A proposed redevelopment at Putnam Green in Byram with a six-story building and 176 rental units received feedback from the Greenwich Planning & Zoning commission late Tuesday night. Today there are 66 units at Putnam Green.
News of the proposal broke in August, when Putnam Green Holdings LLC submitted a 8-30g affordable housing pre-application to redevelop properties at 7 and 9 Western Junior Highway.
Today, according to the Ct Secretary of the State’s website, the LLC is registered to Michelle, Christopher and Mark DeFeo.
The pre-application includes renderings:
The applicant was represented Tuesday night by attorney John Tesei who apologized for any confusion caused by the initial bifurcation of the application:
“Thirty percent (30%) of the units above the number allowed as-of-right will be restricted to comply with the Section 8-30g affordability provisions as a ‘set-aside development.”
He explained the applicant had pivoted to a strict 8-3og application and the application now applies the 30% requirement to all the 176 units, which would result in 53 affordable units.
The applicant plans to schedule a meeting with the affordable housing trust fund board.
“I think that will get materially reduced on account of two things. One is if we can make an arrangement with the trust board there will be a reduction in the number of stories and a meaningful reduction in the number of units, probably more in the ballpark of 120 or so,” Tesei said.
Tesei said engineer Tony D’Andrea had walked the property with Conservation director Beth Evans who also oversees the Wetlands agency.
The applicant must go before Wetlands and apply for a permit, given there is a pond and wetlands on the site.
“We’re not coming closer to the wetlands or the pond,” Tesei said, adding that 8-30g does not waive wetlands regulations.
Commissioner Nick Macri asked Mr. Tesei to be sure the traffic study factors in the recently approved Hamill rink project and 52 unit housing authority development, Vinci Gardens.
Mr. Macri asked where there would be green space for residents to enjoy the outdoors?
“This site is actually quite mature in trees,” Macri said. “It’s really nice because everything has grown up from when it was first approved, to really encompass the buildings that are there, and I think the buffer to the street is amazing.”
“To develop this site you really have to denude most of the site to get this to work right, Macri said.
Putnam Green is screened by mature trees and rock outcropping along West Putnam Ave. Sept 30, 2026 Photo: Leslie Yager
Putnam Green is screened by mature trees and rock outcropping along West Putnam Ave. Sept 30, 2026 Photo: Leslie Yager
Putnam Green is screened by mature trees and rock outcropping along West Putnam Ave. Sept 30, 2026 Photo: Leslie Yager
Ann Noel Jones described the development today as having a park like setting.
“Why does the western side of town deserve a 6-story, 176 unit building?” Macri asked.
“The clients brought the property with the idea of redeveloping it,” Tesei said. “It’s their decision of how they want to propose it.”
Tesei said back in 1976, he represented the original applicants when they received approval to develop Putnam Green.
“So far as Chickahoniny and Byram are concerned, I know there is an overall concern about the projects, but the way our zoning works is you tend to find larger parcels because of how the area originally was allowed to be developed in the GBO zone – and actually before the GBO zone, it was kind of like the wild west,” Tesei said.
“So you’re seeing these parcels get redeveloped and we’ve all seen that the vast majority of time they’re developed to a greater extent than they historically were.”
Mr. Macri asked if the existing buildings were profitable, noting that as-of-right, four stories and a .5 FAR are allowed, while 8-30g allows .62 FAR with six stories.
Putnam Green apartments. Sept 30, 2026 Photo: Leslie Yager
Putnam Green apartments. Sept 30, 2026 Photo: Leslie Yager
Putnam Green apartments. Sept 30, 2026 Photo: Leslie Yager
“If you did it as an as-of right, you could work into the neighborhood at four stories with a smaller FAR and have a lot more green space around the building to make the it more pleasant for the people who occupy it and pass by it every day,” Macri said.
Tesei said he believed the applicant would prefer to make an application for a 4-story building, and that he did not relish it going forward as a 6-story building.
“But that’s not the process that the trust fund follows. We have to come in with the larger building. We have to justify the economics of that building,” Tesei said. “Then compare that working with the trust fund to reduce the size of the building by about a third.”
“We have to bear the arrows of the neighborhood and hopefully we’ll work with the affordable trust fund and there will be a counter-approach to deal with the project,” Tesei said.
P&Z commission chair Margarita Alban said while she believed it had been unwitting, Mr. Tesei had proposed the building bigger on purpose so he could “magnanimously offer to reduce it.”
“I heard the same thing,” Macri said.
Tesei apologized for how he had phrased his comment. “I was trying to say we were have to take economics into consideration.”
He described his clients a experienced developers, not necessarily from Greenwich.
“I know what they paid for the property,” he said. “They wanted to propose a project there that makes economic sense to them, taking into consideration what they paid and what kind of income they can garner from the project on a rental basis. That’s where the six stories came from.”
