MONROE, CT — A developer is proposing an amendment to town zoning regulations to allow mixed-use developments with multifamily residential housing units above businesses on lots of one acre or more within the Main Street Development District (MDD).
Currently housing in the MDD, which includes the town’s major thoroughfares of routes 25, 111 and 34, only allows multifamily developments on parcels of 15 acres of more.
But since the zoning tool was adopted only three years ago, some commissioners want to tap the brakes on any more changes to the new district, so the impact of the MDD can be evaluated first.
During last Thursday’s hearing, Attorney Christopher Russo, who was hired by the applicant, Mitch DeEsso, a member of 715 Main St. LLC, discussed the proposal and the best way to implement it.
Russo said a developer could not build a commercial building and have residential units behind it.
“It does not allow those uses to be in separate buildings,” he said, adding housing would have to be above business uses in one or more buildings.
Russo said he believes allowing this type of mixed-use under an MDD would give the commission the most discretion over what it approves without setting a precedent requiring the town to allow it everywhere.
Planning and Zoning Administrator Kathleen Gallagher told commissioners the decision on the amendment is entirely up to them. However, she said her concern is that the MDD only says geographically where a Special Development District (SDD) can be applied.
“I would like to remove some references in the MDD,” she said. “The standards, in my opinion, should live in the SDD. If not, someone could say, ‘I’m in an MDD, so as of right I can do this.'”
The SDD gives the commission more control over the specifications of what is allowed in a district.
Some skepticism
Russo, who previously discussed the text amendment with commissioners at subcommittee meetings, said it seemed to him that this type of mixed-use development would be well-received by members.
“I think the mixed-use is something that could be very positive for the town,” Vice Chairman Bruno Maini said. “The issue I’m having with changing regulations at this moment, is we haven’t seen this come to town yet.”
Among the SDDs the commission approved is Pond View, a 196-unit luxury housing community at 127 Main St., which has yet to be built.
“I feel we need to see how the first couple go, and how it will affect the town,” Maini said. “I like the control, but I’m still leery of reducing it to one acre lots myself. We want to test the waters with 15 acres.”
Maini said he prefers not to change the 15 acre minimum at this time, but added he is only one of five commissioners.
Russo said a project on one acre would be much smaller with a better chance of getting off the ground, as well as being easier to manage.
“Again, Monroe has never done this,” Maini said. “We have a regulation, but nothing has been executed. I’m still skeptical about it.”
Commissioner Robert Westlund said allowing mixed-use residential on one acre could overwhelm buildings with residential uses.
“Monroe can turn into Trumbull and I think a lot of residents aren’t appreciative of what’s happening there,” Westlund said.
If the commission approves the zoning amendment, Westlund said there would be a big line of people with applications to put residential units above the ground floors of their buildings.
“Just because there’s a market demand, doesn’t mean we have to meet that demand in Monroe,” Westlund said, “and I don’t think it’s fair to the citizens who bought into what we have now.”
Russo said allowing it in an SDD, rather than changing the MDD, would allow the commission to decide where the mixed use is appropriate and where it is not.
The attorney said his team wants to revise the application and asked for a continuance of the hearing, so they can work with staff and “place this in the SDD”, so commissioners have more control over the location of mixed uses and can “hopefully feel comfortable” about being able to look at these on an application-by-application basis.
The commission tabled the application and a subcommittee meeting is scheduled for Aug. 1.
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Seems like traffic on 111 is very crowded now. What will it look like if housing is added above the stores? Will they extent the 4 lane traffic thru town? Pretty soon Monroe will look like Levittown LI where all the over development started.