Tag Archives: Patrizia Zucaro

Supreme Court Denies “Save Our Saugatuck” Petition

Posted on December 27, 2023 | 9 comments

Last week, the Connecticut Supreme Court denied a request to review Save Old Saugatuck’s petition for certification. That removes a final roadblock to construction of the 157-unit Summit Saugatuck’s “Village at Saugatuck” project, on Hiawatha Lane Extension.

SOS attorney Joel Green was not surprised. “The overwhelming need for affordable housing in Connecticut appears to be strongly influencing judicial review and the outcome of cases involved in any way with this issue,” he says.

Carolanne Curry, the neighbor who has led the long political and legal fight against the development, says that the decision

quietly ended one of Westport’s longest and strongest efforts by Save Old Saugatuck to stop the abuse and exploitation that Connecticut’s housing law 8-30g provided to developer Felix Charney in his dangerous and disgusting proposal to turn a single-family neighborhood of homes into a chaos of apartment buildings that will be built on fragile wetlands and carry the potential of killer traffic problems.

Artist’s rendering of Summit Saugatuck.

SOS now turns its attention to a new proposal: a 5-story, 42-unit complex at #5 and #7 Hiawatha Lane, just east of the Summit Saugatuck project.

“Zucaro Apartments” is spearheaded by former Planning & Zoning Commission chair Cathy Walsh, and Faustina Zucaro, a relative of current P&Z member Patrizia Zucaro.

Like “The Village at Saugatuck,” it will be filed under 8-30g — the state’s affordable housing statute — meaning there are very few local grounds for denial.

Citing “greed and abuse” in 8-30g, Curry says, “At this point we are left with the feeling that the evil of 8-30g will be a permanent factor in our lives.

“On the other hand I feel strongly that being so victimized here in Old Saugatuck, we must continue to speak out against 8-30g. We must continue to seek an end to this social and legislative nightmare.

“I will continue advocating on behalf of our community, if there is agreement and support from neighbors and the community.”

Artist’s rendering of Zucaro Apartments. 

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New Hiawatha 8-30g — With A P&Z Twist

Posted on December 17, 2023 | 24 comments

As a Representative Town Meeting member for District 1, Matthew Mandell has his ear to the Saugatuck ground.

This weekend, he included some stunning news in his regular email to constituents and friends.

He reported that Cathy Walsh has filed an 8-30g application to turn a pair of 2-story homes into a 5-story, 42-unit apartment building. (8-30g projects include up to 30% of housing that is deemed “affordable,” by a state formula. Towns cannot deny an 8-30g proposal unless there is a specific significant health or safety concern.)

This is Very Big News for 3 reasons:

    1. Cathy Walsh is a former Planning & Zoning Commission chair. She is now a land use consultant.
    2. The property is owned, Mandell says, by Patrizia Zucaro’s family. Last month, she was re-elected as a Republican member of the Planning & Zoning Commission.
    3. The addresses of the 2 homes are #5 and #7 Hiawatha Lane. That’s a small street filled with some of the most affordable homes in Westport — just a few yards from Hiawatha Lane Extension, where the mammoth 157-unit Summit Saugatuck development has finally been okayed, following nearly 2 decades of litigation.

5 and 7 Hiawatha Lane.

Mandell says:

Yes, Hiawatha is in the gun sight again, even before the full impact of the Summit development has even broken ground. This project will destroy the “middle housing” that the state says is so important to communities in favor of this out of place monstrosity.

And if you can count like I can, this is actually 7-stories with the garage and pitched roof, huge. This is way bigger than what is going up at the intersection of Wilton Road and Kings Highway North.

Quite the turn. Cathy Walsh, while on the P&Z, was one of the more vocal commissioners against 8-30g and overdevelopment. As chair she went so far as to shut down 8-30g applicant Tim Hollister’s (Summit) speech, leading to one of the many lawsuits which ultimately gave us the first Hiawatha debacle.

She was part of the majority that upended the senior housing project slated for Baron’s South which would have brought over 80 units of senior housing, 40% of which would have been affordable. (Note – on appeal to the RTM, a vast majority voted to overturn that decision, but did not achieve the high bar of 2/3s of the body).

