EAST HAVEN

The East Haven Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) has scheduled a public hearing for Saturday, Aug. 28 regarding site-plan modifications for the previously rejected affordable housing application from 13 Carlson Place to build “Thompson Commons” along Carlson Place and Thompson Avenue.

On June 26, 13 Carlson Place saw its proposal to construct 20 single-family dwelling units unanimously denied by the PZC due to safety and traffic concerns expressed by the commission and area residents of the proposed site of development. The resubmitted application, which retains its banner as an affordable housing project, has its plans doubled in size, increasing the proposed units from 20 to 40, according to the application’s language. Twelve of those units would be below market rate as a means to increase the number of affordable units in East Haven.

The developer resubmitted its largely modified application under Connecticut General Statute 8-30g(h), which rules that an applicant may appeal a zoning commission and resubmit a modified plan following an initial rejection.

At an Aug. 7 PZC meeting, Jennifer Coppola, East Haven land use attorney, quoted from the statute to inform the commission on the applicant’s stance.

“Following a decision by a commission to reject an affordable housing application or to approve an application with restrictions which have a substantial adverse impact on the viability or the degree of affordability of affordable units the applicant may, within the period for filing an appeal from such decisions, submit to the commission a proposed modification of its proposal responding to some or all of the objections or restrictions articulated by the commission, which shall be treated as an amendment to the original proposal,” said Coppola.

Coppola added that the statute also determines that the PZC must hold a public hearing on the modified site plans and has 65 days to decide its fate following the closure of that hearing.

The application from 13 Carlson Place was submitted to the PZC with the argument that its development could provide affordable units as means to boost East Haven’s affordable housing goals, while sitting in an ideal location with connecting bus routes to the downtown area.

The application received decidedly negative feedback from members of the PZC and residents who live in the area of the proposed development site, both of whom cited multiple concerns in the areas of public safety, traffic, and density. The PZC also accused the applicant of being greedy in its pursuit.

In a letter to the PZC, the East Haven Fire Department cited the uncertainty of easy access to the development by one of its apparatuses should an emergency occur, strengthening the ultimate decision to reject the application.

In preparation of the Aug. 28 public hearing, the PZC agreed to engage with a consulting planner from Planimetrics. This was based on advice from Coppola, who said it “would be beneficial to do that given the change in the concept” of the proposal with its inflation in density.

PZC member John Tarducci agreed with reigning in more support due to a greatly modified site plan, stating that if “we can engage our building department, our fire department, our police department, or whatever internal resources we have to review the plan now,” that it would be beneficial for the PZC going into the Aug. 28 public hearing.