Feds award $24.6M to help Bridgeport 'finally' rebuild Congress St. Bridge that broke in 1997

Brian Lockhart

BRIDGEPORT — After years of broken promises and delays the Congress Street Bridge linking downtown and the East Side over the Pequonnock River may finally after nearly three decades be rebuilt thanks to a massive infusion of federal dollars.0:30

"I don't think there's any barrier to getting it done now from a financial perspective," Thomas Gaudett, Mayor Joe Ganim's chief administrative officer, said Friday. 

On Thursday U.S. Rep. Jim Himes and U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, all Connecticut Democrats, announced that the beleaguered project is receiving a $24.6 million grant from the federal transportation department.

The Congress Street span, initially a drawbridge, broke in 1997 and was demolished in 2010.

The Ganim administration applied for that federal money a year ago. The bridge replacement went out to bid in the summer of 2022 and four contractors' responded with prices that were at least double the initial $24 million estimate being split by the city and state. Those new amounts were $42.55 million, $48.04 million, $56.93 million and $57.63 million.

So now the city will have $48.6 million when construction is rebid.

Thanking Blumenthal, Himes and Murphy, Ganim in Thursday's joint press release added, "After 30 years the Congress Street Bridge will finally reconnect the bustling East Side and downtown neighborhoods and will increase public safety response times."

Proponents of the replacement effort have argued it is necessary to cut down on emergency response times between the two neighborhoods — the fire department headquarters is located adjacent to the downtown end of Congress Street — and to provide easier access for seniors and disabled East Side and East End residents.

The original span broke in 1997 during Ganim's first administration, which ran from 1991 until 2003. He waged a successful comeback in 2015 and has since sought to make restoring the infrastructure a priority. But it has been an exceedingly slow process for various reasons. 

In 2010 then-Mayor Bill Finch had the the old structure torn down to eventually make way for a new one. City officials ultimately determined it would be cheaper to install a fixed span. But that resulted in a lengthy state and federal permitting process, including determining whether a moveable bridge was still necessary to accommodate boat traffic along the Pequonnock. 

In 2019 Ganim announced the state would help Bridgeport split the then-$24 million cost of a new fixed bridge. Construction was supposed to start in 2020. 

But that never happened because of several factors: the global COVID-19 pandemic that struck Connecticut in 2020; the aforementioned permitting process which concluded in fall 2022; and last-minute objections from a few property owners along the river who still wanted a drawbridge.

And then in 2022 when the Ganim administration sought construction bids it was relying on the old cost estimate despite the spike in inflation that followed the COVID-19 health crisis.

City Councilwoman Maria Valle represents the East Side and has experienced the emotional highs and lows over the years of the progress and setbacks involving restoring the Congress Street Bridge. So on Friday she was cautious about the news of the $24.6 million federal grant. 

"I thought, 'Wow! It's exciting! Finally our residents could be able to cross over, take a short cut,'" Valle said. "But something hit me. 'Is this going to be another feel good kind of thing?' ... My doubt comes into play."

Valle also reiterated her belief that officials at all levels could have and should have worked harder to make the reconstruction a priority. She and other Bridgeport officials last year expressed significant frustration over the rapid response to the destruction of a highway overpass in Norwalk versus the decades it has taken to restore the Congress Street link in Bridgeport.

The delays have also caused political headaches. Ganim's chief rival in 2023's mayoral race, former ally and fellow Democrat John Gomes, highlighted the lack of progress with the bridge during the campaign, as have Himes' rivals for re-election over the years.

Himes in Thursday's press release emphasized, "We have met many bureaucratic barriers throughout this frustrating process, but I hope that this grant will finally deliver the results the people of Bridgeport have waited on for so long. They deserve to move about their city freely, and I will continue pushing until we see this bridge rebuilt in full."

Gaudett on Friday said it was too soon to offer a timeline for a ground-breaking but that a meeting of stakeholders will be convened next week on  next steps to move forward with a rebid. And, he added, after all this time and effort there really is not much left to do other than hire the companies to rebuild the Congress Street structure.

