For all the passions the Hamlet at Saugatuck project inspires, last night’s Planning & Zoning Commission hearing was remarkably civil.
No voices were raised, in the packed Town Hall auditorium.
But objections were.
The session was the P&Z’s first in-person event since COVID. It followed a recent virtual meeting that ended after a Zoom-bomb attack.
Part of the large Town Hall crowd. (Photo/Andrew Colabella)
More than 2 hours of comment followed a 90-minute presentation by ROAN Ventures, the developer.
Many speakers — including those representing an opposition group, the Westport Alliance for Saugatuck — raised questions about the size of the proposal, along with parking, traffic and related concerns.
Others — including a Stony Point neighbor who lives directly behind the red brick wall at the eastbound railroad station parking lot — urged approval.
Nearly every speaker acknowledged the need for some kind of redevelopment in the “eyesore” that the Hamlet encompasses: the area surrounding Riverside Avenue at Charles Street, circling around Railroad Place. Many also praised the potential for remediating the contaminants on site, which now includes a dry cleaner. A car dealer previously occupied the spot.
ROAN’s opening presentation including modifications to its previous proposal, after feedback from town regulatory boards.
The new proposal includes 2 “stack” parking garages, with valets. Fees would be $2.50 for the first 2 hours, with annual “unlimited 2-hour parking” on sale to Westporters.
The parking garage would include 277 spaces, 15 more than town regulations require.
ROAN withdrew its previous request to use railroad parking lots. Critics had noted that they are owned by the state, which could change parking rules at any time.
The developers also promised off-site parking for employees, at a location to be determined.
They noted too that they will not reduce the width of Riverside Avenue, as originally planned. They will add seating around the waterfront; combine 2 buldings into 1, and reduce the height.
ROAN would be the town’s highest taxpayer, they said. Meanwhile, their permitting fees would contribute the most money yet to Westport’s affordable housing fund.
The developers raised the specter of an 8-30g project, if this is not approved. That could be denser and larger, with more units, than the Hamlet, they warned. Because of the way that state affordable housing regulation is written, town officials would have no recourse to prevent it.
ROAN also promised to re-examine the results after 6 months of operation, and fix any issues that arise.
Then the audience — which one observer said was the largest since the P&Z debated a medical marijuana facility — had their chance to speak. Some were Representative Town Meeting (RTM) members; others were residents, spread across town from Saugatuck Shores to Greens Farms.
Many thanked the commissioners for the volunteer service. A number of opponents noted that they wanted redevelopment to succeed, and for ROAN’s investors to make money.
Part of the area for the proposed Hamlet development. Riverside Avenue is at the bottom; Charles Street is on the right.
But, opponents said, many issues warrant further discussion, and additional redesigns.
Traffic was a chief concern. Some speakers scoffed at traffic studies, and refigured lights that showed faster times driving through the area.
Others wondered whether those studies had been done during the pandemic, when traffic and railroad parking was lighter than today.
Speakers raised many topics, including police, fire and EMT response times in the area, and out to Saugatuck Shores; open space and river access that could be blocked by nearby buildings; protections during the abatement of contaminated soil; the safety of rowers on the river, due to increased water traffic; the impact on Saugatuck residents and businesses during construction; parking for delivery trucks; potential flooding; sewer capacity, and light and noise pollution.
Countering those speakers, others called the Hamlet a “win” for Saugatuck, and the entire town.
RTM member Jimmy Izzo noted that although the town “won” by preventing 40 units of 8-30g housing on Hiawatha Lane, it lost when lawsuits led to construction of a 157-unit project, currently underway.
Stony Point neighbor Roger Schwanhausser is strongly in favor of the Hamlet. He called it a “gem,” and urged quick passage of the proposal.
“We have one chance to get this right,” one speaker said. “We want this to succeed. Just in a better way than we’ve seen so far.”
The P&Z will continue its discussion on May 5 and 19. Another public hearing may be scheduled, before the commission votes.
