‘We know there is a need’
Proposed assisted-living facility would target those who want to stay in Greenwich
GREENWICH — Plans to build a large assisted-living facility in central Greenwich are getting additional scrutiny from the town Planning and Zoning Commission, as it considers whether to grant the project a special bonus incentive.
The proposal to build luxury housing for seniors by Renamba Greenwich and developer Amba Sharma is seeking a special text amendment to the town code, which would allow for greater density and a larger building than what would currently be allowed
on the site.
The development team is looking for a special zoning overlay at the site on Old Track Road in order “to encourage the development of age-friendly housing options that provide ‘assisted living services’ to broaden the range of housing and health care options for Greenwich’s increasing elderly population,” as the application says.
Bruce Cohen, the attorney representing the plan, told the commission at a meeting Tuesday evening that there is a strong demand for assisted living facilities in Greenwich.
“The need is clearly stated, we know there is a need,” Cohen said. “Greenwich residents are looking for this kind of project . ... It’s for folks who want to stay in Greenwich and age in Greenwich.”
Seniors from the community have been moving to similar residential complexes in Stamford or Scarsdale, N.Y., due to the lack of a local option, he said.
The development team is looking for the special overlay request that would allow it a greater floor area ratio — the ratio of a building’s total floor area compared to the size of the parcel on which it is built.
The project, called the Ambassador at Greenwich, would be constructed at an old contractor’s yard on Old Track Road near Old Field Point Road. The proposed site is about 2.5 acres. The same development team has built and managed a similar operation, the Ambassador at Scarsdale, that provides a large assortment of amenities for seniors and a large staff for support for residents.
The site in Central Greenwich near the MetroNorth Railroad tracks was purchased for $11.5 million. The application stated the project would cost nearly $70 million to bring to completion.
The need for a large number of services, as well as a big staff, necessitated the construction of a larger building for the development, Cohen said.
The aim is to satisfy an upscale client base, one that “tends to be more amenity rich than price conscious,” said Bradford Perkins, the architect for the project.
The structure would be four stories tall, with about 140 units for seniors.
But planning commissioners said they had concerns about granting a special zoning overlay. “Should we be giving zoning incentives for this purpose? Is that consistent with what the town wants us to do?” Commission Chairwoman Margarita Alban asked.
The project management would enter into a contract to use nearby land owned by the state Department of Transportation, running along the Metro-North Railroad tracks, for landscaping purposes and to gain more acreage for the development. That issue also raised concerns among some commissioners.
The issue of increased traffic along the narrow road is another source of concern. The development would be at the very end of the roadway.
The project is still in the preliminary stages, and Alban said the commission will continue its review and communications with the developers. “We’ll give you our issues and concerns, and you can come back, and we can keep talking,” she said. “We look forward to seeing you again.”
The project was originally proposed in July 2020 and has been modified in recent months.
While the Greenwich community has a number of smaller-scale options for senior living, it has limited capacity for assisted-living units that provide amenities, services and medical care to older people.
The project, called the Ambassador at Greenwich, would be constructed at an old contractor’s yard on Old Track Road near Old Field Point Road. The proposed site is about 2.5 acres. The same development team has built and managed a similar operation, the Ambassador at Scarsdale, that provides a large assortment of amenities for seniors and a large staff for support for residents.