Town officials and residents have been laser-focused on 2 zoning issues: HB 5002, and plans for the Hamlet at Saugatuck retail/residential/and more project, or a 500-unit 8-30g housing complex there.
Both the omnibus housing bill and large-scale development would impact Westport, everywhere from traffic and density to taxes and moratorium points.
Meanwhile — far from the spotlight — quiet but steady progress is being made on affordable and below-market housing.
And it’s happening all over town.
On Monday (June 23, 6 p.m., Zoom), the Planning & Zoning Commission will hear a pre-application for the property at 455 Post Road East.
For decades, the building between Compo Shopping Center and Westport Fire headquarters has been home to the Connecticut Humane Society.
Connecticut Human Society, on Post Road East.
They’re moving soon, to Wilton. That offers an opportunity for new housing — right on the bus line, a few steps from Trader Joe’s, CVS and more.
Westport’s Inclusionary Housing Zone — in place since 2010 — has encouraged housing (including affordable units) on mixed-used properties along the Post Road. Beneficiaries include developments behind Splash car wash, and at the former Geiger’s and Kowalsky sites opposite Greens Farms Elementary School.
But according to Rick Redniss, the regulation is not “user-friendly.” Some of the provisions discourage housing, especially of the affordable and below-market kinds.
Rick Redniss
He should know. He’s a partner in Redniss & Mead, the land use consulting firm that has worked on many successful local projects.
Redniss says the pre-app addresses the question: “Why can’t a site on the Post Road be all residential?” It seeks to add flexibility to the IHZ designation.
Housing — some of it affordable — is more necessary than “another small commercial building,” he says.
A builder with extensive Westport experience has contracted to buy the Humane Society property, Redniss says. But they need to know the P&Z backs housing at the site.
Redniss has worked on other affordable housing — some of it off-site — that many Westporters may be unaware of.
The Residence — the independent, assisted and memory care community on the Post Road near Morningside Drive — was built in an IHZ area. Instead of 3 small apartments on-site, the project includes 2 single-family homes — with yards and garages – on Crescent Park.
The Mill condominium project on Richmondville Avenue includes 5 units at 136 Riverside Avenue, next to Saugatuck Elementary School.
The Victorian home was completely renovated. Four apartments are now occupied by adults with special needs. A fifth is rented by an income-eligible resident director. A 49-year lease with the town has been pre-paid.
136 Riverside Avenue, after renovations.
Meanwhile, residential units are going up on land between New Country Toyota and Splash car wash. In collaboration with Homes with Hope, Redniss is proposing an affordable 2-family home off-site.
Also in the works: on-site affordable housing at 220 Post Road West — the 2-story retail building that housed a rug store, on the corner of Sylvan Road North.
And, in the northern corner of Westport, 14 units of special needs housing at Glendinning Place, near the former Bridgewater headquarters off Weston Road.
Taken together, that’s a lot of affordable and below-market housing, at a wide variety of sites.
Keep your eye on the Humane Society — and other spaces — as public and private officials seek humane solutions to a town, state and national housing crisis.
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We should figure out how to take all of the worse intersections in town, and then put affordable housing right at those spots…. Ill bet we have a chance at winning the Guinness Book of World Records for traffic creation and longest waits for shortest distances in towns across the country. We should pass a bill next to put scooter lanes on every major road, because that is going to be the only way to get around soon. We have all of these wonderful protests for so many issues that dont affect westport. the most important issue (and yes we are lucky in this mini paradise we live in) is traffic. i would think everyone agrees it has gotten absurd. how about we bring town govt and rtms and whatever boards we have to attend to traffic first. it is a total catastrophe.
Won’t the Post Road full of Apartment buildings look more like a city and not a town? A smattering maybe but developers are changing the feel of CT Towns. That’s the charm of CT!
The Post Road now looks awful except in a handful of spots. It is not in any way charming. What “feel” is evoked by decaying 1980s commercial buildings and strip malls? It’s not New England. And have you been to a city lately? They’re not full of 4 story buildings.
My family moved to Westport in 1944 and except for about 25 years after college etc, I have lived here as well. And I can say categorically that Westport was never a “New England Town” and the Post Road was never charming. As you know, we only became a town in 1835–splitting off from Norwalk and Fairfield, towns which actually had colonial history. We need to respond to the housing needs that the state mandates, in as thoughtful way as we can.
Let’s just enjoy the holiday and be thankful. We can all be thankful. Some of us are thankful we live in Westport. Some of us aren’t (because we don’t – not that there’s anything wrong with that) But one thing that we can all be thankful for is Dan (Woog, not Katz).
Thanks for this detailed information Dan. Very encouraging.
This should all be seen by the State as Westport leading by example of how a Town can do affordable housing. That’s the crux of the issue with 5002. Stick or carrot?
Westport has been committed to creating housing. We have the strongest inclusionary housing requirement, at 20%, in the state. We have created an affordable housing fund that now holds $1.2 Million in it. We are looking to take town buildings and convert them to affordable housing. These are in addition to what was outlined in the above article. We are moving the needle forward.
Give us the carrot and leave the stick in the forest.
Your hypocrisy knows no bounds.
You spent years stopping far far more reasonable builds than the hamlet being built in Saugatuck.
In fact I would go so far as to say “it is your fault” that far nicer construction was blocked.
And now here we are with a vile monstrosity, which you and Tait and the rest of district 1 rtm are advocates of.
You do not get to pretend you have not, both , along with Izzo and others gone out of your way to help it all happen… like a group of lap dogs.. or more appropriately “brown nosers”
You should be mortified all 4 rtm from district 1,certainly not representing the majority of residents in district 1, while you cozy up to roan !
It’s sickening.
I hope none of you are elected in November.
The alliance should see to it you are not.
Disgraceful.
And reeks of shade.
Any resident who votes for Mott Purcell, bloom, Tait and Mandell needs to remember, they plan on bending over backwards to make hamlet happen.. and behind your back too !!! They desperately want to be in a position of power during the build of this.
Their silence has spoken volumes.
As for Mandell who pretends to be everyone’s friend, he is NOT !
He is the reason we are facing a development like this.. and he assisted in its being moved along..
for 4 plus years.. the roan group has reached out to these individuals.. amongst others..
most of D1 was involved in this.
Where was disclosure to You the voters ??? Uhhh nowhere !
Why ?
Because there’s an election in November !
So please think about your vote. Think about the wolves in sheep’s clothing, and think about the pigs in lipstick.
These individuals support this disastrous hamlet- it appears.
If you elect them, they will do their damnest to make it happen.