Parkside to Miss Funding Deadline but Won’t Give Up

The developers of the proposed Parkside Village affordable housing project learned Thursday that public hearings won’t conclude until after the Nov. 1 funding deadline, but they don’t plan to give up.

Attorney Timothy Hollister (pictured), a partner at the Shipman & Goodwin law firm in Hartford, who represents the developers, asked that a special session be scheduled to continue the hearings this month, in hopes of making the $17 million in private funding deadline.

“It’s going to take more than one more hearing,” said Chuck Andres (pictured), who chairs the Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission. He reached that conclusion after 3 and 1/2 hours of testimony Thursday night, including comments from about two dozen people, with at least 12 more waiting to speak. About 150 people crowded into the Community Room at Fire Headquarters, with standing room only.

“It’s typical for major applications to have multiple public hearings, particularly where there’s opposition,” Andres said.

He said major projects require several hearings to allow time for the presentation, staff reports, questions from the commission, public comments, deliberation and drafting a resolution to vote on. “I just can’t see this happening in the next week,” Andres said.

In addition, Andres said this is an application under the state’s 8-30g affordable housing statute, which requires diligent consideration. If there were to be an appeal of the P&Z decision, the town has the burden of proof, not the applicant, to prove that the decision to deny the affordable housing application is necessary to protect a public interest. Specifics are required.

The hearing will resume Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. during the regular monthly meeting at Fire Headquarters.

After Thursday’s hearing,  Hollister told the Eagle they will not withdraw the application. “The funding deadline will slip by,” he said, but they will continue through the P&Z process. “I think we’ve given them an approvable application.”

Be Respectful

The proposed project has generated considerable opposition from neighbors, who have signed a petition and set up signs in the area around Parkside, which is located at 115 South Montowese St.

Andres cautioned people to be respectful during the hearings. ​“Please be courteous … We do not want booing or hissing or clapping,” he advised at the beginning of the meeting, and repeated several times during the session.

One Parkside resident at Thursday’s hearing told the neighbors: ​“I’m begging you, please try to be kind and polite and respectful to us.”

Affordable Housing Needs

“The new proposal reflects both resident needs and community concerns,” said Doug Denes (pictured), chair of Branford’s Housing Authority. He explained the reasons for the redevelopment project. “First, there’s a real documented need for additional lower cost housing in Branford. Second, our present facility is sub-standard in multiple ways.”

The three Parkside Village 1 buildings containing 50 small units were built in the 1970’s, and are not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. A second complex on adjacent property, Parkside 2, which has 40 units, was built in 1985, and has been updated with state grants. The buildings house low-income senior citizens and people with disabilities.

Plans to build new Parkside housing were stalled last year by neighbors’ concerns and design issues. The plans were withdrawn from P&Z consideration shortly before the November cut-off date to apply for federal funding.

Since that time, the developers have revised the plans after meeting with neighbors and town staff.

Denes said the applications could not be submitted to P&Z until several issues were resolved, including a property line adjustment with the town regarding the Sliney ball fields. That issue was approved by the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) in September.

Denes said under current state guidelines, the complex will be open to low-income people of all ages. “A general occupancy mix is consistent with state policy and will both maximize our funding eligibility and allow us greater flexibility in responding to future community needs,” he said.

Denes said the Housing Authority and the developer, Beacon Communities LLC of Boston, wanted to apply for federal low-income housing tax credits, which will be sold to investors, resulting in an anticipated $17 million in private funding. Now they will have to wait until November 2018 to apply for the funding program.

The developers are requesting a new zoning designation for the site, which would be called “Parkside Assisted Housing District.” The site is currently zoned Residential 3. 

Hollister said “8-30g in this context is a way to combine the land use rules with the affordability rules.”

“Harmonious” Design

Plans call for the building to have 67 units and 85 parking spaces on the 5-acre site. There would be 33 one-bedroom units and 34 two-bedroom units.

Architect Joseph Schiffer, of Newman Architects in New Haven, said the three-story building will be “a quiet and handsome presence in this neighborhood and will be harmonious with the residential nature of the surrounding community.”

Hollister said they are proposing two conditions of approval — the town must complete their plans to extend Melrose Avenue to improve safety at the Sliney ballfields, which could also provide rear access to Parkside. In addition, the actual conveyance of the property line adjustment at Sliney fields won’t occur until needed for the project.

The Public Speaks

Attorney John Parese (pictured), of the Parrett, Porto, Parese and Colwell law firm in Hamden, represents neighbors who oppose the project. He expressed concerns about insufficient parking and too much traffic. He also cited the town’s Coastal Resiliency Plan that said rising tides and severe coastal storms cause flooding along many streets, including South Montowese Street.

“The public safety concerns … are definitely present in the application,” Parese told the commissioners.

He said neighbors signed a protest petition that would require a super majority of 4 out of 5 votes by the P&Z Commission to approve the project, if there are enough eligible petitioners. He questioned Hollister’s claim that the state regulation doesn’t apply to 8-30g applications.

“For a host of reasons, Parkside … is not the place to gamble with the safety of Branford citizens,” he said.  “The cost in terms of dollars is not prudent, but the cost in terms of public safety is reckless,” Parese said.

