Hill-Museum Artist Housing Approved

A Hill illustrator and museum owner is moving ahead with plans to attract more creative talent to West Street, after winning a first slate of approvals needed for turning part of his property into artist apartments.

Gregory ​“Krikko” Obbott — known for creating large-scale, pencil-drawn cityscapes — received that requested zoning relief during Tuesday’s latest meeting of the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) in his bid to convert a warehouse next to his personal museum at 210 West St. into housing for local artists.

The BZA voted unanimously in favor of granting Obbott ​“a variance to allow an existing accessory structure located within the required yards to be converted into two residential dwelling units” at that Hill property, per the meeting’s agenda.

Obbott said that, pending a separate go-ahead needed from the City Plan Commission, he intends to rehab a smaller structure located immediately adjacent to the Hill Museum, where his personal works are displayed. He said the small warehouse-like building at 212 West St. will be converted into two apartments with two bedrooms each, which he will put aside for local artists in need of low-income rentals. He did not specify exactly how much he intends to charge for the apartments.

After Tuesday’s meeting, Obbott told the Independent that he plans to rent the spaces to ​“artists who are already working with us, have been working with me for years and they need a place to stay.” In his zoning-relief application, Obbott wrote that the ​“museum is in dire need of housing for visiting/ resident artists.” 

“We’ve been wanting to do this for years,” he said, reflecting on ​“the beautiful pillars” in front of the warehouse which he said has been ​“abandoned” for years. 

If all goes well, Obbott added that he would eventually like to construct additional floors on top of the warehouse to create up to four apartments. ​“We don’t want to price people out,” he said of his basic aim in making space for artists in the neighborhood. ​“We want to keep things affordable. There’s a lot of demand for housing.” 

Obbott said that in the more immediate future he imagines building a courtyard on West Street, and that he has already purchased plenty of parking spaces in the area that would serve potential residents, including a lot right across the road at 215 West St.

Plenty of audience members spoke up Tuesday night to support Obbott’s undertaking as he addressed the BZA.

“Having a place where we can house artists that come and serve in our local community would be a plus,” Hill Alder Evelyn Rodgriguez said. ​“I would strongly support this on behalf of the neighborhood.”

Hill resident Leslie Radcliffe, who also chairs the City Plan Commission, pitched in as a member of the public, describing the Hill Museum as ​“one of the many wonders of the Hill — the work that Mr. Krikko has done in that building is just astonishing.”

She complimented the fact that Obbott’s museum serves not just as an art gallery, but a public meeting and gathering space for the community. ​“To be able to say we have resident artists in the Hill being housed right next to the Krikko arts museum is just going to make the Hill a much more attractive place for people to visit,” she said. And ​“if you have not been to the museum to see what he does with his hands, you have to go see,” Radcliffe urged.

Local attorney Ben Trachten, also speaking as a member of the public, described Obbott as ​“an extraordinary man and extraordinary architect. What he brings to the community cannot be replaced.” 

Trachten then pointed to his office wall behind his desk to reveal two prints of Obbott’s pencil drawings, including an intricate illustration of Manhattan. ​“He is truly a treasure to New Haven,” Trachten said. 

The commissioners barely paused to discuss or debate Obbott’s proposal before unanimously voting in favor of his application.

BZA Chair Mildred Melendez stated that ​“we don’t always have these kinds of stories, when somebody wants to give back — and this is definitely a give back.”