Homesteads Site—

EDC Endorses 147-Unit Condo Proposal

By Andrew Gorosko

The Economic Development Commission (EDC) has conditionally endorsed a developer’s proposal to create a 147-unit age-restricted condominium complex at the largely unbuilt site of The Homesteads housing complex in Hawleyville.

Following discussion at a July 20 session, EDC members decided that Southport-based Paragon Residential Properties, LLC’s, proposal for a 147-unit complex on 50 acres at 12 Pocono Road is a form of economic development that would broaden the town’s property tax base. Paragon estimates the sale value of such a complex at more than $55 million. Age-restricted housing is intended for people over 55.

EDC members, however, qualified their support of the Paragon project, saying that the volume of wastewater, which would be discharged into the Hawleyville sewer system by the Paragon complex, should not exceed the wastewater volume which had been approved by the Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) for a past proposed, but unbuilt age-restricted housing complex for the site.

In 1998, The Homesteads received Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) approvals to build 200 multifamily units in the form of 162 congregate-care units and 38 condos. In 2001, The Homesteads modified its plans, receiving P&Z revised approvals for 178 units in the form of 132 congregate units and 46 condos.

The Homesteads eventually built 12 age-restricted condos on the property, but they have never been occupied. Those condos would be refurbished as part of a 147-unit Paragon condo complex.

Several years ago, The Homesteads organization encountered serious financial problems, which led to large outstanding bills on the property and an inability to secure all the required town approvals for condo occupancy. Those bills included extensive delinquent real estate taxes and sewer debt.

The Paragon proposal does not involve the existing 95,000-square-foot, 100-unit Homesteads assisted-living building at 166 Mt Pleasant Road, which opened in April 2001.

Paragon had approached the WPCA in June in seeking a sewer connection for its condo project, but was told that it should seek EDC endorsement for its plans before seeking a sewer connection.  The town constructed the Hawleyville sewer system to stimulate economic development. Wastewater discharged into the Hawleyville sewer system flows to the Danbury sewage treatment plant.

Attorney William Denlinger, representing Paragon, told EDC members that the congregate housing which The Homesteads had proposed for the site is no longer an economically viable proposition. “Basically, congregate (housing) is no longer a ‘sell’ economically,” he said.

Two Types Of Condos

Jay Addison of Paragon said the firm proposes building two different types of condos on the site. Single-story condos would appeal to people in their early to mid-60’s, he said.

Condos situated in elevator-equipped three-story buildings would be marketed to people in their late 60’s to early 70’s. The multi-story buildings would contain eight condos each.

The condo price range would extend from about $300,000 to about $400,000, based on size, he said. The average price would be about $375,000. Single-story condos would enclose an average 1,650 square feet of space. Units in the elevator equipped buildings would be smaller. Mr Addison said Paragon expects there would be about a 50/50 split between the two different types of condos.

The firm seeks to build units that are functional and attractive, he said. The project is yet unnamed, he added. The complex would not be known as The Homesteads, he said. “We need to shed that,” he added.

The developer said that constructing the housing complex would create local business activity. Also, an age-restricted complex would not contain school-age children who require public education, he said.

 

Clubhouse

Besides the 50-acre site where the firm would build the condos, it would develop an adjacent 3.5-acre parcel on Mt Pleasant Road that has commercial zoning, Mr Addison said. At that site, Paragon wants to build an age-restricted membership club for residents of the condo complex. The club, which would be keyed to sports, fitness, recreation, and socializing, also would sell age-restricted memberships to the public, he said.