New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Hamden explores uses of High Meadows property
HAMDEN – Senior housing. Three-family homes. A park. A facility for adults struggling with mental health issues.
Those are some of the uses Hamden residents envision for the High Meadows site, a 50-acre property on the Hartford Turnpike that town officials are seeking to have developed.
A state-owned property, High Meadows once was home to a boys’ residential treatment center, which closed more than a decade ago.
Though the campus’ roads and squat, brick buildings remain on the site, which also has a significant portion of undeveloped land, High Meadows has been mostly out of use since the center’s closure.
State legislation gave Hamden the right to purchase the property for $1.3 million. But that deal has a June 30 deadline, and officials have not expressed an interest in buying the land for the town’s own use.
Instead, Hamden is looking to secure a developer for the site; ideally, as Mayor Lauren Garrett previously explained, the developer’s proposal would include a purchase price greater than $1.3 million, allowing Hamden to make money from the sale.
High Meadows also has been highlighted as a source of potential tax revenue for the town, which has one of the highest tax rates in the state.
A 2020 financial analysis found a senior housing development could generate between $2.5 million and $4 million in annual revenue for the town. But some residents who would like to explore other options have expressed concerns that the town seems too inclined to put housing on the site.
Erik Johnson, the town’s economic development director, emphasized during a recent community meeting that no decisions have been
made about the future of High Meadows.
He also acknowledged the possibility that Hamden does not find an appropriate developer
But “our process expects that we’ll have a developer selected by the end of June,” he told the New Haven Register.
Concerns about open space
More than 50 residents gathered at Spring Glen Church Wednesday night to share their thoughts about the future of High Meadows, many expressing a desire for open space.
“We would like to have a park at this end (of town),” said a man who introduced himself as John Scafariello. “(Residents) would like to walk their grandkids around. … To me, that’s important – that we try to keep the area which we live in for us, and not just for the town because it needs
money.”
Resident Aaron Lefland told officials he would like to see a “significant portion” of the property preserved as open space. That desire was not an option provided in a town survey, he said, adding that the survey only asked what type of development was wanted.
Yet Mike Montgomery, a Hamden resident and former member of the town’s Inland Wetlands Commission, said he did not believe preserving open space was incompatible with development.
About 18 acres of the property are classified as wetlands, Montgomery told fellow residents. Officials have said those wetlands would not be developed.
Montgomery posited that even if the site is developed, the town could still maintain about 20 acres of open space. The chosen developer may
even be willing to lease that land back to Hamden, he said.
As for what should go on the site, “my preference for a major portion of this development is housing for families,” said Montgomery. “We need more three-family homes.”
Neighbor Fred Sigworth stepped forward with yet another idea.
He felt the community’s needs changed over the course of the pandemic, particularly regarding the ongoing mental health crisis, he said.
“The High Meadows project is hurtling toward a goal that would prioritize income for the town,” Sigworth said, asking officials to pause the process and explore a path that would provide “innovative” housing for adults with mental health issues.
Senior housing a popular idea
Repeatedly, residents expressed an interest in developing the site to provide senior housing.
“Something I can tell you we need is senior housing,” said Ellen Nathanson, a Hamden real estate agent. “There’s nowhere to go in Hamden . ... All of my clients are leaving town. They’re going to other places where they can get one-level housing.”
Matthew Peterson said that in 10 years, many baby boomers will be turning 80 – and they will need somewhere to go.
“I’m going to encourage you guys to really look at the alternative models for senior housing,” he said. “Some sort of more forward-thinking, congregate models for seniors.”
James Riina, a project management consultant with Colliers Project Leaders who is helping the town market the property, said Hamden is aiming to issue a request
for proposals in April.
In May, an advisory committee will review the proposals and score them based on criteria such as purchase price, community use and the developer’s financial commitment and track record, Riina said.
High Meadows is in a residential R-4 zone, officials said. Johnson, the economic development director, told the New Haven Register a zone change may therefore be necessary depending on the type of development the town chooses.
While some residents said the process felt rushed and asked officials to slow it down and provide more time for community input, others said they liked the town’s timeline, noting that discussions about High Meadows have been ongoing for years.