The Westbrook Zoning Commission has unanimously approved an application that could pave the way for a housing, recreation, and retail development at the site of the current Westbrook Outlets.

Despite hearing testimony from a crowd mostly opposed to the application, the Zoning Commission unanimously approved an application filed by Lexington Partners, LLC, at a meeting on July 22. The application sought three changes to the zoning regulations. The first change is to increase the allowed building and hotel/motel height in the Turnpike Interchange Zone (TIC) to 60 feet or five stories from the current limit of 50 feet or four stories. The second change is for an expanded floor area ratio of 40% to accommodate the increased height. The third change is to bring regulations regarding parking space requirements in compliance with state regulations.

The developers explained that the requested changes are essential to allow for the density required for the large septic system needed for the proposed redevelopment of the outlets property which calls for a mix of housing, retail, recreation, and hotel space.

The Public Hearing

The Zoning Commission meeting on July 22 came on the heels of a well-attended public information session hosted by the developers on July 18. At the session, the developer explained the latest vision for the site.

The developers propose constructing 595 residential units and 100 townhomes with garages. The apartments would be a mix of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units.

Besides housing, the proposal includes amenity space, outdoor recreation fields, and an all-season waterfront feature that would be open to the public. The feature would allow for swimming and sunbathing in the warmer months and ice skating in the winter.

About 76,00 square feet of the development would be retail space. According to the developers, the proposed retail would be a mix of dining and entertainment with a focus on boutique stores as opposed to chain stores. When the preliminary plans were first announced in the winter, the proposal called for demolishing the movie theater. However, at the presentation on July 18, the developers said that they are now investigating ways to keep the theater.

Chris Reilly, president of Lexington Partners, said a large septic system would need to be built to accommodate the building. The application for such a plan has already been submitted to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

The application approved by the commission was technically just for changes to the zoning regulations. No formal applications have been filed with the town for the outlet property. However, since the changes to the zoning regulations were needed to pave the way for formal applications dealing specifically with the proposed outlet redevelopment plan, the zoning meeting on July 22 drew a large crowd.

Prior to the commission’s vote, a public hearing was held for residents to weigh in with their concerns or questions about the application. Even though the public hearing was only over the proposed changes to the zoning regulation, the majority of speakers both for and against the application instead spoke about the proposed plans for the outlets.

The majority of speakers voiced reservations over the proposed development and when one speaker asked that all those opposed to the project raise their hands, the overwhelming majority of people in the room did so.

During the public hearing, opponents to the move said they feared the proposal would allow for too many people, large buildings, and too high of a density that would change the small-town feel of Westbrook. Some speakers also questioned what the ecological impact of the project would be and what the effect would be on emergency management resources, while others said they were fearful that the developer would add more housing than what is proposed if retail stores wouldn’t commit to the space.

One speaker suggested that the developers get septic approval from DEEP before requesting approvals from Westbrook lands boards. Edward Cassella, an attorney for the applicant, explained that DEEP would not grant approval before local boards weigh in.

Robert Passoni received the loudest applause of the evening when he told the commission he felt the proposal would “destroy our town” and that all residents should have a chance to vote on it. “The people don’t want this. Period.”

Despite the majority of attendees saying they were against the application, some were in favor of it. Speakers in favor of the application praised the developers’ previous work and noted that if approved, the application would allow for the outlet’s property to be redeveloped to deliver much-needed housing to the area.

Jim Crawford, the chairman of the Westbrook Economic Development Commission, spoke of Westbrook’s aging community and the need to offer housing suitable for younger people.

“A town with a median age of 55 is not a thriving community,” Crawford said.

Crawford also pushed back on some of the notions raised by opponents of the plan, particularly people who said that the proposal would change Westbrook into a city. “Whether it adds 1,200 people, 1,300 people, or 2,000 people, we’re still under 9,000 total people. We’re not becoming a gigantic town,” Crawford said.

Next Steps

Cassella said that with the zoning regulation approved the next step for the developers would be to file an application that needs to come before the Inland Wetlands Commission for a review. After that, the developers would need to file a special exception with the Zoning Commission, at which point there will need to be finalized master plans for the redevelopment. Should the Westbrook boards approve the applications, the developers would then need to wait for final approval from DEEP for the septic plans. The developers anticipated that process to be done by the second quarter of 2025.

It is likely that the Inland Wetlands and Zoning Commission applications will also require public hearings for residents to continue to voice their opinions on the proposed plans.