"We have a truly shovel-ready project," Gaudett said.

$2.6 million to fund replacement of Middletown water booster pump station in 'critical' condition

Cassandra Day

MIDDLETOWN — City leaders have approved spending $2.6 million in state infrastructure funds to build a new booster pump station that supplies water to the community college area.

It was rebuilt about 10 years ago, he said, but needs further work. “It’s past its prime.”

The $2.6 million is coming from the state Department of Public Health Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program, which, according to the website, provides long-term, below-market rate loans to finance infrastructure improvement projects, such as storage tanks, treatment works and water mains.

Loans have interest rates at about half the market rate. “When the project is complete, it’ll get rolled over into a 2 percent (interest), 20-year loan with the state,” the director said.  

Middletown’s Water Pollution Control Authority will be reimbursed half the cost of construction, or $1.3 million, the director said. “That’s a big deal getting 50 percent grant money,” he noted.

The Water & Sewer Department has an enterprise fund, so it pays back loans through water and sewer rates, Fazzino explained. “It doesn’t come out of your mill rate.”

The project was denied American Rescue Act Plan funding, Fazzino said.

The money will be used for planning, design and construction of an entirely new station. “One of our concerns is the age of the structure. We had a leak. It flooded. We’re lucky that only one of the pumps was damaged,” he said. 

Plus, there isn’t a backup generator or a tank, so when the power goes out in the zone encompassing the CT State Middlesex community college, Hindu temple, Reservoir Road and Carabetta apartments on Woodbury Circle, customers lose their water.

“It is our weak link we’re trying to update,” Fazzino explained.

The new station is proposed to be built on Bartholomew Road at Virginia Drive. “It will contain a hydropneumatic tank and backup generator, so if we do lose power, people shouldn’t notice any loss of pressure,” he said. 

“Our largest water zone is from River Road up to the Long Hill tank,” he said. “We’re taking water from that John Roth Treatment Plant pressure zone, and boosting the pressure to meet the demand for the Randolph Road high-pressure zone,” which lacks a storage tank system.

These run 24 hours a day to maintain pressure, the director noted. 

Once construction is underway, Fazzino said, nearby residents may hear noise coming from operations.

Other projects are in the works. A contract has been secured to build the Red Road pump station. Following that, the North Main Street station will be updated, and then the one on Johnson Street.

New Westhill High School in Stamford, which could cost $461M or more, faces key hurdles in 2025

Ignacio Laguarda

STAMFORD — The new year is shaping up to be a critical one for the future of the Westhill High School project, which saw its budget balloon in 2024.

An updated budget estimate is expected in January or February, which will provide more clarity on just how much the new school will cost. But the more important number will come later in 2025, in the form of a "guaranteed maximum price," which will need to be approved by both the Board of Finance and Board of Representatives.

"This project could not go forward without this board’s approval," said Director of Operations Matthew Quinones, during a Dec. 12 meeting of the Board of Finance.

Additionally, the city would also need to resubmit the plan, with the new budget, to the state for reimbursement. Back in 2022, state officials agreed to pay for 80 percent of reimbursable expenses associated with the project, but the estimated budget at the time was $301 million.

That number is now $461 million, an increase of over 50 percent, due mostly to rising escalation costs. The city's share is expected to be $114 million, according to the city's own cost estimate, if the state agrees to cover 80 percent of eligible costs for the updated budget.

According to a letter to the Board of Finance from Quinones in November, local officials plan to seek state approval for a larger reimbursement by June 2025.

It's unclear if the new estimate coming in the next few weeks will be much lower than the last one, but Quinones told the Board of Finance that the design team has been looking for ways to bring that bottom line number down. The team working on the project has been able to find some savings in recent months, mainly by reducing the gross square footage and choosing a less-expensive geothermal system, according to Quinones' letter.

“Our efforts in terms of reducing the square footage of the building and seeking improvements on the overall timeline, I think will bear fruit in terms of producing what that next cost estimate will show,” he said, during the December meeting.