In June 2025 the property sold for $20.7 million. Putnam Greens mix of units includes 28 studios and 38 one-bedroom apartments, 34 of which are two-story, duplex-style units.
Set Aside Vs Assisted Housing
Commissioner Mary Jenkins, who is a member of the affordable housing trust fund board, explained that a set-aside development under 8-30 has more rigorous, lower rents for affordable housing, and therefore a building has to be larger to include enough market rate units to make the building feasible, given the rents are deeply discounted.
“When it comes to getting a loan from the trust, or otherwise assisted housing, the rentals are more generous – still affordable, but more generous – so the number of market units necessary to make it economically viable is reduced. So the whole size of the building is reduced. You still have 30% affordables, but your rents are more generous so the number of market rate units can be reduced.”
Ms Jenkins said Tesei’s tone or vocabulary might have been unfortunate, but the trust requires the developer to show the two alternatives, “…so that we can determine that the reduction in the building or increase in the number of affordable units is economically appropriate.”
Family Area
Tesei cited a comment from Nick Macri at the staff briefing the previous day about the location being “a family area,” and said the client had eliminated proposed efficiency apartments from the mix, limiting them to one-, two- and three-bedroom units.
As for the sewers, he said the relevant sewer line goes under Holly Hill transfer station, and could handle the flows, but he had yet to receive feedback from Rich Feminella from the town Sewer Dept and that at 176 units, the sewer flows would roughly double.
He said the applicant had requested a will-serve letter from Aquarion, the water utility.
Public Comment
During public comment only one person spoke, likely due to the late hour.
The meeting started at 4:00pm and the Putnam Green discussion took place around 11:00pm.
Byram resident Lucy von Brachel said she was alarmed by the proposal.
“I’m concerned as I have been for all of the projects that have been approved in a 200 foot radius of this property. The impact is enormous, and we are already dealing …with thousands of units being built in Port Chester.”
New multi story residential apartment buildings in Port Chester. Sept 30, 2026 Photo: Leslie Yager
New multi story residential apartment buildings in Port Chester. Sept 30, 2026 Photo: Leslie Yager
New multi story residential apartment buildings in Port Chester. Sept 30, 2026 Photo: Leslie Yager
New multi story residential apartment buildings in Port Chester. Sept 30, 2026 Photo: Leslie Yager
New multi story residential apartment buildings in Port Chester. Sept 30, 2026 Photo: Leslie Yager
New multi story residential apartment buildings in Port Chester. Sept 30, 2026 Photo: Leslie Yager
“That idea of taking this land and making it look like a hotel, a big brick of a building, when…you can see the landscape and mature trees on the property. I’m overwhelmed by the pictures of it.”
BNA Opposition
Ms Alban said the commissioners had all read a letter from the Byram Neighborhood Association chair Liz Eckert raising concerns about size, density and cumulative impact on traffic and pedestrian safety, infrastructure, stormwater, flooding and the surrounding Byram community.
“The Board recognizes the need for housing, including affordable housing, but has significant concerns regarding the extraordinary size, density and scope of this proposal in a neighborhood already experiencing substantial traffic congestion, parking pressures, pedestrian-safety concerns, flooding and significant development activity,” Eckert’s letter said.
As for the cumulative impact on Byram, she wrote, “Residents do not experience traffic, sewer demand, stormwater runoff, parking demand, school traffic or pedestrian safety one parcel at a time. They experience all of it together.”
Though Ms von Brachel was the only person to speak during public comment, residents had already vented on social media in August.
On August 17, GFP’s Facebook post about the Putnam Green application garnered 131 comments and dozens of angry and surprised emojis.
Kevin M O’Connor wrote, “This is not Stamford or White Plains, have seen better compatible neighborhood designs from a six year old with a box of Legos.”
Michael Goldstein wrote simply, “New Rochelle?”
Bob Boss wrote, “Looks like a Prison?”
Christian Jegen wrote, “Sorry but that looks like virtually every Hampton Inn or hotel new build out there.”
“Just wait till they figure out that the land is more valuable than making bread at Arnold’s. That will be next for development,” John Thompson wrote, a reference to Bimbo Bakeries at the former Arnold Bakery factory behind Western Middle School and Putnam Green.
Anne McGowan Tabacco wrote, “Putnam Green is one of the few more affordable rental properties left in town, if not the only one. Many residents have lived there for decades. These are small garden apartments surrounded by trees and a sweet pond filled with bird life of all kinds. This proposal is abominable.”
Alex Popp wrote, “All this plus 52 unit Vinci Garden and a new 40000 sq ft. hockey rink within a block! Just what Byram needs especially narrow Richland Road, more traffic and congestion, not.”
See also:
Aug 17, 2026
Putnam Green Apartment Complex on NY/CT Border Sells for $20.7 Million
June 25, 2025