Massive Housing Project Pitched In Farmington

FARMINGTON, CT — Long-approved plans to build senior housing in Farmington have lapsed, with developers now eyeing the site for a massive residential housing development.

Those developers went before the Farmington Plan and Zoning Commission on June 23 for what was called an "informal review."

This is when developers unveil their ideas before the PZC to garner input on what is needed, what concerns there may be, and how the developers should proceed.

Representatives of Waterside Ten/Plant 17 LLC/Crown Properties were before the local zoning board to go over just what they want to do at the site, which is at 3 Bridgewater Road and 1179 Farmington Ave. — also known as Route 4.

No formal applications have been submitted to the town, and no formal action took place on June 23 by the PZC.

Attorney Robert Reeve, who was representing the developers, said the area was subject to a prior application to build 32 units of senior housing back in 2017.

But the approval, Reeve said, has since lapsed with no construction taking place.

In addition, he said, market demand has diminished for such housing in Farmington.

What is in demand, however, is traditional, family/individual housing stocks, which is what the development team is pitching to build as part of an expanded development at the site.

"Crown has contracts to purchase a total of about 65 acres," Reeve said of the site.

Tom Daly, an engineer with SLR International Corp., a national, Washington-based firm with an office in Cheshire, represented the developers regarding this portion of the presentation.

According to Daly, there are three components to the plan: 30 units of owner-occupied townhouses; five, three-story apartment buildings with a total of 196 rental units; and 73 "luxury" single-family homes.

Overall, the massive housing development would be called the "Enclave at The Farmington River," named so because the sites also abut the river.

The project would require a zone change as well as an update to the town's plan of conservation and development.

The 65 acres, according to Reeve, are zoned as senior-active adult housing, meaning a new zone for the more traditional housing route is necessary.

PZC members discussed various technical aspects regarding the idea, ultimately expressing concerns about the multiple impacts the development would have on the town.

Among them, the PZC said, were traffic, housing density, and impacts on local schools/services from so many additional children coming into the school system.

Ultimately, the PZC told the development team, various studies will be necessary in addition to the necessary zone change and permit applications.

In addition, the PZC told developers, the project should also include a component of affordable housing within any future applications, as that type of housing is seen as being much in demand locally and statewide.

No timeline has been finalized regarding the project, and applications for necessary land-use approvals have yet to be submitted.

For the minutes of the June 23 Farmington Plan and Zoning Commission meeting, click on this link.