One item that is likely to come up again for consideration is the natatorium, or swimming pool, planned for the new school. It is not eligible for an 80 percent reimbursement from the state like the rest of the high school. Instead, the state would cover 40 percent of the total cost, which is estimated to be roughly $20 million. That would mean the city would have to cover $12 million of the work.

Cost of Danbury's city center sidewalk improvements balloons to $17M: 'We want to grow our downtown'

Michael Gagne

DANBURY — For Mayor Roberto Alves, a multimillion-dollar project to improve downtown’s walkability is just one small piece of the puzzle to creating a revitalized city center. 0:15

“There’s a lot going on downtown,” he said. “It just needs another injection of energy.”

The city’s ongoing streetscape project could be that injection. It will enter its second phase, installing redesigned sidewalks, new landscaping and other features along the intersection of Main, West and Liberty streets, in particular. The project gets a reboot after it was delayed by state permitting. 

And it comes with an increased price tag. Leaders now expect the second phase previously estimated to cost $13.2 million to cost more than $17 million. 

The project itself dates back to the administration of former Mayor Mark Boughton. It called for new features, like a cobble-stamped surface at the intersection of Main, Liberty and West streets.

City leaders at the time recognized the need to refurbish the crumbling sidewalks and to plant new trees to replace its aging trees. The sidewalks were last repaved and trees planted in the early 1990s. 

Leaders considered the project important because “downtown is the city’s core, steeped in history, beauty and economic importance,” according to a 2019 presentation. It said that transit-oriented development focuses on walkable urban areas “where various modes of travel are available for residents, workers and visitors.” 

Fast forward five years later, Danbury’s current Planning Director Waleed Albakry has a similar vision. The project, whose official title is the Downtown Danbury TOD Streetscape Renaissance Project, “is a key part of revitalizing the city’s urban core,” Albakry said. 

The project “aims to enhance pedestrian and streetscape features along several key streets,” he said. Those spans include the stretch of Main Street between Boughton and Crosby streets, as well as Liberty Street, between Main Street to Patriot Drive, Independence Way, White Street between Ives and Main streets, a section of Elm Street, Post Office Walk and Kennedy Avenue. 

The project is partially funded by a $2 million state grant, Albakry said. 

Phase I construction was completed during the spring of 2022. 

Albakry explained that the updated design for Phase II was committed to the state Department of Transportation in 2022 to obtain an encroachment permit and to obtain state funding. However, the permit for Main Street, a state road, took more than a year “due to pandemic-related complications,” Albakry said. That approval was finally granted in May 2023. 

Expenses for the project have grown since the original project estimates, driven by “significant increases in material and construction costs,” Albakry said. And now there's a gap between available funds and the project’s total cost. 

City staff members are applying for new state funding to ensure the project can be completed as it was originally designed, he said. 

The planning director explained that one of those grants, through the state’s Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program, provides up to 100 percent funding for eligible construction projects, up to $4 million. 

 Albakry outlined a series of proposed improvements in a memo to the City Council in October. It includes new sidewalks and stamped crosswalks, as well as solar parking kiosks, as well as pavement repairs, with improved markings, revitalized landscaping, and other improvements.  

To date, the city obtained just over $12 million in funding for the project, through a state Office of Policy and Management grant and a SNAPP bond. The city completed Phase I at a cost of $2.27 million. Its remaining fund balance is just under $9.78 million. 

The Phase II project was originally estimated to cost just over $13.2 million, Albakry said. However, leaders now estimate that cost is more than $17 million.

The plan is to complete the project as designed, “recognizing it as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the heart of Danbury into a vibrant, walkable, and economically competitive urban center,” he said.  

For Alves, the project is a chance to build on “some of the successes” the city is seeing downtown with recent developments. 

An example is the ongoing project by Ives Bank to build an expanded headquarters on Main Street. 

“We can’t wait to have that done. Employees walking down the street. You’re going to see that energy that we’re looking for,” Alves said. “The streetscape is part of it. I’ll admit it’s not the only piece. This is a puzzle and it’s one small piece of that puzzle.” 

