New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Shelton development planned on land owned by mayor
“The only reason anyone is saying anything is because it’s me … it’s personal.”
Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti
SHELTON — A developer has proposed constructing 16 homes on land owned by Mayor Mark Lauretti.
Lauretti confirmed to Hearst Connecticut Media that he has an agreement to sell his property at 390 Shelton Ave., land he has owned since 2017, to Bridgeportbased B-Wizz, LLC. The deal is contingent on zoning approvals, according to the mayor.
The development, titled Oak Hill Estates, received approval from the Inland Wetlands Commission in December and calls for construction of 16 homes — which Lauretti states will sell for anywhere between $700,000 and $750,000 once completed — on some six acres of land.
There is a single-family home on the property now.
The plans have drawn the ire of some neighbors, including those at nearby Aspetuck Village.
Dan Kristiansen, a 33year city resident whose property on Shelton Avenue sits next to Lauretti’s land, said the proposed development is too large for the site and the necessary blasting could negatively impact area wells and foundations. He said he is concerned that its approval may be a foregone conclusion with Lauretti involved.
Lauretti said the only reason people have voiced concern is because his name is attached.
“The only reason anyone is saying anything is because it’s me … it’s personal,” Lauretti said. “The concept for this site is a proven one ... one that has been used in many parts of the city over three decades. It works. This would have no undue burden on anyone. But it all becomes about me.”
Lauretti said he is not involved in development, adding that he sold property in the city before being elected mayor and during his term, which now spans more than 30 years.
“This is nothing new,” Lauretti added.
He said those neighbors concerned now never said “thank you” when the city purchased more than 400 acres of open space that borders the entire area back in the late 1990s.
No application has yet been filed with the Planning and Zoning Commission, but plans are available at the zoning office. Lauretti would not comment on details of the deal. Lauretti also would not comment on what action if any he would take if the developer proposed affordable housing under state statute 8-30g on the land.