It’s been a quiet few months for the new Saugatuck development.
But next Tuesday (July 28, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall Room 309), the Architectural Review Board will hear a pre-application, and discuss plans, for 606 Riverside Avenue.
That’s the Minute Man Cleaners/locksmith/parking lot plot, bordered by Charles Street. Spinnaker plans to build 175 apartments there. Eighteen — about 10 percent — would be considered affordable.
The pre-app — with information from Beinfield Architects — note the intention to create a new Transit Oriented Development sub-area. It would “allow the proposed development to proceed, to encourage primarily residential development on larger lots proximate to the Saugatuck Train Station, to enhance the area’s aesthetic appeal, and to enhance pedestrian access.”
The TOD area would encourage developments “inspired by New England architecture vernacular (and) encourage the preservation of architectural features of historic buildings.” Click here to see all materials in the pre-application.
Spinnaker did not reply to several requests for comment.
606 Riverside Avenue (yellow outline). It is bordered by Railroad Place (left and bottom), Charles Street (top) and Riverside Avenue (right).
Exterior view, in the pre-application. Taller buildings are behind the one facing Riverside Avenue.
Second exterior view, with taller buildings behind.
One level of apartments.
The applicant writes about wanting to preserve the historic FEATURES (wanted to underline but could not, so caps instead) of the buildings which appear to be the corner of Railroad Place (where Desi’s place used to be) and the other historic buildings along that length of Railroad Place (opposite the railroad). So, they want to retain the historic features and NOT the buildings themselves? Is that allowed? I thought these historic structures were protected. Please advise.
Great seeing you Dan, & good work on “06880!” I have a comment about ped access; both the Black Duck & Viva Zapata are lacking handicap ramps. I use a walker now from leg injuries, & they were both hard to navigate. Seniors need more assistance. rebeccamoorefrey01@gmail.com
“No Building shall exceed a Height of sixty feet (60’), except a Building Height of seventy-five feet (75’) is permitted when the portion of the Building that exceeds sixty feet (60’) is set back a minimum of a fifty-foot (50’) distance from Riverside Avenue, a
eighty-foot (80’) distance from Railroad Place and Franklin Street, and a thirty-five foot (35’) distance from Charles Street.”
So the ugly 21 Charles Street is not part of this re-development?
Correct. It was part of the original Hamlet redevelopment (it would be re-skinned), but Spinnaker did not purchase it. They bought the lot referenced in the story above, as well as the private parking lot (recently filled with boats) above Luciano Park.
Thank you Clay Fowler, Matthew Edvardsen, and Kim Morque, for in my opinion, destroying yet another town with your gross buildings.
Also, how is it only 10% affordable? I thought it was 20%? Why do these people get away with this crap?
(quick AI search): To bypass local zoning rules under Connecticut’s affordable housing statute (C.G.S. 8-30g), developers must designate at least 30% of the newly constructed units as affordable.
I would imagine that the 8-30g version will be…..less attractive.
@Elizabeth Keane – according to the detailed drawings the buildings along Railroad Place will be retained. They’re “existing buildings” on the plan so unless there’s an “accident” during development, that row should be fine.
21 Charles Street is a shocking eyesore as you enter Westport from I-95 or the train. Our visitors joked that it was the WHQ of the Illuminati.
The Hamlet had a cohesive plan. This is a low budget generic mess with 10% affordable units, meaning Westport takes a step backwards in its quest to satisfy 10-30g.
Keep it on the scale of the Gault development. That is something I could get behind.
Yes!
At this point getting behind it is irrelevant, we had a chance to keep some control of the end result for the slice, it was spelled out several diffrent ways and now a universal studios facade on Riverside ave. will be the distraction for SoNo/Stamford scale and density. Well-done Alliance.
Couldn’t have happened to a better place. All.of us outside of Westport welcome the town’s new ‘gem’
Classy
Yup but that won’t make the developers super rich. They probably have no connection to the towns they are making ugly . #greed
The Hamlet is looking better and better every day. Remember who to blame when this inferior development with little or no public space or amenities goes through: the Hamlet opponents. So sad to have this area ruined because of a rabidly vocal minority.
The Hamlet would have added 57 residential units. And a hotel, a couple of restaurants, a marina….
This project is a 165 residential unit apartment complex, on top of the already 157 units coming on line with the Villages at Saugatuck.