Wall Street plan goes to Common Council
101 affordable units, firstfloor retail, parking garage in proposal
NORWALK — More than 20 people spoke Thursday at a public hearing of the Planning Committee of the Common Council on the new proposed Wall Street Place development that would see 101 affordable units, firstfloor retail and a parking garage where the Garden Cinema currently stands.
Opinions on the project were varied during the hearing, which lasted just over an hour. Some, including Christie Stewart, of Fairfield County’s Center for Housing Opportunity, and Adam Bovilsky, executive director at the Norwalk Housing Authority, spoke in favor of the additional affordable housing stock it could provide — a detail of the proposal that has often drawn criticism
“The Norwalk Housing
Authority maintains nine separate wait lists for subsidized housing, all nine wait lists are closed, which means you cannot even apply because the wait lists years long, so long in fact that we don’t want to keep them open because it gives false hope to those who might apply,” Bovilsky said. He added that over there are more than 1,300 Norwalk families on the wait list for affordable housing, not including 643 families on a wait list for Section 8 housing vouches, which has been closed since 2012.
According to the plans submitted by the developer, the JHM Group, 34 of the units will be at 40 percent of the StamfordNorwalk Area Median Income, with income caps between $43,000$52,000. Thirtytwo units will be marketed at 60 percent AMI, with income caps between $65,000 to $78,000. Finally, 35 units will be at 80 percent AMI with income caps between $86,000 to $104,000, all depending on family size.
With those income gaps, the units could provide housing to teachers, librarians and artists, who might otherwise not be able to live in the community, according to resident Marjorie Partch. But many are unconvinced.
“Having affordable housing as the lastditch stand to try and solve an absolutely botched project is inexcusable. It shouldn’t be available,” Adolph Niederland said.
Others spoke out against the burden the project would place on taxpayers, the perceived lushness of the deal for Citibank, the funder, and the developer and the aesthetics of the rendering.
“How much can you put on the back of the taxpayer, is what the bottom line is, at the end of the day?” Republican Town Committee member John Romano said.
“The financial terms of this deal bails out Citibank and provides a multimilliondollar fee for the developer,” Independent Mayoral candidate Lisa Brinton said.
Since the release of the plans, Founder of the Norwalk Preservation Trust Tod Bryant has advocated for a design more in keeping with the exciting aesthetics of Wall Street, with less of a modern look.
Todd McClutchy, who, along with his father, John, is a principal at JHM Group, said the developers would be willing to alter features on the facade of the building and work with the community in terms of creating a project that matches the character of the neighborhood. In particular, many in Norwalk have expressed concern at the plan to replace Garden Cinema with a parking structure.
While McClutchy did not comment specifically on Garden Cinema, he said JHM Group would be willing to work with the city’s Arts Commission and members of the community to brainstorm how the development might promote the arts.
“We want to make sure we enhance what is already in that neighborhood,” McClutchy said.
The Planning Committee voted to advance the proposal to the full Common Council, which will meet at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.