The Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) has approved a zoning change requested by the developer of the former Unilever property. The commission also received an updated master plan for the development that proposes increased housing, indoor sports, and a brewery/ restaurant.

On Dec. 12, the Commission approved an application from the owner of the former Unilever property that sought to change the zoning of two adjacent properties owned by the applicant.

The approval adds two properties located at 7 Central Ave. and 20 North High St. respectively to the Transit Oriented Development Overlay District (TODO). The properties are not the main Unilever building which is located at 1 John St.

The application was listed as filed by 10 North High Street LLC, R&R Clinton Ventures III LLC, 20 North High Street Associates LLC, and R&R Clinton Ventures IV LLC.

As defined in the town’s zoning regulations, “(t)the purpose of the Clinton Station TODO is to create a new, mixed-use, transit-friendly, walkable, concentrated development that adds both residential and commercial vitality to Clinton Center, connects to surrounding neighborhoods and historic areas, and leverages both the presence of the Clinton Train Station and the existing Unilever structures as focal points.” The zone can be applied only to properties of more than 10 acres that are located within a quarter mile of the train station.

The allowed uses in the zone include permitted uses are commercial, institutional, cultural, residential, municipal, indoor recreation, artisan, and light manufacturing. Mixed uses, including live-work units, are allowed both across the total site development plan and within individual buildings.

The Plan

Developer Michael Massimino addressed the commission and explained not only the plan for the two new properties but the master plan for the development as a whole.

Massimino said that he plans to turn 7 Central Ave. into five townhomes. 20 North High St. would also be turned into townhomes with an additional access point to the development.

In the summer of 2019, Clinton residents were surprised with the news that the vacant Unilever headquarter building and surrounding lots had been purchased. Several of the lots were sold to Clinton Realty Associates, LLC, while others were sold to R&R Clinton Ventures, LLC, Clinton Ventures II, LLC, and Clinton Ventures III, LLC. Richard G. di Girolamo is listed as the principal of Clinton Ventures while Clinton Realty Associates lists Massimino as its principal.

Since then, while there has been tremendous excitement about the development of the property, progress has been a bit slow.

In early 2020, Massimino filed an application via 1 John Street Clinton, LLC, to build a 24,321-square-foot brewery and restaurant into a portion of the large former Unilever headquarters building on John Street. That application was withdrawn in March 2020. Massimino vowed he would resubmit the brewery application again but did not have a timeline.

The application for the brewery and restaurant application was pulled mostly due to a lack of a master plan for the entire building and concerns over the timeline needed for the state to review an application for historic building preservation.

At the meeting on Dec. 12, Massimino submitted a master plan for the development. According to the plan, the development will feature 155 apartments and 53 townhomes, an indoor sportsplex, and a restaurant and brewery if built to completion.

At 1 John St., Massimino is proposing using a portion of the building for 48 apartments, amenity space, an indoor sports facility, and a restaurant and brewery. Massimino said that he is in negotiations with a potential tenant for the indoor sports space. The tenant is interested in uses like a turn field, pickleball courts, a gym, and a golf simulator. Massimino said that there is no current tenant lined up for the brewery and restaurant.

In response to a question from Commission member Jay Mandel, Massimino said he would be looking into proposing some of the units as affordable housing when he comes back before the board with a site plan for that aspect of the project.

An internal road and sidewalk would be built to link the train station and apartment building with two new entrances and exits on North High Street. More townhomes would be built by these entrances.

Massimino said that the project has been divided up into different construction phases. Phase one is currently underway with the ongoing construction of 45 apartments at 9-15 John St. Massimino said he anticipates that project to be completed by the early spring of 2023.

Phase two will consist of the construction at the main headquarter building and 7 Central Ave. Phase three would consist of the construction of townhomes by 20 North High St., and phase four would include the construction of 24 townhomes on a road built to connect to North High Street. Massimino antedated that phase two would take 18 to 24 months to complete.

Phase three would begin in about three years Massimino said.

The Public

The hearing was attended by a handful of speakers who live on John Street, the one-way street that links the Route 81/High Street artery to the former Unilever site. Several speakers voiced concerns about increased traffic the development would bring to their quiet neighborhood. Speaker Taylor Boucher said, as a father of young kids, he was concerned that increased traffic would create a dangerous situation and said he would like to see the street turned into a dead end.

The idea of turning John Street into a dead end was something that was brought up two years ago. Speakers said that they were told that the town would need to wait for the development to be completed and a new traffic study was done before any changes could be made. Consultant planner John Guszkowski urged concerned citizens to direct their thoughts to the town traffic authority and Town Council rather than the PZC, which does not have the authority to make changes to the road.

Massimino said he would support the idea of a dead end on John Street as well.

The Unilever plant was a significant part of Clinton’s economy for more than 100 years, but Unilever closed the plant at the end of 2012. The site sat vacant over the course of nearly seven years and through a series of proposals for reuse that never came to fruition. In July 2019, the sale of the Unilever property to Massimino was a well-received surprise to Clinton residents.

Town officials have preached patience when it comes to the development of the building, cautioning it will take time to develop the whole property given its large size and the number of proposed uses on the site.