Fairfield Granted Motion To Appeal Court Decision On 63-Unit Complex

FAIRFIELD, CT — The legal wrangling continues over a proposed 63-unit residential development in downtown Fairfield.

In a ruling on Tuesday, the town was granted its request for certification from the Appellate Court to be allowed to appeal a court ruling that the proposed project could move forward.

The Town Plan and Zoning Commission had denied the application from 15 Unquowa Road, LLC in 2022 to build a multi-story building next to the Fairfield Train Station, which would hold a mix of 63 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments.

Two years later, a Hartford judge overruled the TP&Z and said the project could move forward under the 8-30g affordable housing statute, the Connecticut Post reported.

The proposed development was widely opposed by residents and town officials, largely due to its size in the downtown area.

Attorneys for Fairfield argue that the court erred in allowing the project to move forward, in part because it used old sewer use information from a previous, smaller development that the town does not think is adequate for the project.

Additionally, the town claims the court imposed new conditions on the project, but did not give the Town Plan and Zoning Commission the opportunity to review the potential impact of those changes.

The town's planners had denied the application due in large part to the potentially negative environmental impact on the area.

Click here to read the town's petition for certification of appeal.