Town Tweaks Rules to Promote Senior Housing
- Peter Prohaska
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Southington’s Planning and Zoning Commission kicked off its November 18 meeting with the swearing-in of newly-elected members Mike Goodrich, Susan Locks, Justin McGuire and Steve Walowski. Walowski was then elected Chair, Todd Chaplinsky Vice-Chair, and Robert Britton Secretary, all by unanimous votes.
As the Commission turned to a busy agenda, some familiar faces were present to usher in the term. Longtime Planning and Zoning Chair Robert Hammersley, who recently spoke to the Outsider about his public service career, came before the Commission in his new role as a private citizen to advocate in favor of proposed changes to Southington’s zoning regulations. He said the main goal of the changes was to make it easier to build affordable housing for seniors. Following a public hearing, the zone text amendment was unanimously approved by the commission.
Southington zoning regulations allow for age-restricted (55 years old and up) cluster housing in what are known as ARCHZ zones. The change makes it possible to build on lots between three and five acres, where five acres were required formerly. By lowering the minimum lot size and allowing for attached units in certain zones, Hammersley said he hoped more duplex units could be built, saving costs for developers and making way for more affordable housing.
Hammersley described concerns he heard over his time on the Commission regarding Southington’s ageing population and the desire of many residents to “age in place.”
In a memo, Town Planner David Lavallee touted the need for flexibility. Allowing for single-family or duplex housing “further(s) the opportunity for diverse housing types,” called for in the Town’s Plan of Conservation and Development.
Local developers Sev Bovino, Tony Denorfia and Mark Lovley also testified in support of the zone text change, while others in town expressed support in letters.
Lovley explained that he collaborated with former Southington Town Planner Robert Philipps back in 2017 to craft this regulation.
“I had so many seniors calling my office or coming to see me saying ‘can you design something that is a ranch-style home, we want to downsize,’” Lovley said. He added that construction costs had increased in recent years by as much as $90,000 per house, while the cost of building new roads had gone up 100%. These factors took the average cost of a new home from $359K to $519K, while many people are looking for homes in the $300K range.
Allowing for duplexes, Lovley claimed, could increase the density on a three-acre parcel from 10 homes up to 15, with two affordable units versus one. Given the lower costs associated with duplexes, Lovely said he could likely build an 1,100 square feet, two-bedroom, one-bathroom, one-car garage home with a $300K price tag.
“People don’t mind having a neighbor if you can save $75,000 on your cost,” Denorfia noted.
Some suggested that the changes did not go far enough, calling for similar flexibility in all the ARCHZ zones, both smaller and larger lot sizes. “That’s where you’re going to get the most cost savings. You’re going to have less roadway, less impervious area, probably more open space, as long as you keep the density as it is,” said Denorfia.
Practical concerns limit the impact of the changes, however. Lavallee mentioned that there were only about three lots of the three-to-five acre size available in Southington. And as Lovley said, for himself and his fellow developers “there’s only so much we can pay for land” to make a development feasible.
Following another public hearing, the Commission also gave unanimous approval to a proposed re-development for a restaurant at 5 Atwater Street.
Jim Kollcinaku, who runs Pizzeria Napoletana in Prospect, is looking to renovate the 6,300 square feet building at the corners of Marion and Atwater. The lot backs up to the Eight Mile River, and project engineer Stephen Giudice explained to the Commission that parking for employees would be located at a separate lot, reachable via sidewalk.
Commissioners had minor concerns about traffic, landscaping and lighting but granted approval with some stipulations. Only right-hand turns will be allowed from the site while a lighting system to provide safety for employees traveling to their vehicles will also be added.
The next meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled for December 2.
