Housing plan draws foes

Crowd expected for hearing on proposed multifamily project

ORANGE — A proposal for a multifamily housing project that will come before the Inland Wetlands & Water Courses Commission and has sparked such a firestorm of opposition among neighbors the meeting has been moved to a larger space at High Plains Community Center.

The developer is proposing to build 10 multifamily residential buildings — with a total of about 60 bedrooms in the complex — and one community building on a compilation of parcels. The compiled properties add up to about 22.5 acres adjoining Route 15 and fronting on Turkey Hill Road and Cranberry Lane.

Jeffrey N. Gordon, one of the developer’s experts and a site planner/landscape architect and president of Codespoti & Associates P.C., said the proposal doesn’t disturb the wetlands, and normally such a situation would be handled administratively, but a hearing is being held because a petition was submitted requesting on a hearing on the application.

They are proposing to work within 100 feet of wetlands.

Some 50 residents attended a Sept. 10 meeting of the commission where the hearing

“This will affect all of us in the future. If this project is allowed, it will open the door to other similar proposals.” Dr. Lawrence Messina, in a letter to the editor

was to take place and learned there the meeting was canceled. It was unclear at that time why the meeting was canceled and angry residents speculated the developer did something wrong — but it would turn out it was because the town had failed to notify abutting property owners.

The hearing that will begins at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, will be continued as on Oct. 17, as much of the first session will be a presentation by the developer, Midland LLC.

Gordon said there is a lot of misinformation being spread by those opposed to the project.

He noted a flier he received at his Orange residence with no return address that implores residents to “fill the room” at High Plains for the hearing and “should this development be approved, the entire town of Orange could be susceptible to housing projects.”

Gordon said the flier incorrectly states his client is looking to build 60 twoand threebedroom units, when in fact they are tentatively looking at 60 total bedrooms. The flier also states that a septic system of such magnitude is a risk to the wetlands, but Gordon said that’s not true, as each building would require a septic system much like any sixbedroom house, for which the average system is built.

Gordon said that, as always, when multifamily housing is proposed in town, there’s uproar because “the climate” in Orange is to keep the town a singlefamily home community.

Gordon has been through many similar battles in Orange on behalf of clients through the years and knows the politics of multifamily housing well.

His firm brought the successful Fieldstone Village, a hotel under construction, and many other big, successful projects to town.

Asked whether he would use the state’s 830g affordable housing statute, which would make it almost impossible for the Town Plan & Zoning Commission to deny a multifamily project, he said it is too soon to say because the application is still in the Inland Wetlands stage.

Gordon said last year when they ran a preapplication by Inland Wetlands for the Turkey Hill project, that it was likely to be filed under the 830g affordable housing statute.

First Selectman Jim Zeoli said he is “disappointed” in the direction of the project.

“While I recognize we do need varied housing types in our town and region, this to me is a questionable fit for this location.” Zeoli said.

In a letter to the editor of the Register, resident Dr. Lawrence Messina, who opposes the project, wrote that, “once again our beautiful town has a proposal for a multi family housing complex,” in an area of singlefamily homes.

Messina went on to write, “This will affect all of us in the future. If this project is allowed, it will open the door to other similar proposals, with the potential to place this type of housing anywhere land is available or not.”

“We have all labored for many years to buy our homes in Orange away from overdevelopment that rests on our borders,” he wrote. “Though the proposal may possibly be agerestricted, the future I feel will be very different for our schools, Volunteer Fire Department, and the character of our town. I urge you all to come to the Wetlands meeting…”

Multifamily housing has long been a touchy subject in Orange.

Under the state’s 830g affordable housing the TPZC could be hard pressed to deny the project because the burden of proof would be on it to show the project was a danger to the health or safety of residents.

Under the statute, intended for suburbs to share in providing affordable housing, municipal boards can feel pressured to give approval because they almost always lose appeals by the developer and it is costly.

The state requires municipalities to reach an affordable housing stock of 10 percent before considering a moratorium on using the 830g statute – considered a loophole for developers. Orange is at about 2 percent for affordable housing, which is different than lowincome housing.

Gordon said last year the project would probably be 30 percent affordable housing. Those who live in such complexes must make a minimum amount of money to qualify for rents that could be upward of $1,400 per month, based on state guidelines.

Gordon said last year they see senior citizens and students from the University of New Haven, whose graduate campus is just down the road, as potential tenants. Gordon said there is a possibility the complex could be agerestricted.