Opponents: SHU proposal crosses line

Company’s plan to build student housing complex draws criticism

“I’m not critical of Sacred Heart; they’re great. ( But) we are saddled with the parties, and the kids on the weekends causing problems and getting our people in the North End aggravated.” Chief Armando Perez, Bridgeport police

BRIDGEPORT — Opponents of a Florida company’s plan to build a housing complex for college students on Park Avenue in the North End have a new ally — Police Chief Armando Perez.

“I don’t support that,” Perez said last week. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Perez and his department are often called to respond to large parties and other quality- of- life issues caused by students of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield renting multifamily homes over the town line in Bridgeport.

“We dedicate a lot of resources in the Bridgeport Police Department,” Perez said. “It’s a burden on taxpayers. ... I’m not in favor of more ( SHU) housing.

“I’m not critical of Sacred Heart; they’re great,” Perez said. “( But) we are saddled with the parties, and the kids on the weekends causing problems and getting our people in the North End aggravated.”

Florida- based ABS Capital Company LLC. wants to replace the Monticello Gardens apartments at 4100 Park Ave. with a four story, 179- unit, 600- bed development to serve Sacred Heart students.

Since the facility would not be owned by the nonprofit university, ABS would pay taxes to Bridgeport.

The project was initially proposed last December, but rejected by zoning officials for being “completely out of character with the surrounding neighborhood” and for being “a construction nightmare” and possible fire hazard.

ABS returned this summer with a new design — an attractive urban campus, like Yale University in New Haven. The company is now seeking a zoning change from residential multifamily to residential high- density in order to build.

The Planning and Zoning Commission opened a public hearing on the matter Sept. 24 which was continued until Monday because of questions about increased traffic.

“We submitted a traffic study,” said Charles Willinger, the Bridgeport zoning lawyer representing ABS. “( Zoning officials) wanted the city engineer to review that, and then the city engineer wanted us to do some more traffic counts, which we’re doing. I’m not sure if everything is going to be done by Monday or not, to be honest.”

Sacred Heart, City Hall support

Willinger argued that his client’s proposal would help alleviate North End residents’ problems with SHU students.

“We think it’s totally appropriate for Park Avenue,” Willinger said. “I think it’s going to take the students out of the singlefamily neighborhoods to Park Avenue, where they should be.”

Deb Noack, Sacred Heart’s communications director, said in a statement that the university supports ABS’ efforts: “It will provide additional options for our upperclassmen who wish to live off campus and for graduate students.”

“This kind of thirdparty arrangement is common near colleges across the United States because everyone benefits,” Noack said. “Students have modern housing, colleges don’t have a financial commitment and municipalities do not lose tax revenue.”

Sacred Heart has also been trying to provide students more on- campus living options, with seven new residence halls built or planned.

And while Perez is opposed to the Park Avenue apartments, Willinger said he has the backing of another important city department – Bridgeport’s Office of Planning and Economic Development.

“We had a series of meetings with OPED on the design of the facility,” Willinger said. “The other thing is OPED asked us if we would agree that we would put in writing the fact we would not sell the facility to Sacred Heart or to any other nonprofit ( because of) the significant tax revenues — and we have agreed to do that.”

But is OPED having second thoughts about its support for ABS? Asked about the student housing, OPED had Rowena White, Mayor Joe Ganim’s spokesperson, respond.

“OPED is not prepared to comment on the proposal,” White said.

Cross- border opposition

The Park Avenue development could pose a political headache for Ganim as he seeks re- election in 2019. While City Hall is eager to generate new taxes to lessen the burden on residential property owners, opposition to ABS’ proposal has been building in the North End with the help of some influential City Council members.

“It’s not going to solve the problem” with Sacred Heart students, said one of the housing development’s – and university’s — most vocal critics, Councilwoman Michelle Lyons. She said ABS’ apartments would bring more students to the North End, not relocate them to Park Avenue.

“How are they going to make students come out of the houses in the North End?” Lyons said. “You can’t make someone move in ( to ABS’ development).”

Lyons and some council colleagues met with Willinger earlier this year when his client was finetuning its plans. Willinger said he tried unsuccessfully to schedule follow- up meetings before appearing before the zoning commission in September.

“Here’s a $ 60 million development in Bridgeport and legislative officials in our city didn’t have the courtesy of sitting down with us,” he said. “I think that’s shameful.”

“I talked to some people in the North End and they were not in favor of this,” Lyons said when asked about Willinger’s allegation.

One of ABS’ largest neighbors — Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church at 4070 Park Ave. — has asked an attorney, Charles Hallas, to help look into the development.

“The church is gathering together information and reserving options at the present time,” Hallas said.

The concerns about the student housing are not confined to Bridgeport.

Alfonso Cammarota, who has lived on the Fairfield side of Park Avenue near Monticello Gardens for nearly 40 years, said there are already too many speeding cars and not enough parking in the neighborhood.

And, Cammarota said, if ABS builds its “monster” project, the student apartments “will depreciate the value of my house.”

“I will not have any more peace, quiet and enjoyment,” Cammarota said. “I will pursue legal ( avenues) if the ( zoning) board will approve it.”