P & Z Unanimous in Rejection of Affordable Housing Development
- Jill R. Kelly
- Sep 16
- 4 min read
"I brought my rosary beads," said Maureen Clift just before the Sept. 16 meeting of the Southington Planning and Zoning Commission. "They have to decide tonight!"
Clift, a Plantsville resident, lives not far from 1104 South Main Street, the site proposed for a 63-bedroom affordable apartment complex. She joined her neighbors Ellen Falvey and Gail Mihalakos to hear the Commission's decision.
As they waited for the meeting to begin, the three friends recited their objections to the proposed development: insufficient parking, proximity to a wetland, and increased traffic on South Main Street. "There are a ton of other locations in town [to build affordable housing]," said Clift, "places where they don't need to squeeze in like sardines."
None of the three mentioned property values, neighborhood character, added student population in nearby schools, or crime, but those were among the concerns expressed in ten letters submitted as testimony along with a petition with over 100 signatures in opposition to the project.
The three-story building was proposed by Southington developer 3 Squared LLC. An L-shaped building with a footprint of 14,687 square feet would fit snugly into a 2-acre L-shaped lot with parking – 70 spaces – between the building and South Main Street.
1104 South Main Street is currently zoned for Business. It is immediately surrounded by Industrial and Business zones, with some higher-density Residential (R12) zones across the street.
There were three items in front of the Planning and Zoning Commission. First, the Commissioners had to vote to create a new zoning category "AHZ" to allow multifamily developments called "set-aside" in Connecticut's Statute 8-30(g). Then, they had to vote to change the zoning designation on the parcel from B (for Business) to AHZ. And finally, they had to vote to approve the site plan itself.
Commissioner Steve Walowski began the deliberations with a motion to deny the initial creation of the AHZ zone, simply stating "We don't want to bind future owners" to using the property for affordable multifamily housing. With no further discussion, the denial passed unanimously.
Walowski then moved to deny the change of zone. With no AHZ zone approved, this denial was likewise passed without comment.
Walowski then made the motion to deny the site plan entirely. He specifically addressed the language in the statute (CGS 8-30(g)) concerning a "substantial public interest" and a "balancing test." According to Walowski, safety (specifically including parking) outweighs the desire to provide more affordable housing at this location. Walowski said that the safety concerns at this site could not be remedied through modifications to the site plan.
Several commissioners echoed the residents' concerns with parking. When accessible and other designated parking spaces are removed from the count of 70, the remaining 60 spots amount to less than one spot per bedroom (0.95). Walowski ended his comments with the slogan: "8-30(g) is one-size fits all."
Commissioner Caleb Cowles then expressed his objection to the plan. He posited a situation where an apartment resident might throw a small party with a dozen guests. Having nowhere to park, these guests might park on South Main Street. Police would then have to come out and ticket those cars, and tow trucks would be needed to tow them away. Even though the property is close to the canal trail, Cowles could not believe visitors would park and walk to the complex. "It's just not safe," he said.
Commissioner Robert Britton focused on public sentiment. He mentioned the substantial testimony received, both in writing and in person, and said "We hear you." Commissioner Todd Chaplinsky agreed with Cowles' scenario where guests have nowhere to park. He also mentioned traffic safety, particularly of middle school students who walk to school.
Commission Chair Robert Hammersley also commented on public opposition to the plan. "I can't remember any application in ten years with that level of public input," he said. Hammersley mentioned that John F. Kennedy Middle School hosts, in addition to regular school programs, weekend Parks and Recreation basketball programs, bringing heavy traffic to South Main Street even on weekends.
Hammersley reported that 3 Squared had responded to the Commission's parking concerns with four examples of similar developments in Middletown and Bloomfield. According to Hammersley, each of these larger developments had more than one parking place per bedroom, and therefore none were comparable.
Hammersley described the history of Southington's position on affordable housing. A few years ago, both the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Town Council voted by a requisite two-thirds majority to opt out of certain state-level initiatives: accessory dwelling units (ADUs), cannabis dispensaries, and parking provision of one space per unit.
Hammersley explained that, while affordable housing is a priority in the state, the Southington Planning and Zoning Commission had done an analysis and created a plan. According to Hammersley, 8200 units of housing in Southington, 47% out of a total somewhat over 17,000, meet the state's definition of "affordable," except they lack a 40-year deed restriction. "We do have affordable housing in Southington," said Hammersley, "There is a diversity of options."
Finally Hammersley alluded to the elected nature of the Planning and Zoning Commission. "We have to represent the people who put us here."
The denial of the site plan passed unanimously, much to the satisfaction of the neighbors in attendance.
