The Borough Zoning Commission (BZC) has formally accepted for review two applications concerning the redevelopment of the 19 Main Street (Route 25) site of the former Inn at Newtown with a proposed three-building, 40-unit rental apartment complex called 19 On Main Street Apartments.

At its September 11 meeting, the BZC accepted for review 19 Main Street LLC’s proposed set of multifamily housing regulations and a requested change of zone for the land.

The inn operated at the 3.002-acre sloping site until it suddenly closed for business in January 2016. The vacant 1820 building there has been deteriorating since the closure.

Besides proposed zoning regulations for a Borough Residential Overlay District (BROD) zone, the applicant is seeking a change of zone for the land from R-1 (Residential) to BROD.

The firm has submitted to the BZC an architect’s conceptual rendering of the complex as it would appear from Main Street and also a conceptual landscaped site plan for the property. Such conceptual plans are subject to change.

At the September 11 session, BZC Chairman Douglas Nelson did not allow public participation, noting that the session was not a public hearing. The BZC received a set of revised proposed zoning regulations dated September 9, which update an informal August 8 rules proposal.

In a September 9 letter to Mr Nelson, attorney Peter Olson, representing the developer, explained that the revisions to proposed zoning regulations concern calculation of a construction density limit for multifamily residential property, and also the requirement for a special zoning permit for such a project.

In the letter, Mr Olson asked that the BZC not hold a public hearing on 19 Main Street LLC’s two applications before the town Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) issues formal comments on the redevelopment proposal or before the regional planning agency comments on the matter.

The 37 owners of real estate who have holdings within 500 feet of the 19 Main Street site, will receive formal notice of any BZC public hearings via mailings sent by the applicant.

The P&Z is expected to discuss the redevelopment proposal when it meets on October 3. Because the Borough of Newtown has no planning agency, the P&Z serves as the borough’s planning agency and thus comments on the long-term implications of development proposals in the borough.

Mr Nelson said September 18 that no BZC public hearing date on the two applications has been set. If the two preliminary applications gain BZC approval, the applicant also would need BZC issuance of a special zoning permit for a site development plan. Special zoning permit applications also require a public hearing.

State law requires a public hearing on a zoning application to occur within 65 days of the application’s submission. However, that time period may be extended by up to another 65 days, if the applicant agrees to such an extension.

The developer has scheduled a public informational session on the 19 On Main Street Apartments project for 10 am to noon on Saturday, October 12, at the Newtown Community Center, 8 Simpson Street.

Specifics

According to the conceptual site plan submitted to the BZC, the 40 two-bedroom dwellings would each be approximately 1,200 square feet in floor area. At that size, the complex would contain about 48,000 square feet of living space. Also, there would be a total of 72 parking spaces, of which 22 spaces would be in the form of garage space on the bottom level of a larger apartment building located at the rear of the site. The other 50 spaces would be located outdoors behind the two apartment buildings positioned at the front of the site.

The western section of the site contains steep slopes and wetlands/watercourses, meaning that the project may require review by the Inland Wetlands Commission.

Whether the centrally located site is a suitable location for redevelopment with a multifamily use is expected to be a contested topic as the proposal makes its way through the land use review process.

The property lies within the Borough of Newtown Historic District. The land also is covered by the BZC’s Village District (VD) zoning regulations. Both of those sets of rules concern the appearance of buildings and how proposed construction visually fits into the architectural context of the area.

The Borough Historic District Commission regulates proposed changes in the appearance of architecture that are visible from the street through the issuance of “certificates of appropriateness” to applicants. VD zoning is intended to promote aesthetics in development and redevelopment projects which complement the traditional appearance of nearby buildings.

While some people may view the 19 Main Street site as a logical place for multifamily housing due to its centrality, location on a major roadway, and access to public utilities, others may see it as a high-density land use that would be in visual conflict with the residential character of Main Street, a section of State Route 25 that is eight-tenths of a mile long and comprised largely of older, traditional-looking, single-family houses.

The Borough of Newtown is a two-square-mile administrative district in the town center that levies annual property tax bills on its residents to cover certain municipal services. Besides taxation, the borough has its own set of zoning regulations, which were put in force long before the Town of Newtown enacted zoning in 1958. The 19 Main Street property is currently owned by DWR Company III LLC.