First selectman: Town has ‘right to be angry’ about proposed development
NEW CANAAN — Construction noise from the town’s newest affordable housing project competed with elected officials on Thursday while they made their case against plans for a proposed 102-unit development with 31 affordable units nearby on the corner of Weed and Elm streets.
A crowd of 30 stood in front of the Canaan Parish construction site expressing concerns about a proposed four-story multifamily building at 751 Weed Street by developer Arnold Karp in which 30 percent of the apartments would meet the criteria for “affordable housing,” as defined in Connecticut General Statute 8-30g, according an application submitted to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The project, which would have 47 one-bedroom units and 55 twobedroom units, has already attracted more than 1,900 signatures in opposition on a petition as of Friday and a GoFundMe has raised more than $27,000.
After the gathering, Karp said that he believes in the importance of affordable housing, while saying that people who oppose it believe that “I got mine, lets close the gates and not let anyone else in.”
Roughly 15% of the Housing Opportunity Units on Weed Street would house residents with incomes that are 80% or less of the area or state median income, and another 15% of the units would be for residents earning 60% or less of the area or state median income, whichever is less, according to the application.
“We have a right to feel angry. I don’t know what Arnold Karp is doing. That is the worst idea,” First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said addressing the crowd.
The proposed building near ACME Market would have one-bedroom apartments ranging in size from 969 to 995 square feet, and two-bedroom units, including eight with a den, ranging from 1,051 to 1,168 square feet, according to the documents filed by attorney Timothy Hollister of Hartford-based Hinckley Allen.
Both state Rep. Tom O’Dea and Sen. Ryan Fazio said they wanted to work together to change Hartford laws and bring the affordable housing decision-making process closer to home.
Naysayers often oppose adding a four-story building in New Canaan and “if you can’t build a fourstory
The project, which would have 47 one-bedroom units and 55 two-bedroom units, has already attracted more than 1,900 signatures in opposition on a petition as of Friday and a GoFundMe has raised more than $27,000.
building, you aren’t building affordable housing, because otherwise it isn’t affordable,” Karp said Thursday.
Housing Authority Chairman Scott Hobbs said the 8-30g statutes are akin to “trying to solve a problem with a bazooka.” He added that sometimes it may work, “it just tends to make a lot of mess.”
The affordable units would mean households with an annual income of $61,740 would pay $1,419 for monthly rent for a one-bedroom and those with an annual income of $46,305 or below would be pay $1,033 for rent, according to the application. For the two-bedroom apartments, residents with an annual income of $74,088 would pay $1,727 in monthly rent and those with an annual income of $55,566 would pay $1,264 in rent.
In September, in an effort to make affordable housing more attractive to developers, the Planning
and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to approve revised zoning regulations. It gave bonus units for developers who included affordable housing, however projects under the 8-30g statutes bypass local zoning regulations.
Under new local regulations, the quality of construction for the affordable housing units “shall be comparable” to marketrate units within the development and dispersed throughout.
The application shows the “affordability plan,” contains a “list of interior unit amenities and materials to ensure quality.” The designs include quartz counter tops in the kitchens, laminate wood flooring, GE (or equivalent) appliances, instant electrical water heaters and washers and dryers in each unit.
There are other multifamily housing developments in the area with two-story condominiums nearby including at 330 Elm Street and 312 Elm Street; Stepping Stones Mansion at 705 Weed Street; 70 Seminary Street, 82 Seminary Street, and 105 Seminary Street, according to the application. The Vue, a complex also built by Karp, is a few blocks away on Park and Maple Streets, .
As part of the application, the developer has also sought an “allocation of capacity” for the project from the Water Pollution Control Authority. Sewer and wetlands issues can impact 8-30g statutes.
After the Water Pollution
Control Authority received the application, “several questions” arose regarding the town’s procedures as a result of the request to permit the development to connect to the municipal sewer, according to a memo from the WPCA on Monday, from attorney Peter V. Gelderman.
The “WPCA should not consider ‘land use’ criteria, including zoning compliance, impact on wetlands, historical factors and similar considerations. Those matters, if relevant, will be considered by the appropriate town bodies,” the letter read.