‘What’s the benefit for the community?’
P&Z questions plan for 11 homes on 28-acre Sherwood Road estate
GREENWICH — Concerns and criticisms are being raised about plans to build 11 homes at an estate on Sherwood Road.
A preliminary proposal was submitted to preserve an old Tudor mansion at 11 Sherwood Road and use a historic preservation mechanism that would give developers a bonus — an added number of homes they could build in exchange for the preservation. The site measures 28 acres.
The plan was put forward by Peter Romano with the Landtech company; he outlined the concept at Tuesday’s Planning & Zoning Commission meeting.
Romano said the Tudor home, estimated to have been built before 1930, would be preserved and likely turned into a clubhouse.
Some 60 percent of the property would be maintained as open space, which would be beneficial to the community, he said.
The historic overlay designation gives developers a benefit for preserving older historic structures.
Members of the Planning & Zoning Commission raised questions about the extra number of homes that could be built at the site. Zoning at the site, for 4-acre lots, would allow for seven homes at the property, not 11, according to rough estimates made by commissioners.
“What’s the benefit for the community?” asked Chairwoman Margarita Alban.
She noted concerns about flooding along the Byram River.
“It’s an environmentally delicate area,” she said. “You are going for the maximum amount of density that you could do on the buildable portion of this property. What does it do ecologically for our community? I’ve got a lot of questions.”
Commissioner Arnold Welles noted that “a huge increase in impervious surface” from the proposed construction could be a detriment to the environment and exacerbate flooding problems in the area.
A local resident, William Caldwell, said he could recall numerous instances when local roads were closed because of flooding.
“At least a half dozen times it has flooded just from the natural run-off,” he said.
Another resident, Adrienne Westerfield, echoed those thoughts.
“I can tell you that there is flooding,” she said. She called the proposed concept “dense” for the area.
The application is in the preliminary stages, and a formal site plan could come forward at a later date.
The property was acquired last year by Darien building company Fletcher Development, according to the application files.