Could part of the state Department of Transportation Post Road East property still be used for affordable housing?
After the DOT revealed plans to build a new maintenance facility on the land behind Walgreens, “06880” asked 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker about earlier discussions to use some of the land closest to West Parish for housing.
“The DOT never offered the town of Westport a portion of that property,” Tooker said.
“There were discussions regarding building affordable housing on a portion of the property, in 2020 and 2021. However, the land would have been transferred from DOT to the Department of Housing for that purpose, not the town. Neither the state DOT nor DOH has advanced that project.”
Simultaneously, “06880” had asked State Representative Jonathan Steinberg — a member of the Transportation Committee — about the DOT’s plans.
Yesterday he forwarded a reply from Mary Ann Daly, who works in the Department of Transportation Office of Legislative Affairs.
After noting that the new facility is depicted in the site plan (shown at the bottom of this story), she noted another element of the plan: a parcel “which is a portion of the DOT property along West Parish Road that could be transferred for affordable housing.”
In her email to Steinberg, Daly included a note from Michael Strong, transportation supervising engineer in the DOT Office of Facilities Design.
State Department of Transportation land. The Sherwood Island Connector is at left, Post Road East at top, West Parish Road on right. The proposed new maintenance facility is outlined in black (behind Walgreens). The land considered for affordable housing is in red, at right.
Strong provides more details: “My awareness of the potential for affordable housing started in September 2019. Design supported Paul Rizzo and Mark Rolfe in reviewing documents sent to the Department and in developing conceptual site plans to identify a potential surplus parcel beyond what the Department needs to maintain operations on site.
“I was not in attendance of any of these meetings with the town or its representatives so I cannot offer any additional first-hand information other than a few E-Mails that may not paint a clear picture. The Department advanced Project No. 158-223 [the new maintenance facility] in 2023, sooner than originally scheduled, to facilitate the creation of this surplus parcel. I have heard nothing officially regarding the property transfer.”
So: Is it still possible to use the land for affordable housing?
To be continued …
Plans for the new Department of Transportation maintenance facility.