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10/24/2023 11:51 AMA newly constructed affordable housing project on State Street had its formal opening earlier this month, and the non-profit company that funded and designed the project is seeking more opportunities of this type in town. The project consists of seven new eco-friendly houses in the development, complementing the two units built during the initial phase of construction, according to company officials.
The Great Hill Cottage Community was designed and constructed by the Green Planet Company, a non-profit development company focused on affordable housing. Its president, Chris Widmer, said that the project serves as proof that affordable development is a viable solution to an increasing problem along the Connecticut shoreline. The project broke ground in July 2022, and although the completion date ultimately stretched a few months beyond the original estimate and space and environmental concerns necessitated removing one unit from the plan, according to Widmer, the results are encouraging.
“There are seven houses back there, down from eight because it was a difficult development site. It has ledge and wetlands and other factors that come into play, but it’s really a gorgeous site. It has plenty of woods, and it is very secluded. It has some really beautiful site features like old trees and stonewalls and the pond,” said Widmer. “All of the units have been sold, so we are very excited about that. People have been very patient waiting for us to finish the project. We had hoped to have it finished by this past summer, but we are very near the point where we can get the certificate of occupancy.”
Widmer added, “We are always walking this fine line with keeping the units affordable but still trying to get it all done as quickly and as efficiently as possible.”
The entire complex consists of two deed-restricted homes on their own sites and the seven cottages centered around a portion of the small pond on the property.
“The concept of doing the cottage community is a really neat idea. There are three model types in the back of different sizes. That was part of the concept. We didn’t want cookie-cutter style. We wanted something that made the project unique,” said Widmer.
According to Widmer, each unit, which range from 1,300 to 1,700 square feet, features state-of-the-art sustainable technologies, including a net-zero energy-efficient thermal envelope, rainwater harvesting systems, and premium sustainable appliances. These innovations not only minimize the overall community’s carbon footprint, but can also drastically reduce utility costs for individual residents, said Widmer.
With the company being a non-profit, Widmer said that it is able to develop properties more easily than for-profit companies. According to Widmer, though for-profit developers can take on projects of this scope, their fiscal constraints make profitable development more difficult.
Widmer is a retired architect who started the company five years ago. He said that his goal with these types of projects is to bring affordable housing to an area that is in desperate need of this type of housing.
“We are really focused on home ownership. Homeownership has always been a key part of my existence, so developing this type of home is something I really wanted to do,” said Widmer. “It really just came down to the fact that we wanted to do something nice for the community. There is also a certain sense of curiosity, I guess, in terms of finding new ways to develop affordable housing.”
Widmer said his company is collaborating with the town for another possible development on Saw Mill Road. That site, which was purchased by the town for the specific purpose of affordable housing development, is an approximately 11-acre parcel located just north of the bridge over the West River. Town officials estimate that as many as six structures could be built in compliance with zoning regulations.
“Firstly, we would love to build more of these types of houses,” said Widmer. “With regard to Saw Mill Road, we haven’t been officially selected as the developer, so I really can’t say too much about that. But in the discussions with the town, we have several options on a concept for that site. As it stands, the town owns that piece of land, and the state has already expressed an interest in participating with some sort of subsidy for whoever does it to help develop more affordable housing on the site. Our interest would be to develop more of these cottages on that property.”
According to Widmer, he envisions his company as a template for how affordable and environmentally focused development can work.
“This project embodies our vision of harmonizing community living with nature, without compromising affordability. We are committed to replicating the success of the Great Hill Cottage Community and aim to expand our reach in solving the affordable housing crisis while promoting environmental stewardship locally,” said Widmer. “We are looking forward to doing more of these, especially now that we have a pattern. As a recovering architect, we are constantly looking at new layouts and designs. We would like to increase our three models to possibly five and see if these models work and where they can work. Our goal has always been to create better houses, not bigger houses.”
First Selectman Matt Hoey said he is excited about the opportunities that projects like Great Hill bring to potential Guilford residents.
“Affordable housing has been a priority of this administration. We are delighted to see this project come to fruition,” said Hoey. “This has been a wonderful experience that has created a number of affordable home ownership possibilities. I have had the opportunity to view the homes inside and out, and they are absolutely well done. They are much more spacious and open than you would think for a 1,500-square-foot home. Chris and his team have really done a terrific job.”
Hoey said he is eager to get the Saw Mill Road project out to bid. According to Hoey, though it has not gone out to bid as of yet, he is collaborating with Widmer and Green Planet to avail the town to potential construction and funding concepts.
“We are hoping to replicate something like that on the Saw Mill property. Chris provided a great example of what can be done. We have applied for CBDG [Community Development Block Grant, a state-monitored program] for predevelopment work, which we would then anticipate giving to a developer after going out to RFP [Request for Proposal],” Hoey said. “The hope is that we can replicate Great Hill somewhere else in town to provide even more home ownership possibilities. We are trying to get smarter about how we frame our plans, so we are trying to learn from what Chris did and how best to go about this and secure a developer in an open bid process. He has a wealth of knowledge.”