Now, I don’t know Ms. Zucaro’s part in this and will not presume, but it is her address, owned by her family and the project is called “Zucaro Apartments.” Clearly she can’t sit on this application.

A rendering of “Zucaro Apartments,” from the Planning & Zoning application.

8-30g has never been about creating affordable housing. It is a blunt instrument under the guise of such to allow developers to bust zones and profiteer from the law. One just has to shake one’s head as to how this is shaping up.

To my constituents in that area: You know you have my support. We have been through this before. I guess we’ll have to do it again.

“06880” emailed Walsh for her reaction to Mandell’s mailing. She said, “Thanks for reaching out. At this point I must say no comment.”

“06880” also emailed Zucaro yesterday. As of 10 p.m last night, she had not responded to a request for comment.

(Hat tip: Dick Lowenstein)

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Posted in Local politics, Real estate, Saugatuck

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P&Z Candidates: We’ll Look At Every Long Lots/Gardens Solution

Posted on October 12, 2023 | 12 comments

“The Long Lots School Building Committee justifies. We decide.”

That statement by Paul Lebowitz — and similar remarks by 4 other candidates for the Planning & Zoning Commission — signaled last night that the decision to place a baseball field on the site of the current Community Gardens is not yet a done deal.

The candidates — speaking for 2 minutes each at a Town Hall debate — all said, essentially: We know the importance of the gardens. We know the importance of a new school. We will look at every solution. We will think outside the box. That is the job of the P&Z.

The League of Women Voters event was less a “debate” than a series of responses to questions submitted earlier by residents. Candidates included current members Lebowitz, a Democrat; Republican members Amie Tesler and Patrizia Zucaro; Republican alternate John Bolton, and Republican challenger Michael Calise.

Coalition for Westport candidate Joseph Strickland was absent, due to COVID.

Planning & Zoning Commission candidates (from right to left): Michael Calise, Amie Tesler, Paul Lebowitz, Patrizia Zucaro and John Bolton. An LWV representative (far left) read an opening statement from Joseph Strickland, who has COVID. (Photo/Dan Woog)

“Everything with zoning is about competing interests,” Bolton said regarding the gardens controversy. He noted that he and the other incumbents could speak only generally, because the issue will come before them — though it has not yet — and they are obligated to keep open minds.

“Patrizia, Amie and I took a tour (of the gardens),” Bolton continued. “It was eye-opening. I learned a lot. It’s an asset to this town.

“(The P&Z) is the trustee for citizens. They trust us to do what is right. We have to think outside the box.”

Calise said, “We haven’t seen the final site plan. I’m partial toward retaining the gardens. But we have to wait to see all the facts.”

Tesler cited her youth in Mystic, on 2 acres and with her “hands in the dirt” at her school’s garden.

However, she added, “It’s a tough issue. We want to save Mother Earth, and also educate our next generation. We have to consider all solutions. There may be other solutions on the table. I’m open to anything.”

Lebowitz said, “The 1st Selectwoman will give us justification for her decision. Like any applicant, she must show facts and figures: why a garden or a ballfield should go somewhere. We deal with issues like parking and drainage. You justify; we decide.”

Zucaro added, “The town is in a no-win situation. The garden is absolutely beautiful, amazing — everyone should see it.

“But Long Lots is in serious disrepair. The Building Committee was tasked with finding a solution. I hope they did their job, and evaluated all their options. I look forward to hearing from them.”

Westport Community Gardens (Photo/Karen Mather)

Asked to cite the 3 most critical issues facing the P&Z, Tesler said “8-30g, traffic, and over-development.” Lebowitz named “traffic, affordable housing, and protecting open space.” Zucaro offered “cohesive town planning, over-development and affordable housing.” Bolton said “affordable housing, quality of life, and preserving the tax base.” Calise said “aquifers, housing stock, and planning for the future.”

Other questions included weaknesses in the town’s current regulations, and the impact of the environment on P&Z decisions.

The League of Women Voters’ Candidates’ Debates continue tonight (Thursday) in the Town Hall auditorium, with the Board of Education at 7 p.m., and the Board of Finance at 8:15 p.m. The event will be livestreamed on www.westportct.gov, and televised on Optimum Channel 79.

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Posted in Education, Environment, Local politics

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