Greenwich Planning & Zoning commission discussed a pre-application from 21 Vista Drive LLC to merge of lots (51, 52 and 53) and remove all existing structures (main dwelling, tennis court, swimming pool, pavilion, ADU, employee dwelling unit) to make way for a large private home development on 5.914 acres at 0 and 21 Vista Drive.
The applicant proposes both an outdoor and indoor tennis courts, new primary dwelling house, two employee dwellings and an ADU.
The applicant, 21 Vista Drive LLC, several outbuildings, indoor tennis building, guest house, and staff residences on a peninsula in Greenwich Harbor. The proposal includes work along the coastline including removal of rip rap in order to install a sandy beach, which will require state DEEP approval.
The proposal requires a special permit due to the proposed overall building volume exceeding 150,000 cubic feet and the indoor tennis court exceeding 1200 sq ft.
The commission discussed landscaping and flood zone concerns, given the property straddles the AE-14 and VE-15 flood zones.
The property is at the end of a narrow road in in the Indian Harbor Association, private community, and neighbors shared concerns about accessing their property given so many trucks will come and go.
According to the assessor’s office, 21 Vista Drive sold from Robert and Suzanne Steinberg to 21 Vista Drive LLC on Oct 10, 2024 for $31,500,000. The field card shows a previous owner was Ivana Trump.
Back in 1982 Donald and Ivana Trump purchased the property for $4 million and sold in 1998 for $15 million.
The 19,000+ sq ft main house has 11 bedrooms, 18 bathrooms.
Attorney John Tesei representing the applicant, said given the fact that even though the lots are combined for close to 7 acres of land, once combined one is allowed one principle dwelling and all the other structures are accessory.
He said the replacement of the dock, addition of beaches, work on sea wall which holds a storm water drain will be addressed in the application to DEEP.
The commission asked about removal of rip rap to create sandy beaches. Tesei said the application package to DEEP was still in the works and he wasn’t sure if rip rap was proposed to be removed.
As for the flood zones, he said the AE-14 zone line is proposed to move and they are in process of filing a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR).
Commissioner Mary Jenkins asked about mitigating the loss of about 70 trees.
Tesei acknowledged it would be “the majority of trees,” but said that would be mitigated by new trees.
“The client does want to maintain a view line,” Tesei explained.
P&Z commission chair Margarita Alban noted the property is in the coastal overlay zone and the applicant would be required to comply with coastal buffer requirements.
“Since you’re removing the seawall and sending that to DEEP, you could send them what you’re doing for coastal buffer. That would get you mileage with them as well as us, for compliance with zoning regulations with that,” Alban said.
Commissioner Anne Noel Jones asked about proposed shifting of the mean high water line.
“There is a lot of manipulation on this site, obviously,” Jones said.
“The site has a lot of fill…which created the site, looking way back. That’s part and parcel of the history of the property, and there is a need to create good soil on the property,” Tesei said.
Commissioner Arn Welles asked if there was intention for new beaches to extend into Long Island Sound.
“We’ll need you to confirm those beaches, and whatever you’re doing there with fill is not expanding into Long Island Sound, which the owner does not own,” Mr. Welles said.
“I don’t know of any intention to go beyond the sea wall,” Tesei said.
Representing neighbors and the private association was Steve Walko, attorney with Mandelbaum Barrett. He commented on overall density, and both restrictions and views that will be significantly impeded for the neighborhood.
“First and foremost is this notion of artificially changing the flood zone,” Walko said.
“It begs the question, how do you obtain permission to develop a site by simply raising the grade and adding tremendous amounts of fill, just to avoid the requirements of limitations that those various zones have upon a property?” he asked.
Second, Walko said, “The amount of fill that is going to be needed, and the disruption to this peninsula, these streets, is simply outstanding, and I submit to you, is unprecedented.”
He said general calculations for the amount of fill could potentially be 1,000 dump trucks in, and 1,000 dump trucks out of the peninsula.
“The amount of overburdening of the neighborhood would be outstanding, and again, all simply to avoid the current configuration of the flood zones.”
Finally, Walko commented on green space the commission had brought up the previous day’s staff briefing, and noted restrictions from the private association would also apply.
“There are severe restrictions and decision rights by the association, including views and the like,” Walko said. “This is an entire neighborhood…The hope is that not only the commission is listening, that the applicant is listening, and that those are considered so as to not go down paths that simply are not tenable.”
Ms Alban said the issue of regrading and site manipulation will be important considerations.
“We’re also going to bring up the point of environmentally sensitive areas, which Conservation will talk to you about,” Alban said. “They are going to ask you for native (native and salt tolerant plantings). They’re going to ask you about existing habitat, protecting, fauna as well. Our take is people have aright to enjoy their property but we would like it to be as sustainable as possible.”
Adjacent neighbor Carolyn Weiner, who noted Tweed Island is attached to her property, not 21 Vista, as someone suggested, shared concern her family would be trapped in an emergency if access to and from her property was blocked by trucks.
“We need staging, construction phasing, analysis of regrade, cut and fill – and have those as separate calculations,” Alban told Mr. Tesei.
The application was only a discussion of the pre-application. If it goes forward the applicant would return to the commission as well as work with DEEP.
