4 New 2‑Family Houses Planned For Hazel St.

Eight potential homes and four more homeowners could be coming to Hazel Street — if a local nonprofit gets zoning relief to build denser-than-usual housing at a discount for buyers.

Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven (NHS) pitched that plan to construct four new two-family houses across 88, 94 and 98 Hazel St. in Newhallville during the latest monthly meeting of the the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) Wednesday night. The meeting took place online via Zoom.

In order to sell those homes at below market rate, the longtime local affordable homeownership nonprofit said it will require four variances and a special exception from the board allowing for smaller lot widths and area as well as shorter side yard setbacks and parking relief. 

In particular, the developers asked for ​“variances to permit a lot area of 3,049 square feet where 4,000 square feet is required, a lot width of 38 feet where 50 is required, a lot area per dwelling unit of 1,524 square feet where 2,000 square feet is required, a side yard setback of 0 feet and 13 feet where at least 8 feet would be required on one side, and a special exception to allow for 4 off-street parking spaces where 8 are required to allow for the creation of 8 dwelling units.” 

“Currently, three adjacent lots that could be used to house and build wealth for several low-income families sit vacant,” the zoning-relief application from NHS reads. ​“With variances, the properties could be transformed into multi-family dwelling units within walking distance of pedestrian access ways, downtown, employment opportunities and public transit.”

The zoning-relief request now goes before the City Plan Commission for review before returning to the BZA for a final vote.

Jim Paley, the executive director of that 43-year-old nonprofit, said that the homes will be priced at around $100,000 under their market price. The organization has received $1 million from the state Department of Housing, which promised three nonprofits that same amount to create housing initiatives in partnership with the Yale schools of law, business and architecture. 

NHS is also waiting to formally secure additional funding from the city’s HOME program, the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, the affordable housing project of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, and the Community Investment Fund administered by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development. 

Bridgette Russell, the managing director of NHS’ homeownership program, later told the Independent that each home is expected to cost around $260,000 but valued at around $350,000. The homes will be sold first come, first serve to families making 80 percent or below of the Area Median Income specific to their family’s size. That currently translates to an annual income of around $91,750 for a family of four.

Paley said there likely will not be restrictions on the maximum income of potential renters inside the homes’ second unit, but said the majority of individuals living in the census tract which includes Hazel Street make around 38 to 49 percent of the Area Median Income. ​“The chances are renters will be considerably below 80 percent AMI,” he said. 

Two of the three lots intended for development are vacant while the third includes an empty house. The idea would be to tear down that home, merge the three lots and subdivide them into four properties. The Yale Urban Design Initiative has been hired to architect four, two-family homes across the space.

Elise Limon, a design fellow with Yale, said that NHS would work with buyers to make sure that each house is owner-occupied, but that the owners will be allowed to rent out one floor of the home ​“as an extra source of income, providing some more financial stability for them.” 

The homes will be built in pairs, such that two will share walls with the other two homes (pictured above) ​“in order to maximize distance between the neighbors and for the scale to appear smaller,” as Limon put it.

Newhallville neighbor Sandra Strong called in to the BZA meeting to express concern about the developers’ plan to provide fewer parking spaces than required by the zoning code. ​“If you’re building eight dwelling units, you’re probably going to need 16 parking spaces because most homeowners are going to be couples,” she said, not just four off-street spaces as requested. ​“It’s already an issue over here in the wintertime, when there’s street sweeping, if you’re trying to find a parking space.”

Others, such as land use attorney Ben Trachten and Newhallville community leader Jeanette Sykes, expressed support for the project. ​“This is a really smart reuse of three parcels into four, two-family houses,” Trachten said. ​“I support it fully.”