Letter: Proposed Re-Development of Roger Sherman Property Fails To Meet a Need in New Canaan

The 1-acre zoning law was broken in 2011 for The Maples complex on Oenoke Ridge because of a need for senior housing. That need no longer exists. Empty nesters now have an abundant variety of choices. Andrew Glazer’s application for a planned urban subdivision on the Roger Sherman property should be denied. Planning & Zoning revised the Plan of Conservation & Development in 2014 to drive density downtown.

Letter: Neighbor at ‘The Maples’ Supports Plan for Six Dwellings at Roger Sherman Inn Site

Editor:

I’m writing in response to the article which appeared in the NewCanaanite authored by Michael Dinan and appearing online March 6th. Planning & Zoning Commission Chairman John Goodwin seems to suggest that seniors seeking “in-town” quarters will have their needs satisfied by the mixed-use Merritt Village apartment/condo complex. I would argue that the two developments have nothing in common. People who are looking for high quality design, extensive millwork, quality finishes, beautiful landscaping and a prestigious neighborhood will not be interested in the density of the Merritt Apartments. It is appealing to a different demographic.

Divided P&Z Disagrees on Whether Roger Sherman Proposal Meets Seldom-Cited Zoning Provision

The hopeful developer of the Roger Sherman Inn site has a strong track record as a builder, the chairman of the New Canaan Planning & Zoning Commission said last week, and turning down his application to create six new homes on the highly visible 1.8-acre property could open up the town to an even denser re-development. Yet New Canaan already is slated to see smaller dwellings—for example, for seniors seeking manageable “in-town” quarters—through mixed-use developments and the Merritt Village apartment-and-condo complex, according to P&Z Chairman John Goodwin. “I am a little worried about do we continue to allow non-single family housing to push its way outward?” Goodwin said at the Feb. 28 P&Z meeting, held in Town Hall. “And I am worried that it potentially could set a precedent that other developers could use.”

He referred to proposed additions to a section of the New Canaan Zoning Regulations under which developer Andrew Glazer of Rowayton-based Glazer Group has applied to create six dwellings where the old inn and restaurant now stand (including converting the oldest part of the Roger Sherman into one of those units, though physically moving it closer to Oenoke Ridge Road).

Did You Hear … ?

The hopeful developer of the Roger Sherman Inn property has clarified that he does not intend to raze all of the existing historic structure under his newest application, as NewCanaanite.com had reported last week. Andrew Glazer of Rowayton’s Glazer Group intends to pick up and move the oldest portion of the 18th Century-built inn closer to Oenoke Ridge Road, converting it into one of six new residences planned for the 1.89-acre site. He outlined that plan during a public hearing last month before the Planning & Zoning Commission. ***

New Canaan’s Michael Nowacki is featured in a Connecticut Mirror news story that ran Jan. 13, regarding his interest in hearings in Hartford before the state legislature on judges seeking reappointment.

Latest Plan from Hopeful Developer of Roger Sherman Inn: Move the Historic Building [CORRECTION]

[Editor’s Note: The first version of this article state incorrectly that the oldest part of the Roger Sherman Inn would be razed rather than moved. The developer has since clarified that it will be moved only but preserved in the plan described below. We apologize for the error. See more here.]

For the third time since an initial application came in last fall, the hopeful developer of the Roger Sherman Inn property has filed a new proposal for the 1.89-acre Oenoke Ridge Road property. Under an application filed last week on behalf of Andrew Glazer of Norwalk-based Glazer Group, six single-family dwellings would be built on the property where a 135-seat restaurant and 17-room inn now stand.