(Additional reporting: Catie Campagnino)
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Dan – I think it’s important for your readers to know that the “Stony Point neighbor” (in favor of the Hamlet) project is my neighbor Roger Schwanhausser. Roger is a civic-minded great guy, but he is an investor in the Hamlet project, and last night abstained from letting the audience know that. And commenting more broadly, I’d say that 90% of the small group of people who spoke in favor of the Hamlet, are and did identify themselves as Hamlet project investors.
It’s good and a positive step that the Roan team is making small changes to their plan to overcome it’s many traffic, parking and community fit issues. But they have a long way to go, and have done nothing to address the crazy level of building density planned.
There chance of success, would be better if they listened to (1) the public …over 750 people have signed a petition agreeing that the Hamlet as planned is too big, (2) the experts – the Westport Architectural Review Board voted 6-0 that the Hamlet plan did not work, and (3) all the current and past Westport RTM members who feel they have been essentailly “tricked” by blessing a certain concept direction two years ago, and being presented with a much larger, and less desirable project right now.
Rick,
You are a despicable neighbor to paint Roger in such a way .
From where I was sitting it was clear that Roger never heard the question. Try better.
Best,
Billy.
Dear Dan,
You mentioned a “Stony Point neighbor […] strongly in favor of the Hamlet”. I am a Stony Point neighbor currently opposed to the Hamlet until we’re sure the plan is good for Saugatuck residents and the people of Westport. To get there, we need a lot more discussion, based on a lot more relevant data.
Anyone’s first Marketing class taught him or her about a “foot in the door” strategy, a persuasion technique that “aims at getting a person to agree to a large request by having them agree to a modest request first” [Wikipedia]. Without enough relevant data, and without enough discussion, the developer’s strategy of first proposing a smaller project; then coming forward with a much larger one, is a sucker play. Let’s not fall for it.
I wasn’t able to attend the meeting …
Was the constant request for a scale model addressed at all?
I don’t understand why that hasn’t already been done … unless ROAN is afraid to do it, knowing that it puts a reality on the fears that the project is just too big.
I’ve only lived In Saugatuck for about 15 years but in that time I remember the virulent arguments against moving the YMCA and then tearing down buildings to make room for the Gault project. Thankfully both projects were built and both enhanced living conditions for Westporters. Now we’re doing the same thing with The Hamlet. I live within a five minute walk to the train station. Much of the area to be affected is run down and ugly. I wish the project included installing a beautiful and tall metal art installation at the end of exit 17 that welcomed visitors to an upscale, friendly, artsy, community. The message now is exactly the opposite. The Hamlet will change everything about Saugatuck in a profoundly good way. Build it already!
Mr. Dodig, You live within a five minute WALK from your home to this area. That’s nice for sure, but 95% of the town doesn’t..The rest of us have to deal with the traffic.
We walk to the station when we go into the city for a show but the rest of the time we drive in Westport like everyone else. I get frustrated along with every driver when stuck behind a school bus or when I-95 is shut down, or when everyone is going to or from work. That is modern America. Fear of traffic shouldn’t stop modernizing a blighted part of town. No one is going to spend the money required to upgrade this part of Saugatuck unless they get a good return on investment. Making The Hamlet smaller will make it financially impossible to recoup the investment. I get what you and others are concerned about but it just sounds the same to me as the objections to the Gault project. Now we can’t conceive of it not being here. It made this part of Saugatuck more livable, more fun, and much more pleasing to the eyes. Just my opinion.
Well sadly, or thankfully the people I speak for have no interest in some developers gargantuan monstrosity..
Gault was barely acceptable but I suppose very grudgingly we can say it “works”
Making it smaller and financials..
please stay in your lane which is certainly not financials.
The hamlet is making a fortune. !
Read that again !
A FORTUNE.
So the peeps promoting this literal shit show can stop.
We are not interested.
John? Investor? also one building like the Y or the Gault project do not compare with building a small town in saugatuck.
The Saugatuck Center is beautifully crafted … the buildings look like New England homes. There’s no comparison to what ROAN is showing us that The Hamlet will look like.
