Understanding Cannondale

The new Cannondale development plan has been an inflammatory issue, with residents within 500 feet of the affected area opposing the act. The next meeting to discuss Cannondale will happen on  Monday, May 23.

While Gueron and his developers insist they have no plans to do anything other than restore the historic houses, without proper regulation from P&Z, those houses could be modified or even wiped out under the developer’s discretion. Cannondale residents are concerned that the property could be sold in the future to another contractor with no intentions of preserving the houses.

Here are some of the main facts and points of contention for consideration to better understand the new plan, which would establish town houses, renovate the historic homes, and attempt to revitalize Cannondale businesses.

By way of regulation change, Gueron is looking to adopt new zoning rules which would allow for a more extensive land use than seen in most Wilton areas. 

The new plan, which Cannondale owner Marc Gueron has applied for, calls for the establishment of a Cannondale Crossing District (CXD), which would, if passed, allow a maximum dwelling unit 3,000 square feet per townhouse, with a limit of 2.5 stories or 35 feet, according to an official report issued by the law firm Gregory and Adams on behalf of Gueron.  The new CXD would extend to the northern 2.95 acre parcel of land purchased by Gueron in 2007, the same parcel which will be used for development if the plan passes.

Cannondale consists of business and residential areas and is considered a Village District. The retail areas fall under General Business (GB) and Design Retail Business (DRB) regulations. Cannondale’s residential overlay falls under the Single Family Residential (officially known as R-2A) zone.

The plan calls for a total of 80 percent site coverage, the maximum allowed in any Wilton area. Site coverage is defined as “That portion of the total area of a lot covered by buildings, structures, parking, drives, pavement or impervious surface treatment,” according to Wilton’s Planning and Zoning Regulations. Essentially, this would mean that 20 percent of the affected part of Cannondale would be preserved if that whole 80 percent of land were used. 

In comparison, maximum site coverage for center residence apartment districts such as Wilton Crest and Village Walk, have a 65 percent site coverage. Regular townhouse districts, such as Lambert Commons and Village Court, have a 50 percent site coverage maximum. Normal single family homes, those generally found in your regular Wilton neighborhood, have only a 12 percent coverage max. 

While Gueron and his developers insist they have no plans to do anything other than restore the historic houses, without proper regulation from P&Z, those houses could be modified or even wiped out under the developer’s discretion. Cannondale residents are concerned that the property could be sold in the future to another contractor with no intentions of preserving the houses.

The plan calls for a third story over retail businesses which would be used “for apartment or office,” according to the report.  Retail businesses in Cannondale have been had , which is a sticking point for the revitalization efforts which the new plan has in mind.

Another point of debate is an increase in room number for bed and breakfasts. Gueron wants to build a 12-room bed and breakfast, but Wilton currently has a self-imposed rule of a five room limit on such places. If P&Z expands the limit to 12 rooms, it would set a precedent for other bed and breakfasts.

The plan asks for a per-acre unit density of seven, but the report said it would concede to five units per acre if requested by P&Z. Maximum density in town house districts and multi-family affordable housing is seven per acre, while center residence apartment districts have a max density of 10.

Updated information: earlier drafts of this article stated incorrectly the date for the upcoming P&Z meeting with Cannondale on the agenda. While the meeting occurred on April 25 as scheduled, Cannondale was taken off the agenda. The next P&Z meeting will take place on May 23.