McMahon runs afoul of Greenwich zoning regs

The Greenwich field office of Linda McMahon at 1076 E. Putnam Ave. on Friday, Sept. 14, 2012. Photo by Bob Luckey,

Linda McMahon is testing the definition of “retail” politics.

Her Senate campaign just started renting space at 1076 E. Putnam Ave. in Riverside for its Greenwich field office, one of 12 statewide.

This one is in her hometown.

There’s a problem, however.

The first floor of the two-story Victorian is zoned for retail use only, per Town Planner Diane Fox, who said that an office of any kind does not conform with local regulations.

“I suspect we could close it down,” Fox said. “I don’t think this violates freedom of speech as a political activity.”

McMahon referred questions Friday to her Greenwich office director Steve Warzoha, who had no comment on the matter.

“I’ve not heard anything about that,” McMahon said during a campaign stop at the Greenwich Senior Center.

Frank Farricker, a former zoning commissioner who is chairman of the Democratic Town Committee, brought the issue to the attention of Hearst Connecticut Newspapers.

“She’s a walking zoning violation,” Farricker said of McMahon.

Farricker said he inquired about leasing the space last week and was told by zoning officials that only the second floor could be used for an office.

“They didn’t bother to ask, I guess,” Farricker said.

Fox noted that the town’s zoning enforcement officer, Jodi Couture, can grant a temporary waiver for a retail space to be used as an office, but that she wasn’t aware that any request had been made.

A message seeking comment from Couture was left at his office Friday.

The property is owned by JC Corporation, which also owns a neighboring retail property housing a Chinese restaurant and pizza delivery business. A business card was left Friday for the landlord.

McMahon’s defenders say that there is precedent for non-profit campaign offices be allowed to use retail space and that Farricker was ticked because the Democrats had been eying the same space.

“It’s retail politics,” said state Sen. L. Scott Frantz, R-36th District, a McMahon backer.

UPDATE:

McMahon’s campaign manager Corry Bliss said in a statement Friday night that the property’s owner had given assurances that the space could be used for political purposes.

“We leased the space from the landlord with a representation that it could be used as a campaign office. Based on the past practices of both Democratic and Republican campaigns, we thought it was — and still believe it to be — a permitted use of the premises. This silly ploy by the Murphy campaign is certainly original, but it is really only meant to distract from the congressman’s ethical lapses and efforts to cover up the special deal he received from his bank.”

Neil Vigdor