Two Locations Proposed for Parkside Village

The question is — will the Parkside Village 1 affordable housing complex be rebuilt on South Montowese Street, or does the town want to swap the site of the former Branford Hills Elementary School. 

The question was posed Thursday night when the Branford Housing Authority invited the first selectman, members of the Representative Town Meeting (RTM), and Parkside tenants to a special meeting. The session was held in the community room of the Parkside Village complex, a public housing project for low-income seniors and people with disabilities.

“Should we be focusing on Branford Hills or should we be re-focusing on Montowese,” asked Dara Kovel, president of Beacon Communities LLC of Boston, the development team hired by the Housing Authority.

“I hope this will be a free and open discussion,” Doug Denes, chair of the Housing Authority, told about 20 officials and tenants gathered at the table.  Denes asked a few neighbors in the audience to listen and reserve their comments for future meetings.

Denes said the dilapidated and outdated buildings need to be replaced, and there is also a need for more affordable housing. “We have a waiting list of 50 people. There’s a serious need for this type of housing,” he said. The Housing Authority was established to oversee Parkside Village 1 and 2, and does not deal with any other housing complexes in town.

Kovel said both the Montowese site and Branford Hills have challenges for affordable housing— there is no public transportation and there are no sidewalks. She said federal funding guidelines suggest any new buildings should be open to people of all ages who need affordable housing, not only seniors and disabled people.

The three buildings that comprise Parkside Village I were built in the 1970’s, and are not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The buildings, which include 50 small units, are deteriorating, and there are no elevators. A second complex on adjacent property, Parkside 2, which has 40 units, was built in 1985, and has been updated with state grants.

Plans to replace the aging Parkside Village I complex at 115 S. Montowese St. have been ongoing for several years. A proposal by the Beacon development team last year was withdrawn shortly before the cut-off date to apply for federal funding in November. Neighbors objected to the plans during public hearings in September conducted by the Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission. Several people asked if an alternate site was available, and town staff listed several issues that needed to be addressed.

Denes said the Housing Authority has been busy since the P&Z hearings ended last year. “We’ve done a lot more work looking at other sites,” he said, adding they also discussed a variety of issues with First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove and Town Planner Harry Smith. So far Cosgrove has been non-committal about location.

Earlier this year, the Housing Authority issued a Request for Proposals to identify other property in town but only received one reply, which Kovel said was not a feasible option.  The Housing Authority then looked at the Branford Hills site at 68 Burban Road as a possible alternative and discussed it with Cosgrove.

The Branford Hills School, which was built in 1955, was demolished last year after it was determined that it would be too expensive to renovate the vacant structure.

The Housing Authority now wants to discuss the Branford Hills swap issue with the RTM,  because the legislative body has to approve any proposals concerning town-owned property. The Parkside property is owned by the Housing Authority, which is a separate entity and is not funded by local taxpayer money.

Kovel: “Sooner Rather Than Later”

Kovel said if town officials are not interested in swapping the sites, the Housing Authority can re-design Parkside 1 and build on Montowese Street.

“We need direction and we need it sooner rather than later,” Kovel said.

Cosgrove said when he was approached about sites, he felt the Housing Authority and the Beacon development team needed to do more public outreach and engage the community. He said he has talked with residents who are not aware of the issues. “There needs to be discussion that takes place in a public forum,” he said.

Kovel said there will be a lot more meetings, and they are also setting up a web site to explain the issues. “This is the very beginning of a lot of conversations,” she said.

Ingraham: “Not a Fast Process”

Ray Ingraham, the Republican Majority leader of the RTM, said it takes time for the 30-member RTM to make decisions. “It’s not a fast process,” he said, adding that it is a very public process. Ingraham oversees the Republican majority on the RTM. 

Ingraham and Dennis Flanigan, the RTM moderator, are two of the representatives of the 5th District where Parkside Village is located.

“We’re here to listen and do what’s right,” Flanigan said.

The project could be funded with federal funds. Beacon is experienced in securing funding through the federal low-income tax credits, which is administered by the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA).  Beacon would apply for federal tax credits and then sells those credits to big institutions to raise the equity needed to finance the project.

Kovel said they plan to apply for the November 2018 federal funding deadline, which means all approvals by the Inland Wetlands Commission and the P&Z would have to occur before that.

Flanigan said he has concerns about the availability of federal funding but said “Something needs to be done.”  He also said he wants to hear from neighbors in both locations.

Ingraham anticipates residents of each neighborhood will be interested in where the housing will be located. “There’s plenty of discussion that will happen with residents and constituents in both districts,” he said.

Kovel expressed concern about any location being determined by “who screams the loudest.” She said in her 25 years in the business, “I have yet to hear people say please build affordable housing next to me.”

Maryann Amore, a Democrat who represents the 4th RTM District where Branford Hills is located, said the question at this point is not about building designs, but whether there is support for a land swap. “Something has to be done, these buildings will fall down,” she said.

Ad Hoc Committee?

Flanigan and Ingraham said the RTM could form an ad hoc committee to hold meetings and present their findings to the full RTM.

Amore said if an ad hoc committee is formed, people should “come with an open mind.”  She said there is a tremendous need for new affordable housing.  “It has to go someplace.”

Cosgrove said they have to look at everything before a decision is made. “There needs to be a little bit more due diligence” by the Housing Authority before forming an RTM committee, he said.

Amore asked Cosgrove what he plans to do with whichever site isn’t used for housing, but he didn’t answer.

The Site Options and Issues

Architect David Golebiewski, president of TPA Design Group in New Haven, said the buildings could be placed on the Branford Hills property without disturbing the wooded area. ​“There really is great potential with the site,” he said.

The developers displayed preliminary drawings of how the Parkside buildings could fit on the Branford Hills property which is about 12 acres. The two sites on South Montowese Street have a combined area of about 10 acres.

One sketch (above) showed a 3‑story building with 75 units on the Branford Hills site to replace Parkside 1.

The other rendering showed two buildings (above)on the Branford Hills site that would replace both Parkside 1 and 2. One building would have 67 units and the other would have 53.

Kovel said if the Branford Hills property is not available, ​“there are alternatives” for designing the Montowese building that was proposed last year. She said they are working on preliminary plans to rotate the building so it will be less visible from the street. She also said they are talking with the fire marshal regarding his previous concerns about access to the proposed building.

However, Kovel said if there is no political interest in swapping Branford Hills, then it would be a waste of money to do more design work until a decision is reached.

Kovel later told the Eagle: ​“We will meet with Jamie Cosgrove and town staff as a follow-up, and ideally we present to the RTM in the very near future.”

Tenants Respond

Tacie Lowe, a member of the Housing Authority, said Thursday’s meeting was the first time tenants heard about the Branford Hills option. ​“It’s big news to the folks who live here,” Lowe said.

A few tenants expressed their feelings about remaining at the Montowese location. ​“I love living here. And I want to stay here,” said tenant Sue Searles. She said she particularly enjoys living near Foote Park.

“This is my home,” said tenant James Kavanaugh. 

When asked why tenants want the new building to be located at the Montowese site, Kavanaugh said, ​“location, location, location.” He said they like the neighborhood, they are relatively near the Community House where the new senior center will be located, and they can buy groceries at Caron’s Corner in the Town Center. However, he said transportation is a problem.

Kovel said tenants are concerned about moving to new location, and that’s one of the biggest drawbacks of using another site. ​“There’s a lot of attachment to the neighborhood,” she said.
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