Branford is hoping to develop a comprehensive plan for commercial and residential areas near the soon-to-be-completed expansion of the Shoreline East Train Station.
Town Planner Jose Giner submitted an application Friday for a $200,000 state grant to conduct a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) study of the area. The grants are administered by the state’s Office of Planning and Management. (OPM). Decisions about the grants are expected to be made in December. The study area would include neighborhoods such as Meadow Street, Montowese Street, the Fourth Ward, and the Branford Landing Marina.
“We’re planning a comprehensive study of that area,” Giner told the Eagle. “It’s an opportunity to maximize all the investments in the area and coordinate plans for that whole corridor.”
The Representative Town Meeting unanimously and with bi-partisan support approved the grant application at its meeting Wednesday night.
Giner, who will spearhead the study, said properties near the train station are already attracting developers, and this is an opportunity to look at future economic development and “help shape what might be coming.”
Giner said ridership on the Shoreline East is expected to increase when the new Northside platform and the passenger walkway are complete. The project, which is slated for completion in the spring, will enable additional commuter trains in both directions. Click here to read about that project.
“There’s a lot of public investment and private investment in that area,” he said.
Plans have been approved for additional upscale condominium units at the Anchor Reef development across the street from the station. The Stony Creek Brewery, which is being built near Anchor Reef along the Branford River, will be complete this winter. Click here to read about that. And a master plan was recently submitted for the proposed Atlantic Wharf project on Meadow Street which includes 205 apartments plus retail and restaurants.
Giner said the TOD study will be pro-active instead of reactive. “This will help us get a better focus on the area … to look at things in a more holistic way instead of just reacting to applications and proposals.”
Public workshops will be held throughout the study time frame, which is anticipated to take about a year after a grant is approved. Meetings with be held with residents, business owners, and the town’s boards and commissions.
Focus of the Study
The report will focus on economic development issues, specific infrastructure projects, zoning changes and design guidelines.
Giner talked about the importance of linking the Town Center with the train station by expanding public transit connections and by improving access for walkers and bicyclists. He said another project could be the addition of signs to direct walkers to areas of interest.
One important piece of the puzzle is the lower portion of Meadow Street, which is a direct link to the train station. “It floods on a regular basis,” Giner said.
File Photo
Meadow Street near Eel Pot restaurant
In his grant proposal, Giner said property owners in the flood-prone section are reluctant to redevelop or upgrade their businesses because of costs involved in complying with FEMA flood-proofing requirements. That section of Meadow Street will also be included in the town’s new Coastal Resiliency Study. The flooding typically occurs in the low-lying section of Meadow Street where the elevation is about 4 feet, according to the town’s maps. The road near the proposed Atlantic Wharf complex has an elevation of about 16 feet.
Giner said they will also do a zoning analysis and look at possible changes for the Meadow Street area, which is zoned industrial. “The industrial days are long gone,” he said.
The study may also look at undeveloped portions of the Anchor Reef Planned Development District, which originally included plans for a hotel and commercial space before developers changed the focus to residential.
When the TOD study is complete, a draft report of recommendations will be made, and additional public workshops will be held before a final draft is completed.
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