The city will continue to pursue “creative solutions” in order to fund the project, as well as improve residents’ overall transit options, Alves said. Another piece of the puzzle, he noted, is relocating the HARTransit Pulse Point station now on Kennedy Avenue to a new location closer to the Metro-North Railroad station.

“We want to get this done. It’s a small piece of the puzzle. It’s an important piece of the puzzle. … We want to grow our downtown and every little part of that is important,” Alves said. “The end goal is something transformational… we’re doing multiple things at once.”

Democratic City Council member Frank Salvatore, the council’s majority leader, recalled growing up in the 1970s, when downtown was “pretty vibrant. It seemed to be the hub of life.”

Downtown has since become “an afterthought. It’s seen as a secondary area,” he said. A revitalized, beautified downtown would bring it “a lot of good,” Salvatore said.

North Haven PZC approves 60-unit apartment building for 55 and older off Quinnipiac Avenue

Mark Zaretsky

NORTH HAVEN — Peter's Rock Park in the south end of town will grow by 4.5 acres and the town will gain 60 age-restricted housing units as a result of a developer's recently approved plan to build a three-story, 60-unit apartment building near the corner of Quinnipiac and Middletown avenues.0:15

The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved the developer's applications for site plan approval and a special permit Monday night. 

The 11-acre site is at 61 Quinnipiac Ave., directly behind and above the closed former Rite Aid store and Sing Hee Restaurant at Middletown and Quinnipiac near the New Haven-North Haven line. The developers obtained a zone change from the PZC last July to accommodate the proposal.

Bernard Pellegrino, the attorney for developers Universal Construction of North Branford, said Friday that the building will be restricted to residents at least 55 years old.

As part of the application, Universal Construction has agreed to donate the upper 4.5 acres to the town, Pellegrino told the PZC during a 53-minute public hearing Monday night in North Haven Memorial Library.
 
Hugh Davis, president of the Peter's Rock Association, which manages and maintains the park, told the PZC he strongly favors the proposal.

"We are very much in favor of this project," Davis said. "We think it's a win for everyone — certainly for the town, for the park, for the people who live there. 

"We asked Mr. Pellegrino last year if he would speak to the owner and see if they would be willing to donate the back part, the very steep part of the parcel," Davis said. "This will add acreage to the park" and "it certainly will enhance the area."

There was little opposition to Universal Construction's application. Just three members of the public spoke, with Davis and resident Sandy Stetson speaking in favor and resident Mary White saying she wasn't opposed but had several questions.

Stetson said she was in favor but wanted to know about accessibility after architect John Cruet of John Cruet Jr., A.I.A. Architect of Guilford said there would be one elevator for the building, which would have three 21,204-square-foot floors, for a total area of 63,612 square feet.

Cruet said later that they had determined that one elevator would be adequate to service the entire 60-unit building. In addition to the elevator, there would be two stairways, one on each end of the building, specifically designed for fire safety access, according to the fire code.

White had questions about blasting, among other issues. She also wanted to know how many studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments it would include. She also asked how and where the public would have access to the donated land.

Cruet said the brick veneer and clapboard building would have 11 studios, 37 one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom units.

Pellegrino said, with regard to the donated land, that the developer would donate it to the town, and the town and the Peter's Rock Association would work out the public access.

With regard to possible blasting, he said the fire marshal's office regulates blasting. 

"Whatever the regulations are, we will abide by them," Pellegrino said.

Project Engineer Jim Galligan of Nafis & Young Engineers, Inc. of North Branford said there would be a pre-blast survey that would include any home within 200 feet of the property. While he wasn't in a position to say for sure yet, based on previous study, "there's most likely not going to be any blasting," Galligan said.

Galligan said in response to questions that there would be two fire hydrants on the property, one at each end of the building, and the access drive would be constructed so the Fire Department "can make all turns that are necessary" to respond to any incident.

Pellegrino outlined the proposal at the start of the public hearing.

"We think this project meets the demand for elderly, age-restricted housing here in town," he told the commission. He said it conforms with the Plan of Conservation and Development and would contribute to the town's grand list.

