Our long blue nightmare is over.
The sale of 233 Hillspoint Road — site of the former Café de la Plage and Positano restaurants, but since before COVID a half-finished, Tyvek-wrapped, litigation-snarled residential property, and an eyesore and headache for neighbors and passersby — closed earlier this month.
Work has already begun to finish the home.
Who bought it? Read on …
Work resumed this month at 233 Hillspoint Road. (Photo/John McKinney)
The cat is out of the bag. My identity is public. I am the owner of 233 Hillspoint Road, and have been in contract since mid-July. My name is James Pendry.
I have lived in Westport since the late 1980s. I sent my children to Staples High School.
I was a member of Westport Rotary for years, and have lived in an antique home on the Mill Pond for over 2 decades.
I have logged many hours sipping coffee outside Elvira’s, and many summer days reading at Old Mill Beach. I’d like to think I know the neighborhood.
I know there have been many rumors, many fingers pointed, much outrage and vituperative attacks on everyone from the seller, Planning & Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals and Building Department.
Virtually everything I’ve heard is the worst form of gossip: false and mean.
For years, 233 Hillspoint Road looked like this.
Unfortunately, and I guess to disappoint many of you, there is no villain here. There is only a profound lack of communication, the lost years of COVID, and the ill-effects of “silo-ing.”
At each turn in this drama, every actor was doing the logical and right thing from their specific and singular point of view. Omniscience was required — someone or some authority to look at the big picture, and forge a workable compromise.
That entity does not exist in the land use departments of the town of Westport — or in the halls of Congress of the United States. The result is the same: missed opportunities, little productive debate, and either no outcome or a bad outcome.
In the last week we have cleaned up the site, moved the security fence so as not to impede pedestrian traffic, and replaced all the blue skin on the exterior of the building.
The neighbors, who had sued the previous owner, were gracious enough to meet with me and keep an open mind to some changes. Ultimately, we were able to reach a compromise that each of the plaintiffs and I can abide by.
Construction will start in earnest, as soon as the ZBA signs off on the compromise reached.
I am hopeful that that can happen at their next meeting.
(“06880” has followed the saga of 233 Hillspoint — and plenty of other real estate and beach news. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Nice of you, James, to let the neighbors and town in on your thoughts and your felt injury regarding 233…I choose to differ, however, with your “there is no villain” here. The villain(s), and indeed there are three: the owner of the site who, knowingly, commissioned the eye sore; the architect who designed it and the P&Z that allowed a neighborhood travesty.
Sorry to say, James, no well meant words or friendly conversation is going to change any of that.
It was not the P & Z that authorized this oversized travesty, but the ZBA chaired by Jim Ezzes that approved the variance allowing it. Only one member Liz Wong voted against it.
I say, turn the page, & kudos to James
Jim. Good luck. I will stop by.
SIMPLE……Wonderful message you sent!… and hopefully a model that can begin to seep into all or at least most local, state and AND our Federal government and the great and wonderful diversity of Americans. Thank you See you at the beach. David Singer
James, 5 people can have 5 different idea’s of what should be there, you will never make everyone happy. I think that your message is warm and wonderful, and hopefully it will help tamp down public anger, along with the realization its time wrap up this project – As a builder that has spent many years working in the beach area, I look forward to seeing it finished! Steele Bray