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Unhappy Greenwich board OKs huge Benedict Place affordable housing project: 'Incredibly frustrating'
(Robert Marchant, Greenwich Time)
GREENWICH — The largest construction project slated for central Greenwich in years has been approved: a six-story structure with 120 units, nearly half of which are designated affordable.
The building would set aside 40 percent of the total, 48 units, as affordable dwellings. The development is merging 12 existing lots in the area of Benedict Place and Benedict Court containing homes and offices. The current lot is about 1.2 acres in size, 51,306 or square feet.
The construction is taking advantage of state law 8-30g, which can override some local zoning codes for the goal of creating affordable housing.
The plan has drawn substantial public criticism from local residents because of its size.
The development does not meet town zoning regulations in multiple ways. It will provide 180 parking spaces, while the town code would require 260 spaces. The structure will be six stories tall, at 77 feet, while code permits three stories and 40 feet. The building coverage — the percentage of the new construction measured against the lot size — would be 71 percent, while 30 percent is the standard.
Commissioner Nicholas Macri said he opposed the project and criticized the state law that allowed affordable housing developments to skirt town regulations.
"The residents want affordable housing, but not to the sacrifice of the very fabric of this town," he said. "Many residents have voiced their opinions on these issues and are fed up.... In short, the development gets everything and the town nothing."
Chairperson Margarita Alban said the commission had to follow the law and had little choice in the matter.
"This is a state law, and it's been in place for 35 years. So this is a state law, and we live in the state of Connecticut, and our job is to follow the laws. ...That's just the way the legal system works. I know it's frustrating... It's incredibly frustrating that we have to do this," Alban continued.
She noted that the project would offer 40 percent of the total units as affordable, "which is much higher than would normally be."
The developer, Nimbus Properties, seems to be quite legitimate, and the partners no fly-by-nights, but we don’t have to necessarily like it, nor like the Westchesterication that’s on the horizon.
Philip Wharton’s Post
Real estate investor and developer
5mo
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