Affordable Housing Committee

Affordable Housing: Judge Grants ‘Co-Defendant’ Status to Developer in Moratorium Suit

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A state Superior Court Judge ruled Tuesday in favor of a local developer’s motion to intervene as co-defendant in the town’s affordable housing-related lawsuit against the state. Despite the town’s objections, Judge Ted O’Hanlan granted intervenor status to the companies that own properties in New Canaan where affordable housing developments are planned. Local developer Arnold Karp is principal at the ownership limited liability companies. 

“The court finds that intervenors have demonstrated a valid interest in intervention in this matter,” O’Hanlan wrote in his order, obtained by NewCanaanite.com. The town in December sued the Connecticut Department of Housing, appealing the state’s decision last fall to deny the town’s application for a “moratorium,” or four years of relief from the state statute that facilitated the affordable housing applications (that suit was dismissed). In June, the town sued again, objecting to a “declaratory ruling” from the state agency that bolstered its earlier denial. 

Attorneys representing Karp in August filed to become a co-defendant in the case, saying, in part, that he will be directly affected if the town is able to overturn the state’s denial of a “moratorium,” which would grant four years of relief from the state affordable housing law known by its statute number, 8-30g.

News

O’Dea Defends House District Seat From Alvarez During LWV Candidate’s Debate

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Affordable housing, rising energy costs, balancing revenues with expenditures and women’s reproductive rights were topics wrangled by state Rep. Tom O’Dea (R-125) and his Democratic challenger Victor Alvarez during a League of Women Voters candidates’ debate on Oct. 20 at Town Hall. The evening featured debates for five races – including three races in the state House of Representative and two races in the State Senate – including the race between Alvarez and O’Dea for House District 125, which includes Darien, New Canaan and Stamford. On the topic of the state’s controversial 8-30g affordable housing statute, both candidates agreed that the law doesn’t achieve its intended goal and needs to be overhauled. “Since 2016, I have been on record about being against over development,” said Alvarez, a New Canaan resident and businessman who has been a member of the town’s board of finance since 2020.

Around Town

New Canaan Library: $1.5 Million Needed Now to Move ‘Legacy’ Building in Time for Feb. ‘23 Opening of New Facility

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New Canaan Library officials said Tuesday that unless their organization is able to secure funding to move the original 1913 building to the western edge of its campus—as conditioned by the Planning & Zoning Commission via approvals last July and December—they could end up with two facilities, the present-day library and a new one, sitting next to each other. The library has already has raised more than $33 million toward its new approximately $40 million building, including a $10 million gift from the town, Executive Director Lisa Oldham told members of the Board of Finance at their regular meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. 

Yet the library sees the P&Z-approved project of preserving and moving what remains of the 1,200-square-foot 1913 or “legacy” building as a separate project, and need $1.5 million now in order for that structure to be secured on a new foundation behind the Sunoco gas station by the time the new facility opens to the public Feb. 1, 2023, Oldham said. (A further $1 million will be needed to fit out the building for use, such as by getting insulation, heat, bathrooms and plumbing in it.)

Asked by Board of Finance Chair Todd Lavieri how the library is going to get the $1.5 million, Oldham said, “That is a good question.”

“As our primary investors, our biggest investor, you will appreciate that I am full focused on fundraising the last $6.5 million for the main project,” she said. “This [new library] can’t wait for me to finish that [legacy building] job, so we need a source of funding immediately.