Sue Searles (pictured), a senior citizen who resides at Parkside, said the units are small and do not meet regulations.

“But we survive,” Searles said. ​“That’s the key word; we are surviving in our units. But we need our new building and we really need your help, so please help us. And please, please, when we have these meetings, we really try, as people from Parkside, to be kind to you and listen to you,” she said to the neighbors. ​“So please, I’m begging you, please try to be kind and polite and respectful to us.”

Carolyn Sires (pictured), of 98 South Montowese St., one of the organizers of the neighborhood protest, said people have wrongly accused them of ​“spreading propaganda.” She said her ​“heart goes out to the residents who live in these units.” She said she wants ​“proof in writing” that the current residents will be allowed to live in the new building.

Sires said people want to know the anticipated number of residents and the potential impact on town services and the neighborhood.

“Has anybody thought about the people surrounding this environment? I haven’t heard anybody speaking about the residents who’ve lived here their whole life, who have chosen to live in Branford and have OK’d themselves to paying more in taxes so we could live away from where we don’t want to live. We’re going to be impacted by this,” Sires said.

Chris Collins (pictured) of 127 Highland Ave., said she supports the project because there is a need for affordable housing in Branford. She said the Housing Authority has worked ​“long and hard to provide housing for many folks at Parkside for decades.” 

Collins said the complex is failing and it’s time ​“to make it better, to make it a healthy and safe place to live in Branford.” She asked for support for the redevelopment project. ​“This is our problem and we have to fix it,” Collins said.

Damian Platosh (pictured), of 133 S. Montowese St., said he went door-to-door to speak to neighbors and he found ​“nearly unanimous opposition to this project…It’s in the wrong place and it’s the wrong time.”

Platosh cited concerns about traffic, density, safety, noise, lack of public transportation, and a negative impact on property values.

“We are unanimous in our love for this village but we are very concerned that this village is under siege and the changes that we’ll see are not for the better,” Platosh said.

Top RTM Leaders Urge Caution

Dennis Flanigan, a member of the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) from the 5th District, where Parkside is located, read a letter from Republican 5th district representatives — Flanigan, Ray Ingraham, John Leonard and Don Conklin. Flanigan is the moderator of the RTM; Ingraham is the majority leader and the chair of the town’s Republican Party. Leonard is an attorney and Conklin is a sports executive.

The letter said many neighbors oppose the project and the change from senior housing to low-income housing for all ages. The letter asked that the hearings be kept open until all the questions are answered. ​“We should not be rushed into something because of a threatening lawsuit or because an out-of-town company needs to make a profit,” the letter stated.

Joe Giordano (pictured), of 22 Garden St., said he is concerned about health and safety issues. ​“That used to be a dump,” he said in regard to the property when Parkside now stands. He said First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove’s grandfather, Dan Cosgrove and John Sliney, then the first selectman, dug it up to get fill for Sliney ballfields and then trucks dumped debris there.

“I’ve lived there all my life, so I know what’s there,” Giordano said, and another speaker agreed with allegations that dumping occurred on the property decades ago.

Jamie Cosgrove attended the hearing but neither he nor Town Attorney Bill Aniskovich spoke.

Town Officials Raise Issues

Town Planner Harry Smith gave highlights of the staff reports, including written comments from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

Carol Szymanski, of the DEEP, said in a letter that ​“while this site is within the coastal boundary, it is not a waterfront site and does not appear suitable for water-dependent uses. Therefore, we have no issues with a redevelopment of this multi-family site with another multi-family development.

Smith said an ​“outstanding issue” was expressed by Building director Anthony Cinicola who questioned whether there are sufficient parking spaces. Cinicola said an Occupancy Permit cannot be issued until parking matters are resolved.

Town Engineer Janice Plaziak is requesting a detailed phasing plan for how the work will occur while the residents remain in the current buildings. She said the stormwater management plan will reduce the current runoff from the site onto the ballfields. Plaziak said the town only has a concept plan for its Melrose Avenue expansion, and that design, cost estimates and town approvals are not yet in place.

Fire Marshal Shaun Heffernan (pictured) told the commissioners he continues to be concerned about fire truck access to the project. He also stated that the town’s proposed Melrose Avenue expansion hasn’t been designed by the town or approved. He also needs to see a phasing plan for construction.

Commissioner John Lust asked whether there is adequate parking. Hollister said it is ​“theoretically possible” to provide more parking, but he doesn’t think it will be needed.

Smith said he wants to look into parking standards for this size and type of building. Plans are currently proposing 85 spaces, while regulations call for 118 spaces.

Commissioner Marci Palluzzi asked if there is any data about the potential number of families and children and the impact on town services. Hollister said they will provide that.

Smith said a fiscal impact study is needed to determine the economic impact on schools, police and emergency services.

Commissioner Fred Russo (pictured), who is an alternate, offered his views about the project. ​“It was a wrong decision 40 years ago,” he said in regard to putting Parkside in the middle of a neighborhood. ​“We shouldn’t make the same mistake twice.”

Russo estimated the project would house 208 people, according to his calculations. He said that is ​“a significant number of people in a pretty small area.”

Hollister said the estimated number of 208 tenants is completely unrealistic, and that he will bring more accurate resident counts to the Nov. 2 hearing.

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