the existence of Spiritus Wines. There is no shortage of bars — see Allyn Street, Union Place, Asylum Street, and Ann Uccello Street. There are restaurants that serve beer and wine, along with the hard stuff.

But a brewery is different. There is manufacturing, not just serving or selling. This introduces the question of scale. Would the beverages brewed on site be only available for retail, or would larger, wholesale orders be filled?

The Planning & Zoning Commission defines brew pub as:

any building where beer is manufactured, stored, and bottled, with retail sale of alcoholic liquor to be consumed on the premises with or without the sale of food, with retail sale of sealed bottles or other sealed containers of beer brewed on such premises for consumption off the premises, and with wholesale sales of sealed bottles or other sealed containers of beer brewed on such premises, and as otherwise defined and regulated by the Liquor Control Act of the general statutes.

A former restriction on brew pubs in this area required that manufactured beverages be consumed on site only, and that the production area be no more than 2000SF.

This is no longer the case. What had been allowed in B-1 is also permitted in I-2 (Industrial District, mostly North Meadows and South Meadows), C-1 (Commercial District), and B-2 (Downtown Perimeter District). While a brew pub may exist in B-1, it requires a special permit.

Where, then, did the rumors come from that a brew pub would not be permitted in Downtown? Likely an outdated document found in the City website.

Get in the Zone for Economic Development

Nobody is arguing that Hartford does not need to diversify its types of employment. We can’t and shouldn’t all be working for insurance companies and nail salons. But, some have questioned if the proposed types of development in Downtown North fits Hartford’s needs. What could we have besides or instead of  a minor league baseball stadium?

Can I Open a Zoo in Parkville?

Zoning regulations do not even mention drive-through safari parks. What if Jurassic Park is the spark?

Maybe.

Hartford can have a zoo. It has had a zoo. In 1963, Hartford’s first (and only?) public zoo — Sherwood Forest — opened in Keney Park. It closed in 1976 following low attendance and repeated vandalism.

If it did not work then, it may not have much better chances now when it is a struggle just to keep grass mowed and trash emptied from the parks. Feeding and caring for animals is not something that can be pushed back a few weeks if resources get tighter.

Still want a zoo? You can not have one in your yard. You may not open one on Pratt Street. These are restricted to public parks, and then “only upon approval of the director of the department of public works, the director of health, and the director of licenses and inspections” says the Planning & Zoning Commission.

Since Parkville only has one park and that one is tiny and has just been renovated, the short answer is “try again.”

An Abattoir of One’s Own

The ubiquitous pig roasts, barbecue joints, and burger restaurants lead one to believe that the demand for locally slaughtered pigs, cows, chickens, and what have you would be a no brainer. There’s a heightened interest in eating locally, something that is easy when it comes to tomatoes and basil, trickier when you have no neighborhood abattoir.

If you were hoping to set up shop along the Park River, you will need to tinker with that goal or go begging the Planning & Zoning Commission to change the regulations.

Abattoirs and slaughterhouses are limited to the I-1 (Industrial District), which is bounded by I-91, Jennings Road, and the green space north of Riverside Park. The landfill is basically the only option for this kind of operation.

Start an Animal Husbandry Service

Zoning suggests that killing animals in city limits presents a problem, so what about helping to create more of them?

This can happen mainly in the North Meadows and South Meadows.

Hookah Lounge?

This does not seem like it’d be a major addition to the economy, but a hookah lounge is permitted in the B-1, B-2, B-3, and B-4 districts with conditions. Food and alcohol may not be served in the lounge, nobody under 18 would be allowed, and the smoking could only take place indoors…among other restrictions.

Besides Downtown, these could open in some places along Farmington Avenue, Maple Avenue, Washington Street, New Britain Avenue, and elsewhere.

Could Marijuana be the Spark?

The demand is already present. In natural conditions, there is a growing season, but with modern technology — greenhouses and lights — the season can be extended. Either scenario could convert space wasted by surface lots into productive land. Additionally, this industry would spark other types of development, such as arcades, planetariums, and restaurants specializing in deep fried food. This would no doubt boost attendance at the cinema on Front Street.

