Government

Affordable Housing: Selectmen Approve Contract To Study Three Sites for Potential Development

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The Board of Selectmen during its most recent meeting approved a $29,500 contract with a Hartford-based firm to assess the viability of three sites for potential affordable housing. 

The firm, Amenta Emma, worked as the architect on the redeveloped Canaan Parish “so they have both experience working with our Housing Authority and working in affordable housing,” according to Krista Neilson, a member of the Affordable Housing Committee and chair of its Project Development Subcommittee (as well as secretary of the Planning & Zoning Commission). Under its agreement with the town, Amenta Emma will “review three sites that the subcommittee has selected as potential options for future affordable housing development,” Neilson told the selectmen during their regular meeting, held Aug. 19 at Town Hall and via videoconference. She referred to three municipal parking lots—the Lumberyard Lot, Locust Avenue Lot and Richmond Hill Lot. Neilson continued: “We’re talking about a larger affordable housing development, on the scale of something like a Canaan Parish.

Chris Wilson

Committee Approves Contract to Analyze Three Locations for Affordable Housing Viability

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The Affordable Housing Committee last Monday approved a contract with an architecture firm to assess the viability of three sites for potential affordable housing. Committee Chair Chris Wilson said the contract is to “try and get a sense of the size and scope which works in New Canaan for these types of developments.” 

“This contract won’t answer all of our questions and will probably raise a number that we will have to address later, but it’s a good first step,” Wilson said at the Committee’s regular meeting, held via videoconference. The Committee unanimously approved the contract with Hartford-based Amenta Emma, although it was unclear which members were present to vote. The contract will go before the Board of Selectmen on Aug. 19, officials said.

Affordable Housing Committee

Affordable Housing: More Units Needed for ‘Moratorium’ in 2032

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Though New Canaan has qualified for a four-year exemption from a widely discussed affordable housing law—and is also expected to earn another “moratorium” from the state law known by its statute number, 8-30g, in 2028—more units likely must be built or acquired in order to get four more years of relief in 2032, according to a municipal committee that’s studying the issue. Under the state law, in towns where less than 10% of all housing stock qualifies as affordable, developers who propose projects where a certain number of units are set aside to rent at affordable rates may appeal to the state after a local Planning & Zoning Commission denies their applications. New Canaan since its last moratorium lapsed in July 2021 has received three such applications, at Weed and Elm Streets (120 units), Main Street (20 units) and Hill Street (93 units). P&Z denied all of them. Those applications are now under appeal in state Superior Court.

Affordable Housing Committee

Affordable Housing: Town Eyes Purchase of ‘Avalon’ Property on Lakeview Avenue

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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.”

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.

Affordable Housing Committee

Op-Ed: Affordable Housing Committee Moving Ahead On Three Tracks

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[John Goodwin is chair of the New Canaan Affordable Housing Committee.]
Last year the New Canaan Town Council passed an ordinance establishing an Affordable Housing Committee. The Committee’s mission is to work with the New Canaan Housing Authority and other Town bodies to increase the number of affordable housing units in New Canaan, with a goal of achieving local control of housing decisions via successive moratoriums under Connecticut’s 8-30g statute. Connecticut Statute 8-30g is complex, as is the topic of affordable housing. Under 8-30g a housing unit is deemed ‘affordable’ if the residents make less than 80% of median income. In essence, the statute enables developers who seek to build housing projects with at least 30% of the units deed-restricted as affordable to avoid the zoning regulations maintained by the Town’s Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z). The exception is if P&Z can demonstrate clear risks to health, safety and welfare that outweigh the benefits of additional affordable housing. In various cases the state’s courts have shown that to be a high bar. Consequently most 8-30g projects get upheld in court and result in buildings that are incongruent with the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development and the zoning regulations that are continuously reviewed and improved to implement the Community’s vision. Towns can maintain control of new residential development either by having 10% of the town’s housing stock deemed affordable, or by building enough new affordable units to achieve four-year moratoriums. On the former, New Canaan is at 3.93%, and almost all agree that getting to 10% is unrealistic. Therefore, the New Canaan Town Council determined that achieving successive moratoriums is a priority.