Plan for former campus is thorny
Controversy swirls around West Hartford mega-redevelopment
As one of the biggest projects in West Hartford’s history, the proposed mega-redevelopment of the former Uconn campus is proving a challenging and time-consuming job for town officials to review.
A third night of a marathon hearing ended around 11 p.m. Wednesday with the wetlands board too buried in new information — and too tired — to vote.
Instead, a decision now isn’t expected until early January, and even that will cover only half of the plan for nearly 60 acres in the heart of one of Connecticut’s most sought-after towns.
The Oakwood Park proposal has been brewing for nearly two years, but still faces extensive regulatory review in 2024.
While many neighbors are concerned about traffic from the proposed 560 apartments and a substantial new commercial complex, those issues can’t be addressed by the wetlands board.
If it gets a wetlands approval in January, the project would go forward to the planning and zoning commission for a widerscope review and then on to a decision by the town council. At those stages, the developer can put forward evidence that Oakwood Park would be the best use of the property, while opponents can try to argue that single-family homes or some other use would be better.
This month, dozens of residents spoke over the course of 15 hours of wetlands hearings that were split between three nights. Many pressed a case that the proposed Oakwood Park residential and commercial complex could hurt the local environment or jeopardize groundwater nearby.
But others argued on its behalf, praising the developer for preserving large pieces of the parcel for open space and community use. And developer Domenic Carpionato and his partners in Weha Development sent a series of consultants to tell the board that its plan would present a net gain for wetlands, birds and trees on the site.
On Wednesday night, engineer Matthew Bruton of Meridenbased BL Companies said Weha Development had adjusted its plan for the eastern half of the
property since the last hearing to respond to neighbors’ call for better protection of wetlands.
Weha Development plans four four- to fivestory buildings of either condos or apartments on that parcel, known as 1700 Asylum Ave. The property currently has an enormous and deteriorating parking lot that once served the campus, and a series of ballfields.
Burton said the newest development plan for that property expands buffers around the wetlands, reduces the width of the entryway streets and cuts down on overall parking. All of that means more unpaved ground that will be available to absorb rainwater.
“The impervious (ground) area has been reduced by 1.3% below existing conditions,” Burton told the wetlands commission.
“This has created an additional 5- to 7-foot buffer to the wetlands and St. Joseph’s Brook. This is pulled in from the existing curb lines where Uconn’s curb line is now. We increased the buffer by about 9,000 (square feet). We reduced the drive aisles from 24 feet to 22 feet. We still believe the 22-foot aisles are adequate for residential development for maneuvering cars. Overall we’ve eliminated 11 parking spaces.”
The wetlands commission ended the hearing around 11 p.m. and postponed any action. The plan is likely to go to a vote at the commission’s Jan. 3 meeting.
But that still leaves the western half of the project — the 1800 Asylum Ave. tract — to go through wetlands review. That property is where Weha Development wants to put more housing, a restaurant, destination spa, assisted-living center and more. It’s also where about 200,000 square feet of long-vacant former Uconn buildings would be demolished.
The developer concluded in late November that the 1800 Asylum parcel involves a more complex wetlands analysis, and withdrew that permit request until sometime in the new year.