Government

Specter of Affordable Housing Looms as P&Z Nears Decision on ‘Merritt Village’ Proposal

By |

New Canaan could use an increase in its in-town housing supply, for seniors, young professionals and, in some cases, families, the head of the Planning & Zoning Commission said Tuesday night. Some families want to live in town and “we can’t tell them where to live,” P&Z Chairman John Goodwin said during the commission’s first discussion of the divisive Merritt Village application since the public hearing on it closed. “I am not convinced that there will be an influx which would overwhelm the schools—I just don’t see the demographics going in that direction and the applicant put on the record some demographics there, so some sort of huge school enrollment spike—I am just not convinced,” he said during the meeting, held at Town Hall. “I am convinced that a vibrant town needs to meet the demand and the demand right now is for some in-town housing and I know there is a view that New Canaan should ideally never change—I would love that, too, but the reality is that towns do change and I think quite frankly that we have to worry right now about our village. There is a company called Amazon which is the leader in taking share of retail sales.

Government

‘A Reasonable Consensus’: Developer of Proposed ‘Merritt Village’ Complex Reduces Number of Units, Height of Buildings

By |

The owners of a 3.29-acre property on the edge of downtown New Canaan on Thursday night unveiled a scaled-back version of the proposed condominium-and-apartment complex that’s caused wide discussion in town since it was presented in June. Instead of 123 units in four 4-floor multifamily dwellings, Merritt Village would have 116 units (55 condos, 61 apartments) and its townhouse-style buildings would rise no more than 3.5 stories, with some of the proposed structures coming down to two stories, according to representatives for the applicant, property owner M2 Partners. The architects of the proposal would prefer to move forward with what originally had been submitted to the town, though the modified plan takes into consideration reasonable concerns raised by third-party consultants and neighbors, Dan Granniss of project designer SLAM Collaborative of Glastonbury told members of the Planning & Zoning Commission at a special meeting. Though M2 Partners does not expect to garner “100 percent consensus,” still “we want to come to a reasonable consensus and we believe the modified design has done just that,” Granniss said during the meeting, which drew more than 100 attendees to Town Hall. The modified proposal was made public during the fourth hearing on Merritt Village, currently the site of Merritt Apartments, a 38-unit complex.

Government

‘Merritt Village’ Unveiled: New Details, Concerns from Neighbors Emerge at First Public Hearing of Proposed Development

By |

In considering a dramatic proposal to create up to 123 condos and apartments in an area at the edge of downtown New Canaan where 38 now exist, the town should find out how such a project would impact other property values, officials said Tuesday. Filed this month on behalf of M2 Partners, which owns a combined 3.29-acre parcel fronting Maple and Park Streets—and viewable here on the town website through a dropdown menu—plans for ‘Merritt Village’ call for four 4-floor multi-family dwellings that will include 60 townhouse-style condos and 62 midrise apartment units. According to Planning & Zoning Commission member Tony Shizari, a question central to the project’s merit is: “What will be the impact on the market of introducing several hundred thousand square feet of additional living space?”

“The question goes to the impact on property values,” Shizari said during a regular meeting of P&Z, held at Town Hall. “There are a lot of condos there—although I totally agree that we need single-floor access … But adding 90 units to what is allowable right now, what does that do to that surrounding area? Because that’s a lot of condos right there.

News

Plans Filed To Rebuild ‘Merritt Apartments’ Downtown; Project Would Triple Number of Units

By |

The owners of a combined 3.29-acre parcel fronting Maple and Park Streets downtown are seeking to replace four apartment buildings there with new structures that will roughly triple the number of units available while putting nearly all parking underground. Commonly known as ‘Merritt Apartments,’ the apartment buildings rise as high as three stories and currently include 38 units that offer no elevators and limited handicapped accessibility, according to an application filed June 1 on behalf of M2 Partners LLC. Plans call for four 4-floor multi-family dwellings that will include 60 condominium/townhouse and 62 midrise apartment units, according to the application, filed by attorney Steve Finn of Stamford-based Wofsey Rosen Kweskin & Kuriansky LLP. Composed of townhouse-style structures that meet New Canaan’s aesthetic by using stone, clapboard and shingles, the development “will help to maintain the vibrancy and economy of the downtown area by replacing outdated buildings with a beautiful new complex designed to look like townhouses with distinct and individual elements,” Finn said in a summary attached to a special permit application. “Increasing density will provide retailers with more people living within easy walking distance to downtown providing needed patronage for local stores, shops, restaurants and the movie theater.