Faced with creating dozens of new affordable units in New Canaan in order to get out from under a widely discussed state law, town officials are seeking to purchase a 9.1-acre apartment development located opposite Lakeview Cemetery, documents show.
According to a Notice of Public Hearing posted on the municipal website, the New Canaan Housing Authority “proposes to acquire through its wholly owned affiliate HANC Lakeview LLC, by agreement with current owners, the following property in connection with the acquisition of an existing multifamily residential housing complex and related improvements located at 100 (a/k/a 106) Lakeview Avenue, New Canaan, CT.”
Avalon Drive East runs off of Lakeview Avenue up toward Route 123.
Known as the Avalon, the privately owned property at 106 Lakeview Ave. — the single-highest taxpayer account in New Canaan with a $33 million assessment, according to the most recent Grand List — includes 10 residential buildings with dozens of units of various sizes, 11 garages and a one large pool, tax records show.
As per state law, the town must post a notice and give the public an opportunity to comment on the proposal. A hearing is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 21 at Town Hall.
The prospect of acquiring such a suitably located property has been on the town’s radar for years.
The Town Council last May passed an ordinance that allowed for the formation of the Affordable Housing Committee, calling for the appointed body to identify properties that could support affordable housing developments in order to help New Canaan chain together four-year blocks of relief—each block known as a “moratorium”—from a controversial state law known by its statute number, 8-30g.
Under it, in towns where less than 10% of all housing stock qualifies as affordable (New Canaan is at less than 4%), developers who propose projects where a certain percentage of units are set aside to rent at affordable rates may appeal to the state after a local P&Z Commission denies their applications. New Canaan’s last moratorium lapsed in July 2021, under a prior administration. After it did, the town received three 8-30g applications, at Weed and Elm Streets (120 units), Main Street (20 units) and Hill Street (93 units). P&Z denied all of them. (The town’s possible future acquisition of Avalon is not expected to affect the existing applications.)
The town, under First Selectman Dionna Carlson’s direction and with assistance from Town Planner Sarah Carey, among others, re-applied to the state for a new moratorium based on work already done to create more units at Canaan Parish. (The town was narrowly denied due to a technical change and immediately resubmitted the application.) The town also has an active lawsuit against the Connecticut Department of Housing. In it, the town takes the position that the state erred in failing to credit New Canaan for “excess” affordable housing units that had been completed prior to the issuance of the town’s 2017 moratorium.
In any case, even with a new moratorium imminent, without amendments to the 8-30g law the town “will need to construct 70 to 100 additional affordable housing units within the next four to five years,” Affordable Housing Committee Chair John Goodwin noted in a recent Op-Ed.
The Avalon property on Lakeview Avenue—whose direct neighbors include the cemetery, Canaan Parish and Mill Pond—could present an ideal opportunity to do that. It’s unclear whether the existing apartment buildings would be fully or partially preserved, whether the town could expand the footprint of buildings, just how many affordable units could be created, whether they would be created in stages or what would happen to existing residents. The matter has not yet been discussed in a public meeting, and a formal study likely must wait for a purchase-and-sale agreement.
According to Connecticut Secretary of the State records, the proposed new owner of the property—HANC Lakeview LLC, an affiliate of the local Housing Authority—formed just two weeks ago, on July 29. According to LLC’s Certificate of Organization (available here), the new company’s legal agent is attorney Gregg Burton of Carmody Torrance Sandak Hennessey LLP. (Affordable Housing Committee member and Housing Authority Treasurer Michael Sweeney is a partner in the same firm.) The company’s email address is listed as that of Housing Authority Chair Scott Hobbs.
Kudos to those involved with this creative solution. The acquisition of these existing units, even though expensive, is likely far less than the current replacement cost to build new (assuming we even had the land to do that!). This seems like a win-win solution. I say this with two key thoughts in mind: 1st, that the existing residents of the Avalon properties are allowed to continue their current lease as structured and no one is displaced; and 2nd, that the project can be financed and managed without ongoing taxpayer subsidies being required. Overall, I believe this is an extremely creative idea!
I support more affordable housing in town, but we seem to be segregating all the town’s affordable housing units in this one section of town. At least with the Avalon property there would be a mix of affordable housing units with market rate units.
If you’ll forgive me this is a SLAP IN THE FACE to those of us “senior” seniors who are to old to move. Where are we meant to go? We’re here by grace and can’t afford the monthly rate of very expensive retirement living in places like Atria in Darien. (They have waiting lists anyway.) America is in potential chaos no matter who wins in November. Warnings have been issued re. violence and possible food or financial “famine” in months ahead. (I believe Avalon Drive West already has its required number of low income apartments. Oceans of thanks for your consideration.
I echo Leo’s praise for this very innovative and creative idea. I will be closely following the development of this idea. Again, kudos to all involved.
I should point out that I received some feedback critical of this headline. Because the buyer would be a NC Housing Authority entity rather than the municipality itself, the town will not incur debt in any transaction, I am told, so the word ‘Town’ in the headline should be ‘Housing Authority.’
On the surface this sounds like a very creative and interesting idea. I would also echo Victor’s comment regarding the potential drawbacks of concentrating the town’s affordable housing stock in one area of town.