Galligan said the developer divided the property into two parcels after being contacted by the Peter's Rock Association, and will donate the parcel that abuts Peter's Rock to the town.

The 290-feet-long complex will have 71 parking spaces where 60 are required, he said.

A traffic study shows that there would be no decrease in the level of service in the area as a result of the project, Galligan said.

North Haven Land Use Administrator Alan Fredricksen said Friday that North Haven has several other age-restricted apartment complexes, including the two operated by the North Haven Housing Authority.

Stamford Considers Hotel for 0 West Park Place

Angela Carella

STAMFORD – A parcel in a deeply desirable downtown spot is so small and constricted that it’s been considered undevelopable.

The lot at West Park Place, facing Columbus Park, is a remnant of 1960s urban renewal. 

It abuts Curley’s, the little silver diner with the big red sign that fought the city and developers to keep its downtown address. 

The diner won a court battle over government attempts to take its property by eminent domain. Now ringed by tall buildings, it soon may have another one next door.

The Stamford Zoning Board is considering a proposal from Tullamore LLC, an affiliate of Wellbuilt, a Greenwich company, to build a 10-story, 99-room extended-stay hotel at 0 West Park Place.

“This site has a tremendous amount of history,” attorney Lisa Feinberg, who represents Tullamore, told the Zoning Board last week.

It is one of the last remaining parcels from the urban renewal plan, approved in 1963, that “was created for the purpose of cleaning up the blight in the heart of the city and revitalizing deteriorated properties,” Feinberg told board members.

“It’s hard to believe when looking at the downtown now, but in the 1960s the downtown was really struggling,” Feinberg said. 

So officials formed the Urban Redevelopment Commission and gave it “authority to acquire, manage, demolish and dispose of designated parcels,” Feinberg said.

Put up parking lots

They were fraught times. Families that rented apartments in buildings deemed blighted were forced to leave. The city exercised eminent domain to seize land from home- and business owners. Companies that sought to develop downtown Stamford took a chance that their ventures would succeed.

Over the years, old buildings were razed and the parcels were paved for use as temporary parking lots, waiting for developers to start digging. 

It didn’t happen.

“Notwithstanding great interest from the development community, legal hurdles and complications with timing and financing left the properties undeveloped for a really long time,” Feinberg said.

Then, in 1997, “an entity known as Park Square West entered into an agreement with the URC to develop certain properties,” Feinberg said. The parcels were called Phase I, at 81 Summer St.; Phase II, at 66 Summer St.; Phase III, the lot next door to Curley’s Diner; and Phase IV, at Washington Boulevard and West Park Place.

Projects were proposed, approved and constructed in fits and starts, often delayed by market fluctuations, financing problems, lawsuits over confiscated properties, and changes in development companies.

Years went by.

A phase without a project

Finally, in 2002, Phase I was completed – a nine-story, 143-unit luxury apartment complex at 101 Summer St. called Park Square West.

In 2014, it was Phase II – a 15-story building called 66 Summer with 211 apartments and, now, Sally’s Pizza on the ground floor.

In 2018, it was Phase IV – Vela on the Park, a 19-story, 209-apartment complex facing Washington Boulevard with a dentist’s office on the ground floor, and retail on the way.

But nobody touched Phase III on West Park Place.

“It’s been a parking lot for a very long time,” said Ray Mazzeo, a planner with land-use consulting firm Redniss & Mead who represents the developer. “The leftover piece of what was once a larger assemblage becomes harder to do as a small, postage-stamp site. … On top of that, it’s encumbered on three sides with easements.”

One easement provides the only vehicle access to Curley’s Diner. A rear easement runs along a large parking garage; to allow proper ventilation, nothing taller than 25 feet can be built there. A third easement provides public access from West Park Place to a public garage on Summer Street.

To make things more difficult, the size of 0 West Park Place is only a quarter-acre, Mazzeo said.

“There’s no room for parking,” he said. 

Garages everywhere

A hotel can be built there only because the city recently eased parking requirements for downtown lots smaller than 25,000 square feet, as long as the lot is within 1,200 feet of a parking facility that is open 24 hours a day.

