Change appears to be on the horizon for the Guilford Marina area, and some officials think it’s time to pump the brakes a bit to make sure the change is appropriate. Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) Chair Richard Meier is calling for a six-month moratorium to rethink zoning code pertinent to the area.

The first public hearing on the issue will be held Wednesday, Feb. 17 at the Nathanael B. Greene Community Center. Town Planner George Kral said the moratorium, if approved, will put a six month freeze on all development applications in the area.

“During the time of the moratorium, the commission will study the area and the issues associated with it and very well may develop proposed zoning changes,” he said.

For the moratorium to be approved, the PZC must hold two public hearings on the issue. The first is scheduled for Feb. 17 and the second is scheduled for Wednesday, March 2.

“The moratorium will only affect a small portion of the town center south overlay zone,” Kral said. “That portion is referred to as the C2M zone, which is basically the area around the marina.”

Meier did not respond to requests for comment. While Kral said he could not speak definitively, he suspects the recent Oceanco LLC applications played a large part in this decision. Oceanco purchased the former Stonehouse restaurant last summer and also owns the nearby Beecher Stowe House. Oceanco’s recent applications and subsequent approval from the PZC were met with a great deal of public interest and scrutiny.

“What I think is driving this desire to study this is all the controversy around the Oceanco proposal with the Stonehouse and the concerns about how the Town Center South Overlay Zone might allow certain types of development including conceivable buildings as high as 60 feet within that area,” he said.

Current zoning regulations allow structures to be built, by special permit approval, as high as 60 feet in the C2M zone. Kral said PZC is likely to reconsider this if the moratorium is passed.

Economic Development Coordinator Brian McGlone said he didn’t understand the issue over the 60-foot allowance.

“Part of the rationale for the height included is the need for about 10 to 12 feet of ‘free board,’ area that might be subjected to storms or flooding, so that the primary living space(s) wouldn’t be impacted,” he said. “I believe FEMA standards require this in flood prone areas,”

McGlone said that while he has never experienced a moratorium, he is concerned about the effect it might have on the area.

“My assumption is that it might have a negative impact to the building or land owner since the moratorium might cause a period of uncertainty as to future potential uses and development,” he said.

The first public hearing will be held Wednesday, Feb. 17 at the Nathanael B. Greene Community Center at 7:30 p.m.