New Haven Independent

Aldermen at Monday night’s monthly meeting voted 25-0, with one pass, in favor of a zoning change to make way for a mixed-use development by Boston developers Intercontinental Real Estate.

Praising the developers’ willingness to meet with a myriad of community groups, and the prospect of helping the city build a “diverse tax base,” aldermen approved the zoning change without contention. But some longed for a time when they had more influence over project specifics.

Voting Monday, aldermen knew Intercontinental, led by Will Smith (pictured above at left), had bought up nearly every parcel on the block between Howard, Legion, and Sylvan Avenues and Ward Street in the Hill. They knew he aimed to build some kind of multi-use development to complement the nearby Yale-New Haven Cancer Center, which is currently under construction.

To facilitate his new development, Smith asked for the whole block to be unified from three zones (RO, BA and RM-2) into BD-2, the business/medical zone that was created to pave the way for the cancer center. Aldermen approved the change, allowing the block, which historically held mostly small homes and businesses, to be developed with higher, denser buildings and more retail.

Exactly what will be built? Aldermen, and the public, still are not quite sure.

Sample plans developers displayed at public meetings have shown a parking garage wrapped by medical offices, a hotel, retail space and homes, but no details have been shared on what the specific final plan will be.

Intercontinental’s attorney, Jim Segaloff, said that’s because the developers needed zoning approval first before investing resources in the design process or entering into any agreement with potential tenants. For example, said Segaloff: A hotel might be interested in occupying the space, but no agreement would be made until a zoning change cleared the way.

A PDD Plea

East Rock Alderman Roland Lemar, vice-chair of the Legislation Committee, praised the project for expanding the medical district and the city’s tax base. He said developers had pledged to continue meeting with the various management teams and community groups affected by the plans.

But he and East Rock Alderman Ed Mattison bemoaned the “loss of an important tool” that would have let them view the project in more depth.

Before, when the city used the PDD (Planned Development District), developers had to present aldermen with detailed plans explaining exactly how the land would be used. Citizens took the city to court, charging the city was abusing its zoning powers through the PDD, wielding it in a selective, political way. The city ended up winning the case, but the state legislature passed a law specifically restricting how New Haven can use PDDs. As a result, the city stopped using them.

Mattison and Lemar took the opportunity Monday to call for a return to PDDs.

“Because the city abused the PDD in the past, the state legislature acted prematurely” in stripping away the PDD, a move that “limited our ability to determine what uses are included in a project approval,” said Lemar. Instead of examining specific uses - would a hotel go well here? - aldermen are left to “broadly approve a list of potential uses.”

Opponents say PDDs give the city too much power to control development.

The project will see future public hearings as during a site plan review process before the City Plan Commission. Due to a new zoning rule put in place with Intercontinental’s plan in mind, developers will also have to seek a special permit if they plan (as it seems they do) to build a parking garage of over 200 cars. That oversight, however, concerns only the parking garage, not the rest of the plan.

The fuzziness of the plans at this point was enough to prompt Hill Alderwoman Jackie James (pictured above at right), who lives near the development and represents that ward, to pass on the vote.

“I’m not supporting it until I know what it is,” said James of the development.

James also said she was “taken aback” that there is no community benefits agreement already in place at this time. She urged that one be negotiated CORD, a union-backed neighborhood organizing group.

Lena Largie of CORD said she was moving forward with “cautious optimism” after the group had initial talks with Intercontinental about crafting a community benefits agreement.

Segaloff said the developers will continue “talking to lots of people and lots of groups” (not just CORD) to “get some sense of what we might do to benefit the community.”

“We’re excited about all the support we’ve gotten,” said Segaloff, including unanimous approval by both City Plan and the aldermanic Legislation Committee. “Now that we’ve got the zoning change, we can start dealing with the project itself.”