The Commission on the City Plan voted unanimously Oct. 20 to modify Saint Vincent de Paul Place’s special permit to allow the nonprofit to extend its evening hours seasonally from Dec. 1 through March 15, and on other dates when the governor declares a cold‑weather emergency, in order to remain open until a designated emergency warming center opens.

Jillian Corbyn, director of Saint Vincent de Paul Place, told the commission the organization is not seeking to operate a warming center or nightly shelter but rather to “provide a safe, warm, and stable place during the late afternoon and evening hours” and to “provide a warm evening meal to help sustain individuals until morning.” Corbyn said the extension would apply only on the days a warming center opens or when the governor activates the state’s cold‑weather protocol; if no warming center opens, the organization will close at its regular 4:00 p.m. time.

Staff reviewed the application and a memorandum noting prior litigation tied to the recorded special‑permit schedule of permitted activities. The memo listed seven specific permitted activities on the land records and noted that the requested modification affects only the hours stated in item 1 of that schedule. Staff also identified standard waivers the applicant requested (bond estimate, drainage calculations, building elevations, a second survey, and certain agency letters) and recommended consideration of those waivers because the request does not change the building or site.

The commission heard public testimony in favor of the modification from multiple community groups. Carlene Charmelius, president of the Norwich NAACP, submitted a written letter read at the hearing in which the branch urged approval so that “every person has access to warmth and safety during Connecticut’s coldest months.” Reverend Eric Heinrich, representing the Norwich Area Interfaith Association, and State Senator Kathy Austin submitted letters of support. TVCCA (Thames Valley Council for Community Action) provided detail on its winter operations and requested coordination; TVCCA’s letter noted that state funding of $125,000 has been earmarked to support a seasonal warming center this winter and that TVCCA is working to identify an appropriate location.

Commissioners and staff discussed operational details and public‑safety constraints. Richard Schuck, the city’s zoning enforcement officer, said he had no objection to the application as clarified that evening. Staff and the fire marshal’s correspondence (discussed at the meeting) distinguished a short‑term emergency warming center activated under the governor’s protocol from a nightly shelter, which would be subject to more stringent fire‑code and facility requirements. Staff noted the Buckingham Building (previously used for emergency cold‑weather operations) has a smaller usable capacity (historically 16 persons) than some requests in the record and that any separate plan to operate a nightly shelter would require independent review and compliance with fire and building code requirements.

After closing the public hearing, the commission voted to grant the requested waivers and then to approve the special permit modification with the standard conditions listed in staff’s memo. Commissioners emphasized that any future shift from a temporary warming‑center role to a full nightly shelter would require additional approvals and fire‑marshal sign‑off.

The approval applies only to the limited extension of hours described in the application and does not change any other conditions or activities recorded on the property’s special‑permit schedule.