“Metro 301” Advances

The developer transforming the former Salvation Army properties on George and Crown streets picked up a key approval — not just for his project, but for the idea that housing plays a central role in the emerging new downtown.

The approval came from the City Plan Commission. Commissioners voted unanimously at their regular meeting Wednesday night to grant relief to Robert Smith of Metro Properties for his plan to build 78 apartments in five new buildings plus ​“mews” where the Salvation Army used to run a retail store and rehabilitation center.

In doing so, the commissioners agreed that big downtown projects can have housing, taller and denser housing, and only housing, in areas traditionally zoned to emphasize commerce. No members of the public spoke against the proposal at Wednesday night’s meeting.

Smith’s project, called ​“Metro 301,” is one of a slew of recently built or proposed developments bringing thousands of new market-rate apartments downtown. It would remake a stretch of abandoned downtown buildings used most recently as a squatter’s den, where police found the dismembered torso this summer. Like some other similar projects, Metro 301 requires permission to waive rules that required commercial use or smaller or more spread-out buildings.

Smith submitted his proposed plan for the 37,750 square-foot, .86-acre project, which starts mid-block on Crown Street and flows down to George between College and High, last month. With the City Plan approval, Smith’s proposal now goes to the Board of Zoning Appeals, which will decide whether he can get a special exception for a planned development unit, or PDU, in a central business (BD) district. The special exception will allow him to build taller and denser than what is allowed under current zoning rules. (Read more about the details here.)

Smith has won the support of fellow developer Carter Winstanley, the chair of the Preservation Committee of the New Haven Preservation Trust and city Zoning Deputy Director Tom Talbot, known for careful and detailed independent staff reports for City Plan and zoning commissioners. (Read more about their endorsements of the project here.) And now Smith has the support of the City Plan Commission.

Guidepost For Future?

Talbot (pictured) pointed out to the commission Wednesday night that his report recommending approval for Metro 301 was more positive than he would normally present, given the standard that the proposed plan has to meet to justify the PDU, and how Smith proposed to meet those standards.

“Some of that is reflective of the zoning ordinance,” he said. ​“The wording is such that it indicates, if the city is going to be granting this kind of relief, the city should be getting something above average in return.”

Talbot said the developers could not build a residential project that would have been in keeping with what is already in the area without the relief.

“The way the regulations work in the central business district, it doesn’t allow for residential use in the same manner as it does for non-residential use,” he said. ​“So essentially, most of what they’re asking for is just relief that will allow them to construct a building that is in character with the rest of what’s out there, which would otherwise be difficult because it’s all residential. It’s not relief that’s allowing them to build something that’s out of scale, or character with what’s in the general area.”

In his staff report, Tablot called the proposal ​“an exceptional example of how urban space can be developed in such a manner as to not merely incorporate structural elements of the past, present and future in a development proposal, but to do so in a way that created a space that is functional, attractive and which significantly realizes the possibilities of the urban residential experience. … The manner in which the project is not only respectful of existing structures but which goes to considerable effort to maintain a public view of the structures should also be noted. It’s open space plan (and the system of pedestrian circulation to which it closely relates) are exceptional both in terms of size and quality and proof of the idea that appreciable levels of open space are possible even with projects of fairly dense development.”

If the developers were to attempt to build a residential project without the relief, Talbot said Wednesday night, ​“it would be totally out of context. This reinforces context and creates context in this area. Without the relief, a residential project would do just the opposite.”

Pocket Park Trumps Parking

Project architect Sam Gardner (pictured with Commissioner Adam Marchand) said that the proposed design seeks to adhere to that context. He pointed to the scale of the larger building toward George Street, which has a mid-century modern style and is in keeping with other nearby developments. He said the same is true for the proposed Crown Street side of the development.

Smith said he and his team have taken care to consider a number of details including a decision to not have a retail space on the first floor of any of the buildings, and tucking away one level of parking underground.

“I’d like you to know that we do meet the parking standards,” he told commissioners. ​“We do meet the open space standards which is tough. It’s 250 square feet per unit, and we really meet all of the PDU standards that are set out in the regulations.”

Smith said his team considered retail but it would have eliminated a proposed ​“pocket park” that will be part of the development, and require more above ground parking. That would have blocked the view of the historic chapel that he is restoring as part of the project.

Talbot said there are people who might take exception to the decision to not put retail space in one of the buildings, but in his opinion it was the right call. ​“I think to expect commercial use everywhere, and this is just my opinion, in a central business district is somewhat unrealistic.”

If the BZA approves the zoning relief, the project will be able to move into the site plan approval phase, which will mean another trip back to the City Plan Commission.