Looking at it that way, West Park Place is “in a great spot,” Mazzeo said. 

“It’s close to thousands of parking spaces – the Summer Place garage; 300 Main Street; Target has 500 spaces; the city has the Bell Street garage,” Mazzeo said. “There are more farther afield – within 1,000 feet there is the government center garage, the Landmark Square garage, and the Stamford Town Center garage.”

Wellbuilt representative Stephanie Odenath said market analysis shows there are not enough extended-stay hotel suites in the Stamford area that match the needs of today’s business traveler – updated technology, a kitchenette, a washer and dryer. 

Extended-stay hotels help employers attract and retain talent and provide lots of business for restaurants, Odenath said. 

“They’re good for visiting UConn parents and professors,” she said. “Stamford Hospital wants it, too,” for traveling nurses and other medical personnel.

With Planning Board approval already secured, it seemed that an extended-stay hotel may finally be the use that fits the odd parcel at 0 West Park Place.

But it failed to meet the mark last week.

Walkway and driveway?

Zoning Board Chair David Stein didn’t like the plan for the public easement that provides a path for people walking from West Park Place to the Summer Street public garage. Pedestrians would have to share the path with vehicles pulling up to the hotel.

Stein said the path needs something more than striping or contrasting pavement to separate it from the driveway.

“I am concerned about the safety of the pedestrians using the walkway to the garage,” Stein said. “Cars are going to turn onto the walkway, so how is the pedestrian protected?”

He suggested a raised walkway, or speed bumps in the driveway.

“I would like to see you come back with a better plan that protects pedestrians,” Stein told Feinberg and Mazzeo.

“We’re happy to look into that, Mr. Chairman, of course. But I don’t think there is enough space on this lot to accomplish what you’re asking us to do,” Feinberg replied.

“That’s because that’s the way you designed it,” Stein said.

“That’s not true,” Feinberg said. “This has been a vacant piece of property for decades because it’s incredibly challenged … the professionals who reviewed this felt that this was a great solution.”

Mazzeo agreed.

“We think pedestrians and vehicles can safely share the same space,” he said.

“I am concerned about the safety of people,” Stein said. “So take another look at it, please.”

To be continued

The meeting included a public hearing. Half a dozen Stamford residents called into the Zoom session with questions.

Caller Mark Diamond said he checked property records and found that 0 West Park Place was appraised in 2022 at $4.2 million, but the purchase price is only $2.3 million. 

“Why the discrepancy?” Diamond asked.

Mazzeo didn’t answer his question.

“Purchase price is not a zoning issue,” Mazzeo said. “This went through a public process. The contract has been through the Planning Board, the Board of Finance, the Board of Representatives and the URC.”

Diamond asked whether the developer would consider designing a building more in keeping with the downtown’s designation as a historic district. 

The project architect, Seelan Pather, said the modern building design is consistent with standards that guide how mature cities grow.

“The transparent glass facade, in our opinion, is appropriate and complimentary to the surrounding buildings,” Pather said.

The Zoning Board had other concerns about construction materials, traffic safety, landscaping, and a zoning designation. Stein said remaining questions, including his about pedestrian safety on the walk path, will be addressed at the board’s Jan. 27 meeting. The board may vote on the hotel proposal at that time.

Halls Road Redevelopment in Old Lyme Takes a Big Step Forward

Francisco Uranga,

OLD LYME — After falling short twice in recent years, the redevelopment of Halls Road took a significant – and likely decisive – step forward after winning the approval of the town’s Planning Commission on Thursday.

Members of the Planning Commission voted unanimously that the proposed zoning overlay was consistent with Old Lyme’s Plan of Conservation and Development.

“We are not looking at economics, we’re not looking at anything else,” said commission chair Harold Thompson at the start of the meeting. “It has to deal with whether or not this is consistent.”

Just two years ago the commission unanimously opposed a largely similar proposal, forcing proponents of the redevelopment to secure a supermajority from the town’s Zoning Commission, which they failed to meet.

