P&Z Watch: Neighbors Concerned about 8-30g Impacts to Narrow Street, Rock Blasting

At their March 31 meeting, the Greenwich Planning & Zoning commission reviewed an 8-30g application for an 18-unit development on Home Place at the corner of Davis Avenue.

The applicant worked with the town’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund and the proposal is for 22% (4 of 18) of the units to be offered at below market rates.

The applicant has said the units will be rentals.

The affordable units would rent for at 80% of AMI (area median income), or 150% of SMI (state median income, which is lower than AMI), but the commission does not have the authority to ask whether the units will be for sale or for rent.

The 18 units are spread over 9 residential buildings. Some will be new construction and two will be existing buildings not to be demolished.

There was a discussion about the comparability of the below market units to the market rate units, both in size and workmanship, given the proposed below market units are slightly smaller than the market rate units.

P&Z commission chair Margarita Alban said, “When you first came into us on the pre-application I thought they were all the same size, and now they are all very different square footages…We’ve been trying to get people to come to closer numbers.”

Alban noted the CT Dept of Housing emphasizes that below market units aren’t supposed to be the smaller units, and the larger units aren’t supposed to be the market rate units.

However, she acknowledged said “comparable” was a tricky word.

The concerns from both the commission and the public focused on traffic safety, given the units are accessed from Home Place – a very narrow, dead-end street.

Neighbors worried that since there are only 40 parking spots proposed for 18 units, the limited on street parking will be taken up by visitors to the development, including housekeepers, nannies, delivery trucks and landscapers.

Blasting

Also, it will be necessary to remove rock from the property to build foundations for the new buildings.

Neighbors shared concerns about blasting, chipping and the number of trucks that will need to haul way the rock via the narrow dead end street.

During public comment Terri Camillo Angotto, an owner at 28 Home Place, described her neighborhood as decimated.

“It is impassable. It looks blighted,” she said.  “This development is ruining our neighborhood. You’re now telling us it’s at least 18 months, with folly and laughter, before this will be completed.”

Ms Alban said state law required the P&Z commission to advance housing units in general as well as affordable housing.

“We can only deny this project if it is a threat to health and safety,” Alban said, adding that sewer issues could mount to the health and safety threshold, but the commission had yet to hear back from the sewer department on potential issues.

“The burden of health and safety is on us,” Alban said.

Another neighbor, Dr. Frederick Nahm, voiced similar concerns.

“Mr. D’Andrea (applicant’s engineer) commented that as you pull onto Davis Avenue there is a clear line of site,” Nahm said. “Now, when I pull up my Escalade, and someone is turning in, I have to back up because there is no room for that person to turn onto Home Place if I am pulled up enough to see traffic coming from the other way.  This is the reality.”

Dr. Nahm said he also shared concerns about impacts to wildlife by the project. He said a Bald Eagle lives in the inlet in Bruce Park, and routinely flies over Home Place.

He said wildlife also included woodchucks, hawks, wild turkeys, red foxes and deer.

“Much less now since they took all of the buildings down,” he said.

Dr. Nahm also shared concerns about the narrow roadway, noting sometimes a car will have to drive off the road to make room for an oncoming car.

“No two cars can pass at the same time. If you have an Amazon truck or FedEx truck, then you have to pull over to the side,” Nahm said.

Further he said Home Place is home to many children and dog walkers, as well as commuters who walk to the train station.

He questioned what time the applicant’s traffic analysis was conducted.

Ms Alban said typically the points Dr. Nahm made would be “sticking points” for the commission, but with 8-30g applications, denial must be necessary to protect health and safety.

“I didn’t see (health and safety issues) when I read it, but we will go back and check,” she said.

Dr. Nahm said he had heard and felt blasting coming from Oneida Drive for 3 months.

“We didn’t know what it was. The first time it happened we called the police. The policeman said, ‘They’re blasting on Oneida,'” he said. “The entire house shook, we had things come off the wall. We had a painting come off the wall. We noticed cracks in the ceiling. If we have blasting going on, it’s basically 10 to 20 feet from the property, I’m not sure if that is a safety issue,” he said.

Dr. Nahm said he runs a concierge practice and at times needs to get to the hospital quickly.

“Is there going to be a policeman posted there when there is blasting?” he asked.

“Yes,” Ms Alban said. “You go up to the policeman and say I am a physician with a medical emergency and they will do it for you. All of the blasting is heavily regulated by the state. It is not a zoning matter. All we have to do is keep asking the questions.”

As for blasting, Ms Alban said the applicant’s blasting specialists would go to neighbors to measure before and after.

Neighbors complained about the response or lack of response to emails to the fire marshal and P&Z referred a neighbor to the fire marshal, the fire marshal was unaware of the blasting plans.

Mr. Macri said the fire marshal was unaware of blasting because the applicants have not yet applied for a blasting permit.

“The fire marshal’s office is in charge of blasting. Blasting companies have significant insurance and are well aware of potential damage to other buildings. And at your behest will be conducting an inspection of your building,” Macri said.

Wendy Lien, who owns property on Home Place, urged the applicant to reconsider locating the entrance to the development via Davis Ave instead of Home Place.

She said trucks had already damaged the Belgian blocks on her driveway.

She agreed that taking a left onto Davis Ave when exiting Home Place was already unsafe, and that cars coming from the left are already moving fast around the blind corner.

Alban said the town’s traffic consultant, BETA, had not yet signed off on the proposal.

“I beg of you to give this a little extra scrutiny,” Lien said.

Ms Alban said she would visit Home Place again and acknowledged the neighbors had given her some action items that the commission could look into.

She noted that numerous departments had yet to provide comments, including DPW Highway, DPW Engineering, and the Sewer Division, as well as Aquarion.

“While you’re waiting for all that to come together, could you look at getting closer comparability,” Alban asked the applicant.

See also:

New 8-30g Proposal: 18 Units in 2-Family and Single Family Homes Across from Bruce Park

July 1, 2024