Date: Fri 18-Jun-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Avalon-proposal-P&Z-Fuss

Full Text:

Engineers Review Plans for 304-Unit Complex

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

The town's consulting engineering firm is conducting a technical review of the

plans for Avalon at Newtown, the 304-unit rental apartment complex proposed

for a 40.7-acre parcel at 178 Mt Pleasant Road in Hawleyville.

For a $6,500 fee, the town has hired Fuss and O'Neill, Inc, of Manchester to

perform an engineering review on the development plans on behalf of the

Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) and Conservation Commission. The Avalon

proposal is the largest private residential complex ever proposed locally.

Fuss and O'Neill performed a similar engineering review for the P&Z on Newtown

Village, a 96-house condominium complex proposed for Sandy Hook which the P&Z

rejected in November 1997 for environmental reasons.

The P&Z has scheduled a public hearing on the Avalon proposal for August 19.

That public hearing will address the three aspects of Avalon's development

proposal. P&Z officials had asked that the development proposal be considered

in stages, but Avalon prefers that all three aspects of the P&Z application be

considered simultaneously at one public hearing.

A Conservation Commission public hearing on the wetlands construction aspects

of the Avalon proposal is slated for July 14.

P&Z Application

In its P&Z application, Avalon seeks to create a new zoning designation known

as a Housing Opportunity Development (HOD) zone. The proposed zone would be

customized to allow the specific development design sought by the applicant.

The application proposes much higher construction densities than now allowed

under existing zoning regulations, hence the requested new zoning regulations.

If the P&Z approves a zoning amendment allowing a HOD zone, Avalon would seek

to change the existing residential zoning for the site to HOD zoning. If that

change of zone is approved, the applicant would seek a site plan approval from

the P&Z.

Besides the approvals required from the Conservation Commission and P&Z, the

developer would need approvals for sewage waste disposal and a water supply.

Fuss and O'Neill's review of the development plans will include a study of the

traffic which would be generated by Avalon, waste water disposal, public

utilities, drainage, and the project's conformance to applicable zoning

regulations.

The town is seeking to have the King's Mark Environmental Review Team study

the environmental impact of the proposed development, said land use department

head Rita Macmillan.

As part of its work, Fuss and O'Neill would review the King's Mark

environmental study, meet with town land use staff members to discuss the

project, and provide the services of a traffic engineer.

The Fuss and O'Neill review won't include study of the affordable housing

aspect of the Avalon proposal. The developer is proposing that 76 of the 304

rental apartments be affordable housing units.

Rosenthal

In a recent interview, First Selectman Herbert Rosenthal noted that Avalon

presented four separate requests to the town simultaneously in late April when

it submitted its development proposal to the P&Z and Conservation Commission.

Mr Rosenthal said it would be helpful to the town if the developer took the

town land use application process step-by-step instead of simultaneously

submitting several applications.

Mr Rosenthal said he has told Avalon to contact the Water Pollution Control

Authority (WPCA) to inquire about access to sanitary sewers.

The Homesteads at Newtown, a 298-unit housing complex for the elderly planned

for a site directly east of the Avalon site, took its application process a

step at a time, Mr Rosenthal said.

In light of the multiple applications submitted simultaneously to the town, "I

view this as sort of a hostile proposal," Mr Rosenthal said. The volume of

requests submitted simultaneously as part of the project is "kind of

overwhelming," Mr Rosenthal said.

Of Avalon's multi-faceted applications, Mr Rosenthal said "I view it as

`hostile' when someone comes in and hits you with all those things at once."

"It makes the process a lot more adversarial when you come in this way," he

said.

The first selectman said he expressed his concerns to Avalon representatives

at a recent meeting.

Mr Rosenthal said Avalon has built attractive developments in other areas, but

noted the construction density of the project proposed for Hawleyville is

"troubling." The proposed 304-unit apartment complex is much denser than what

existing zoning regulations allow, he said.

"I think they have a lot of things to do before they get to the point of

asking for approval for this project," Mr Rosenthal said.

The town has a set of affordable housing regulations, but Avalon wants to

create its own development regulations for its apartment complex proposal in

the form of a new zoning designation, he said.

Mr Rosenthal offered some advice for the developer: "Go to the WPCA and do

first things first. If they [Avalon] are going to have sewage capacity, who

are they going to get it from?"

The 150,000 gallons-per-day of sewage treatment capacity at the Danbury sewage

treatment plant which the town has reserved for Hawleyville is designated for

economic development projects. It's unclear if the WPCA considers the Avalon

proposal to be an economic development project.

Mr Rosenthal said Avalon may have to negotiate its own sewage treatment

capacity with the City of Danbury.

The sewer extension into Hawleyville has not yet been built.

Town Public Works Director Fred Hurley said Avalon has submitted site plans

for its proposed apartment complex for review by the WPCA. The company,

however, has not submitted a formal application for connecting to the planned

Hawleyville sewer system, he said.

The WPCA needs more information from Avalon, Mr Hurley said. Whether Avalon

qualifies as an economic development project that is eligible to use some of

the town's existing reserved sewage treatment capacity at the Danbury

treatment plant will be a policy decision for the WPCA, Mr Hurley said.

Development Site

On a site abutting the Bethel town line, Avalon Bay Communities, Inc, wants to

build 228 market-rate and 76 affordable apartments in 11 multi-story

buildings. The steep, rocky, heavily wooded site is across Mt Pleasant Road

from Cassio Kennels.

Ten of the buildings would contain 28 apartments each. Those buildings would

be constructed on slopes, with three stories at the front elevation and four

stories at the rear, including a walk-out basement level. One of the 11

buildings would be three stories tall and include 24 apartments.

The complex would contain 124 one-bedroom, 110 two-bedroom and 70

three-bedroom apartments, for a total of 554 bedrooms. The complex would have

608 parking spaces, with the potential for up to 733 spaces.

In the area, Avalon is developing two apartment complexes in Danbury - the

135-unit Avalon Lake on Briar Ridge Road, and the 268-unit Avalon Valley on

Sand Pit Road.

In Connecticut, besides its work in Danbury, Avalon Bay has developed

apartment complexes similar to the one proposed for Hawleyville in Wilton,

Trumbull, Stamford, Hamden and Manchester.

Avalon Bay owns more than 40,000 apartments nationally, about 3,500 of which

are in Connecticut. The firm, which is traded on the New York Stock Exchange,

develops, builds, owns and manages apartment complexes.