Camillo, Residents Testify in opposition to Cos Cob 8-30g; Civil Rights Legal professional Reminds P&Z of “Duties to create reasonably priced housing alternatives”

By Last updated Jan 10, 2021

On Tuesday, the Greenwich Planning & Zoning Commission at Cos Cob at 4 Orchard Street (in the R7 zone), which currently has a florist, greenhouse and apartment, responded somewhat positively to an 8-30g affordable housing application.

The applicant is Joe Pecora. His attorney is Bruce Cohen who said the proposal is a 15-unit development with a modular build, with 5 units under 8-30g considered affordable.

View of the orchard from East Putnam Ave. Cos Cob School on the left.

Mr Cohen said just because the flower shop business has declined in recent years, the existing improper commercial use at the site has remained protected.

He said if the 8-30g project did not continue, a more successful company like McArdle’s, Sam Bridge or Ceci Brothers could operate there and generate significant traffic.

Cohen said his client, who made 8-30g developments at 180 and 303 Hamilton Avenue, plans to build and manage the units as rental properties.

P & Z’s chairwoman Margarita Alban said the complainant had done an excellent job finding that the proposed architecture was in keeping with the neighborhood. The site is convenient to bus routes and walking distance to retail stores.

Canning said the four traffic accidents in the past five years were all caused by pickup and drop off.

“It is the management of this school driveway that is the problem,” Alban said, adding that the southbound intersection was bad regardless of 4 Orchard’s development.

Alban agreed that the 15 unit proposal would generate less intensive traffic than full active commercial use.

“We have a problem with this intersection,” said Alban. “We have to try to fix this intersection independently of this application. The residents of this neighborhood are right. “

She said the DPW should be consulted about improving the crossing.

Canning said the way the parking lot was designed for development, with cars queuing to exit, could idle in the driveway and not block Orchard Street.

The rendering shows the proposed parking lots and buildings at 4 Orchard Street in Cos Cob.The Greenwich Florist is currently located at 4 Orchard Street in Cos Cob. The site includes an apartment, a greenhouse, a storage shed and a garage. Photo: Leslie YagerSketches of various heights of the planned development at 4 Orchard Street.Five years of accident data. Four accidents occurred in the parking lot of the Cos Cob School. None of these involved injuries or pedestrians.

A number of residents opposed the proposal, and there are about three dozen letters protesting the file objections, including one from a teacher who said the school board is already frequently offering affordable housing for city workers.

“There seems to be an abundance of untapped offers already based on the abundance of emails I am offering them,” wrote Jennifer Lozina, a teacher at Cos Cob School.

Another letter was from a CT State Trooper, Tom Ehret, a neighbor, who wrote, “I can tell you personally that I have seen near misses several times due to vehicle operators failing to comply with stop signs in Orchard and Valley. They also don’t stick to clearly marked pedestrian crossings. Again, adding a large housing estate in the immediate vicinity will have drastic negative effects. ”

First selectman Fred Camillo testified during a public comment that the city is trying its best to meet the state’s 10% affordable mandate, but he had environmental and public safety concerns with the proposal.

“There is growing frustration in the city from citizens who sometimes feel attacked with all of these requests,” he said. “Whether you’ve lived there all your life or bought a house, you see conditions change before your eyes. And 8-30 g is ultimately the vehicle with which the developer is driving these projects forward. “

Camillo said he wasn’t a paid advisor, but grew up on the street and familiar with Lee’s florist at 4 Orchard.

“I can tell you that there has never been intense vehicle traffic in this driveway that could be compared to a development of this size,” said Camillo.

“I grew up there and don’t have to go to any studies,” he said. “Every time you increase traffic at a very busy intersection, you have public safety concerns. They will also have vehicles idling there because they have no other place to go. They make a beautiful area that is burdened by traffic problems worse. No traffic advisor can tell me that if you put more units, more people, and more cars in there, you can hold a situation as good or better. “

Parents in the neighborhood have raised concerns about unintended consequences for children leaving and being taken to the Cos Cob School next door.

Ernest Gentile of 6 Orchard Street described the island at the inconvenient intersection of Orchard and East Putnam Ave as the Wild West.

“I almost saw the head in collisions there. I’m sitting on my porch and it’s like the fourth of July, ”he said. “It’s a party where people watch how they avoid accidents.”

He said he was also concerned about parking spaces with idle cars, which would add pollution to the kids in the back yard next door. He said a rhododendron is not enough as a screen against noise and pollution.

“Since they felled the trees, we’ve lost all protection from everything,” he said, adding that his children’s trampoline landed in his neighbor’s yard in the last storm.

“We are living on a prairie at this point,” added Gentile.

The last speaker during the public comment was Peter Haberlandt, the senior legal advisor with Open Communities Alliance based in Hartford.

According to their website, Open Communities Alliance is a civil rights organization that promotes access to opportunity through education, organization, advocacy, and partnerships.

Haberlandt called on the Commission to “take into account your legal obligations in relation to apartment buildings and affordable housing …”.

“I think 8-30g is part of it, and I think it’s understandable that it gets a lot of attention, but that’s really not the basis for what the city has to do,” said Haberlandt. “The Zoning Enabling Act expressly provides a duty to encourage the development of housing options, including apartment buildings, for all residents of the parish and planning region in which the parish is located.”

“It is imperative that the Commission proactively welcome housing opportunities for low and middle income households, not just those who already live or work in Greenwich, but households across the region.”

Peter Haberlandt, senior legal advisor at Open Communities Alliance

Haberlandt denied what he called the perception that Greenwich is being besieged by developers abusing 8-30g.

He said cities have a duty to be proactive with zoning and planning to encourage housing options for low and middle income families in the area.

“If a city is doing what it should be with its zoning and planning, 8-30g should really not be a problem,” he said. “In situations like this, cities shouldn’t be reactive or defensive towards developers.”

Second, he said that under the Appeal Act of the State of CT Appeals Act of 2019, Greenwich has a total of 25,631 housing units and only 33 housing units that fall below 8-30g, or 0.12% of the housing stock.

“We can approach affordability in a number of ways, and they don’t have to be 8 to 30 grams,” said Alban. “We see it as a very broad brush with several prongs. The housing authority makes part of it. And tonight we are also seeing these little proposals that blend in with the communities and we are working on regulations that will continue to promote them. “

She noted that the meeting’s agenda included two proposals for middle-income homes and two different proposals for 8 to 30 g (4 Orchard Street and 28 Hollow Wood Lane in Pemberwick.)

Alban found that 6.6% of the city’s population live below the poverty line.

“We haven’t even met the needs of our own people in our affordability,” she continued. “But we agree with you that it is a good idea to attract more people, especially families.”

Alban said Greenwich has a significant minority population, often low-income, who deserve housing. “We are looking for ways to do this,” she said.

“We are aware of our responsibility,” she added and invited Mr. Haberlandt to contribute to the Greenwich Affordable Housing Working Group.

Alban said it was understandable that residents were concerned about developments.

“We have to find the balance that increases the variety of our living spaces, and the residents feel that we are maintaining their quality of life.”

Margarita Alban, P&Z Chair

She also pointed out that the price of property in Greenwich makes the task challenging.

P & Z is holding a public workshop on the topic of Sec. 6-110 Housing Ordinance with Middle Income. (Click the link to go to the zoom .)

Existing and proposed statistics for 4 Orchard’s multi-family development were filed under the Connecticut 8-30g Act of Affordable Housing.