“The reason we voted no is because we were looking for additional information,” Thompson said about the past decision. “We were ready to vote yes on it but we had questions.”

For nearly a decade, plans for redevelopment of the town’s commercial district have amounted to a standoff between proponents, who say that Halls Road is an outdated, car-driven vision of the town that is destined to fail, and opponents who warn that the proposals invite unchecked development and threaten Old Lyme’s small-town character. 

Sloan Danenhower, an alternate on the town’s Zoning Commission who voted against a version of the proposal in 2023, in a recent letter questioned why the town would approve such a significant overhaul of the town’s commercial zoning just as Town Hall is preparing to launch a two-year overhaul of Old Lyme’s zoning regulations.

The proposal passed on Thursday, would allow – but not require – housing developments to be built along Halls Road, as long as they adhere to guidelines that include limited setbacks, first-floor commercial space and colonial-style design.

“This is something that we feel would really bring back what we used to have on Lyme Street, which was our main commercial area for 300 years,” said Edie Twining, chair of the Halls Road Improvements Committee, who has spearheaded the redevelopment effort. 

Third Proposal

A public hearing of the Zoning Commission will be held next Monday, and will consider the latest proposal, which includes some, but not all, of the changes that members of the commission agreed on before voting 3-2 in favor of the proposal – one vote short of the needed supermajority. 

The latest proposal sets a 200-foot limit to storefronts and a maximum footprint of 20,000 square feet, a significant increase over guidelines of 125 feet and 10,000 square feet, that won over a majority of zoning commissioners in 2023. 

By comparison, Town Hall on Lyme Street – which serves as a model for the design guidelines according to Twining, is 152 feet long and has a footprint of 7,367 square feet.

Asked to explain why proponents had chosen higher limits than those last suggested by Zoning, Twining declined to comment, but said she would explain the changes at next week’s hearing before the Zoning Commission. Twining said the Zoning Commission could make any adjustments it thought were necessary.

The new proposal maintains a maximum height of 35 feet for construction, less than the 40 feet previously proposed, and raises the maximum allowed lot coverage from 20 percent to 40 percent, less than the 50 percent previously proposed. These changes align with recommendations from Zoning in 2023.

The proposal prohibits warehouses or self-storage in the district – a recent hot button in local politics – and allows parking garages as a complementary use to a commercial development fronting Halls Road.

Qualifying projects would require a special permit.

Attorney William Sweeney, who advised the Halls Road committee, said the guidelines would allow for the needed commercial space.

“We want to make sure that there’s enough critical space so that you can have commercial space that’s not just a postage stamp little area but you have a place for a restaurant or an office,” Sweeney said. “We require it to create the streetscape.”

Property owners who adopt the zoning overlay would be able to build multifamily housing currently prohibited unless developers apply under the state’s 8-30g housing statute and include at least 30 percent affordable housing. 

The Halls Road overlay sets a lower minimum of 10 percent. The original proposal lacked a requirement for affordability. 

Housing construction, and other uses such as parking space, could only go ahead after the commercial projects fronting Halls Road are completed, Sweeney said. 

Barbara Gaudio, a planning commission member, asked how the district could be prevented from becoming a “hodgepodge,” with property owners keeping the old zoning and others adopting the new one.

Sweeney said that while a piecemeal look can’t be prevented, the expectation was that the transition would only take five or ten years.

Sweeney said the design review committee would consist of three town residents who would oversee compliance with the new design guidelines, which he called an improvement over the current absence of unified designs. 

Twining estimated the new district could generate more than $50 million in private investment and a considerable increase in tax revenue.

Howard Margules, a member of both the Planning Commission and the Hall Roads Improvements Committee, voted in favor of the plans. 

“When something like a Swift bakery wanted to go somewhere, they didn’t come here, they went to Niantic. Hopefully, in the future, we can attract that kind of business,” Margules said. “Do we look more like Niantic, which is a very viable walkable place? That’s the choice.”

Todd Machnik, who holds a financial interest in property affected by the plans, recused himself from the vote.