Saddle Ridge proponent D'Addario ignores 800 concerned petitioner signers in "Watershed moment"

Petition · Stop Encroaching Developers: Save Our Water Supply - Easton, United States · Change.org

This week, Nick D'addario said he still strongly supports the 3 acre zoning busting Saddle Ridge cluster home development that was officially applied for this Thursday by EG Homes.

The developer, EG Homes, openly states they can't make enough money building the 21 allowed 3 acre houses as normal -- so they want to build 26 cluster houses instead to increase profits.

In an arrogant, contrived and "tone deaf" recent statement (See the cringe-worthy and totally staged "Ask me anything" video Nick D'Addario put out this week, Nick stands by his 2023 vote for section 5900 while on Planning and Zoning without any regard to the 800 bipartisan petition signers.

Read about and please sign the non-partisan petition to stop Nick D'Addario's cluster housing development.

Saddle Ridge cluster homes are a:

"A watershed moment" for Easton!

Stop Encroaching Developers: Save Our Water Supply

Fairfield county residents have celebrated Easton for its rich forests, small town feel, and vibrant farm culture. For years Easton has successfully resisted the over-development that has plagued the rest of Fairfield County. Easton has remained rural for a good reason: it is a critical watershed, whose reservoir system supplies drinking water to more than 600,000 individuals in Fairfield County. In fact, Easton has the distinction of being one of only 14 towns in Connecticut that consists of more than 70% classified AA public water supply watershed.

The quality of Easton’s water supply and its cherished rural character are now at risk, thanks to poor decision making and leadership at the town’s Planning & Zoning Commission. In 2019, unbeknownst to the public, Planning and Zoning pushed through a poorly researched “Conservation Development” regulation that fails to take into account the sensitivities of the AA Watershed. Conservation developments can be a powerful way to protect watersheds. As you will read below, however, Planning and Zoning hastily implemented a regulation that does not allow for true conservation cluster housing, nor take into account the lack of municipal waste and water systems. This negligent oversight will have a detrimental effect on Fairfield County’s water security.

Thanks to Nick D'Addario and his supporters like John Foley and the now disgraced real estate developer Ray Martin (google him), the "pro development" Easton Planning and Zoning Commission is now on the verge of permitting their first “Conservation Development” after they passed section 5900 in 2019 and 2023 which shockingly broke the 3 acre watershed zoning in place since 1941.

In November of 2024, Planning and Zoning staff gave pre-approval for developer EG Homes to build 26 luxury houses on 0.96-to-2.33 acre lots on Saddle Ridge, 897 Sport Hill Road. Planning and Zoning seems to have suggested to the developer that 5 or 6 more lots than should be legally permissible due to the well-established limitations of this property, which is located in Zone B of the town. In order to protect the water supply, three-acre zoning has been strictly enforced in Zone B.

If EG Homes is permitted to implement its proposed plan, not only will the nearly 1,000 species of flora and fauna that flourish on the 110.5 acres of Saddle Ridge be uprooted, but there will be an irreversible impact on our water. Likewise, this will set a precedent for other developers to encroach on all parcels in Zone B, large and small. This will further threaten Fairfield County residents' right to uncontaminated water.

Update from 5/31/25: Abutting neighbors met with the developer on the evening of Thursday, 5/29. Matt Gilchrist, president EG Homes, stated his intentions of trying to work collaboratively with these neighbors and was open to hearing their abundant concerns regarding the development, many of which pertained to well water security, the consequence of blasting, traffic safety, disruption to the ecosystem, septic density, stormwater runoff, and protection of the AA watershed.

The developer has conducted soil testing for both 3-acre and "conservation development" zoning to try and prove that 26 lots is permissible. As confirmed by EG, this will only be possible if the significant rock formations at the southern edge of the property are blasted. The 2009 Planning and Zoning approval for 21 single-family homes on 3-acres prohibited any blasting or quarrying of this series of rocky knolls as they play a significant role in protecting stormwater runoff.

Gilchrist stated that the homes will be 4 to 5 bedrooms with 2 to 3-car garages, and will be listed for approximately $1,200,000 to $1,400,000. The developer must still procure formal approval from Planning and Zoning, a CT DEEP Stormwater permit, as well as approval from Easton's Conservation and Inland Wetlands Conservation Commission. Additionally, it was noted that the property is still a pending transaction and a 3rd party can still purchase the land for preservation.

Update from 9/12/25: This petition has no political party affiliation. Sign the petition here

Petition · Stop Encroaching Developers: Save Our Water Supply - Easton, United States · Change.org