I think a very large majority of Westporters want to see something done with that area … but we want it to be more in keeping with Westport itself (not a mini city) and we want it to be more FOR Westporters rather than a destination for tourists.
Absolutely!!!!
Gotta love developers destroying towns, bullying with the threat of 830g, and tons of online posts against the project on social media platforms being deleted while ones in favor are left. I think anyone moderating the social media content or voting in favor of the project should come out clean if they have any familial or monetary links to the project.
Let Saugatuck evolve gradually through sales and renovation and it will retain its charm. Florida has numerous “Hamlets” that are boring cookie cutter designed stores and oh so fashionable overpriced restaurants.
It cannot be called a “Hamlet.” It is not one. Its such an obvious deception that I’d stop negotiating till they answer all questions and build a scale model.
Big picture, the Hamlet will be fantastic for Westport. Will transform alot of unused, eye-sore real estate into a productive, tax-generating development with plenty of things for residents to benefit from. It’ll be a painful construction process as all are, but will greatly add to the area once completed. Won’t be perfect and I’m sure the many “no changers” in Westport will find objection, but progress is more painful for some than others and we can’t always cater to the those who lag behind.
Not listening, Most, RTM P and Z neighbors liked the first draft, it changed A LOT, and don’t repeat it is less than it could have been. ROAN wrote the text amendment.
Also don’t repeat that an 8-30 G would be worse.
Please, Cathy Walsh, former P and Z chair, repeat your comment here or Dan please quote her in your next article.
Oh please what did she say? I was hoping she’d speak comment night but 10 pm i had to leave.
Cathy Walsh: “Jimmy Izzo, my good friend, just because he likes [Roan] and trusts them, is not a reason to approve a project. Please take your time. Do not do conditional approvals.”
The Hamlet is too tall in several locations and its density is likely to be problematic. I question the return on investment justification or at least would like a full analysis. I believe many if not most of the properties involved are only optioned, not owned by the ROAN people. That is, if true, important to me. Finally, an 8-30g project is likely to be less burdensome than the Hamlet. I am not aware that an 8-30g project is likely, though the threat was fundamental to P&Z Chair Danielle Dobin’s support of Hamlet several years ago. Danielle has left the P&Z Commission.
Three hotels, two parking garages and valet parking? C’mon. Part of the fun of Saugatuck is parking your car and walking (maybe 100 yards) to one of the fabulous restaurants. Sometimes I may stay twenty minutes and sometimes three hours. But when I leave I don’t want to be at the mercy of a valet. As far as the potential construction is concerned, I live on a small residential street. Not a through street. A 10-11k sf home was built across the street from me and it took two and a half years. The truck and equipment traffic was brutal. Sal Liccione brought up a good point last night regarding public safety. If this project comes to fruition the Saugatuck fire station would have to be reconfigured and you might have to station a ladder truck there. I loved the low key Gault project and I/we trusted them as they had skin in the game. I have no such trust with ROAN now apparently known as WHITE ROAN?? I guess a scaled down version won’t work for them financially. Pity
Dave Eason, I agree with you! And one of the best things of the many to date, is our free easy access and uncluttered parking. Saugatuck is currently still so authentic but I still greatly miss the post office!! Changes over time are inevitable but this ‘Hamlet’ idea is a horrible one. I agree with you too Don! Too tall, too much density. The traffic is ridiculous and already way beyond what it ever was.
Well, it’s set in stone then…the threat of 830-g and the carrot of getting the “largest tax payer in town” is gonna’ allow us to turn what is still a town, into a city. Way to go, investors.
I spoke to some investors, they were all gentlemen when they spoke and I believe them when they spoke about leaving something for their kids. I don’t think this area will be kid centric. What makes a town great for kids is safety on the streets to walk around, gardens and parks to play in. Clean water to swim in and row on. That is a place to invest your time and money. some places to hang out like a hotel and a restaurant less. The women who spoke and said we live in Westport and go to the beach when we want to be near the water is TRUE, we don’t head to a noisy congested area to take in nature. we head to parks on the river and the beach!