‘How did we not know we owned this?’
New Canaan discovers small parcel near center of town
NEW CANAAN — Town Council will have a public hearing on Wednesday to accept $33,475 for a small piece of property — called Parcel K — that current officials did not know the municipality owned.
The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously in favor of the transaction on Nov. 29.
As design stages move forward for a 26-unit development on the pieshaped area between Burtis and Cherry streets, the developers — Ventana 21 — 25 Bertus, LLC — realized there was a 448 squarefoot slice of property deeded to New Canaan.
“We were unaware we owned the parcel,” Tiger Mann, Department of Public Works head, told the selectmen. “We have no use for it... given the development that’s happening in the area,” .
Selectman Nick Williams questioned how the town was unaware of this parcel.
Back in 1975, when Cherry Street was expanded to extend from Main Street down to East Avenue, there was a small piece that was left over after the road came through, Mann told the selectmen. Since then, there had been a turnover of employees who were involved with the project and knew about the remnant of land, he added.
The property was appraised for $31,000 and developers offered to pay the appraisal costs of $2,475, bringing the transaction total to $33,475, Mann said.
The 72,627-square-foot project, approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission in November, will include five townhouses, one apartment building with 11 units and another with 8 units. The parcel would be created by merging 11 Burtis Ave., 21 to 25 Burtis Ave. and the Cherry Street parking lot in the business A zone. The development will replace five commercial structures and parking lots.
Parcel K “is not a good location for a cell tower,” said First Selectman Kevin Moynihan, who has been focused on improving cell coverage in town.
“It’s not a good location for much of anything now,” Mann said.
The commission lauded the development with seven primarily residential buildings, since it provides affordable housing units, without the density of an apartment buildings proposed in other areas of town. The four affordable units make the development within the local affordable housing regulations, which call for 15 percent of affordable housing in new residential buildings with more than five dwelling units. The affordable housing would be deed restricted for a minimum of 40 years.
The commission had panned the project’s initial pre-application phase in January, since it called for eight home offices on the main floor that the commissioners referred to as “Zoom rooms.” The developers had promoted the unique design as a way to create a sense of activity on the street level without adding new retail properties that would compete with the current real estate stock.
In other parts of town affordable housing has been a controversial topic prompting lawn signs against it, a petition on change.org with 4,045 signatures and the consternation of town officials.
After changes to the plan, the commissioners liked the project “of moderate density” and with less units than actually could be built on the site, said Commissioner Krista Neilson. “It’s the first project to successfully implement our inclusionary zoning regulations,” she said.
In late November, the commission rejected an application for a 102-unit development at 751 Weed Street on 3.1 acres with 30 affordable units. The commissioners voted unanimously to deny the project on the corner of Elm and Weed Street on the grounds of fire safety, vehicular and pedestrian safety; weaknesses in the storm water management plans; and protection of adjacent and nearby properties.
The commission has also received plans for 93 housing units on 4.7 acres on Hill Street with 28 affordable units.