The sprawling marijuana farm is not allowed, sorry.

Growing facilities and dispensaries are, with restrictions.

Medical marijuana may be produced in a “secure, indoor facility” by “a person to whom the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection has issued a production facility permit,” says the zoning regulations.

It is also possible to sell the marijuana, but at a medical marijuana dispensary, defined as “a place of business where marijuana may be dispensed or sold at retail to qualifying patients and primary caregivers and for which the Connecticut Department of consumer Protection has issued a dispensary facility permit.”

There is only one district that is zoned for this, and that is I-2. This is mostly the North and South Meadows, but also could include some parcels along Francis Avenue, Bartholomew Avenue, Hamilton Street, Wellington Street, Rose Street, Kane Street, New Park Avenue, Newfield Avenue, Love Lane, Windsor Street, Homestead Avenue, and possibly elsewhere.

That looks like potential for many sparks, but there are other restrictions.

No part of the building in which the product is grown or sold may be used as a residence. There may only be one dispensary per building, so that hemp highrise is out of the question.

They say, “No medical marijuana dispensary facility or medical marijuana production facility shall be permitted on a site that is less than one thousand (1,000) feet from any site containing a church, school, public building, public park or recreation area, residential property; unless the above referenced land uses are separated by an interstate highway or railroad.”

These can operate year-round, but not around-the-clock.

Hartford is limited to one production facility and one dispensary.

If you were hoping to enter the business here, you’re too late on one of those. Hartford already has its one dispensary– Arrow Alternative Care on Weston Street.

No advertisement on the premises is permitted. A street number is allowed, but signs explaining that the building is used for selling medicinal marijuana are not.

Penny arcades are allowed in I-2 and B-2. Downtown is not zoned to allow for planetariums, except for the occasional C-1 district.

Can I Live My Dream of the 1890’s and Open a Textile Mill?

What you may not do is purchase the former Hartford Office Supply building and turn that into your silk mill.

Textile manufacturing is limited to the I-1 and I-2 districts, so mostly North Meadows and South Meadows, some spots along New Park Avenue, and elsewhere.

If you were thinking of opening a tannery, think again. That is not permitted anywhere within city limits.

Could I Ignite the Economy with Tractor Racing?

Hartford is always seeking to broaden its appeal to attract more visitors. Tractor racing could tap into a new market while giving those currently riding ATVs on the street an alternative, appropriate venue (for those willing to trade for a tractor).

Sport race tracks are allowed in the I-2 and P districts. That means public property, including parks, could potentially host an event that splashes mud everywhere, almost guaranteeing demand for nearby retail where clean clothing can be purchased for those who did not plan ahead. A long afternoon of tractor racing calls for an abundance of concession stands.

Where Can I Buy and Sell Tractors?

Farm equipment can be sold in I-2 and C-1 districts, which include some parcels along Main Street, Pleasant Street, Walnut Street, Market Street, and Chestnut Street, among others. Potentially, you could sell tractors in close proximity to the race track.

Where Can I Create My Television Broadcast Studio Dedicated to Covering The World of Tractor Racing?

The good news is that these are allowed basically anywhere Downtown, and in many areas of Asylum Hill, South Green, and Barry Square, where parcels are zoned as B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, RO-1, and RO-2. The television broadcast studio could also go in a few places along Blue Hills Avenue, Holcomb Street, and Tower Avenue.

Kennels

What if creating an entire consumer culture around tractor racing is a pipe dream and you want to instead serve the people already living in Hartford who have some unmet needs?

I-1, I-2, C-1, and B-3 are the districts where a kennel, which falls under “animal services,” could potentially be located. The area of Downtown North includes several areas meeting that description. The area from William “Shorty” Campbell Drive west to West Hartford, south of Flatbush, would also be suitable according to zoning. The south side of Hawthorn Street, along with north side of Capitol Avenue just south of I-84, could also host kennels. There are other places that could work.

We have dog walkers. We have a pet supply store in Downtown. Can a dog park and daycare be far behind?

SOURCES