Opinion: Toll Brothers or Target in Brookfield? Consider Housing Vs. Commercial Development

Written by Victor Bucci

Is Brookfield going in the right direction? Should the Zoning Commission allow commercial land to be used solely as housing projects?

2015 Plan of Conservation and Development (See page 8 quote)

“A fixed factor in Brookfield’s population and housing market growth is the amount of available land for development. Only 9 percent of the Town’s land is vacant or undeveloped. Currently, residential properties account for 48.8 percent of the town’s land; business and light industrial use accounts for 4.8 percent; public and institutional land use represents 2.4 percent; and 24.4 percent is public land—with 17.5 percent designated as open space. Rounding out the land use composite is the 10.5 percent of Brookfield’s area that is used by utilities and transportation infrastructure, as well as bodies of water.”

2015 Plan of Conservation and Development (See page 26 chart)

Brookfield Vacant Land

Residential 852.51 acres on 414 parcels

Commercial Zones 147.44 acres on 25 parcels

Industrial Zones 184.75 acres on 33 parcels

Unbuildable 32.84 acres on 16 parcels

The problem is that good commercial property along Federal Road is being used for housing. Housing projects such as Oak Meadows, Barnbeck Place, and Riverview are examples of potentially good commercial sites that have gone the way of residential development. Will future generations look at us and say that we squandered the one chance that we had to lighten the tax load by not using the land along Federal Road for commercial development rather than housing? For example, the property tax on the Costco/Union Savings Bank site is $329,459.34. Mixed use is supposed to answer this question.

However let the facts speak for themselves. At the public forum on the Four Corners held in December 2014, Mr. Tinsley stated that the estimated property tax on the Brookfield Village Front Parcel (four buildings with commercial space on the first floor) would be $260,000 a year without the 1.3 million dollar incentive. The property tax on the ShopRite plaza is $259,122.06. It looks like the Brookfield Village and the ShopRite Plaza are the same. They are not. The ShopRite property does not contribute any school age children to the expense side of the budget.

There is an interesting aspect to developing commercial properties. Businesses want to be near other businesses that have drawing power. People come from Northern Westchester and Putnam County in New York to go to Costco. Businesses new to town such as Harbor Freight, Chick-fil-A, Jersey Mike’s, Advance Auto Parts, Interstate Battery, and Moe’s want to be near Costco, ShopRite, BJs and Kohls. Bridgewater Chocolate opened a second store in Brookfield across Federal Road from Costco. This is true economic development. One could argue that the southern side of town is, in fact, Brookfield’s Town Center.

Will any of these businesses or similar commercial enterprises want to be located in a mixed use apartment building? There are no commercial businesses or office parks committed to locating in the Four Corners. At this point in time, Brookfield’s mixed use zoning is not getting any traction. True, no mixed use properties have been built but usually when a shopping center of any kind is in the planning stage, stores and anchor stores are literally signing up.

There are over 1,000 residential units that have been built, approved, or in the approval process slated for the Federal Road corridor. Due to the fact that most projects are not built, all numbers could change.

Is Brookfield going in the right direction choosing housing over commercial development? In an article in the News Times, Target was reported as interested in possibly acquiring the now closed New Milford John Pettibone School and its 16.4 acre site. Brookfield has vacant land north of the Four Corners near the intersection of Federal Road and the Route 7 Bypass. Bringing Target to Brookfield would be a tax incentive that all citizens would support. Target would be a draw for smaller businesses to locate in the Four Corners.

Target would not impact traffic or residential areas. Shoppers coming to Brookfield for Costco and the businesses surrounding Costco might find it very easy to continue shopping in northern Brookfield. This would be a good use for Brookfield’s dwindling commercial land and an opportunity to expand Brookfield’s tax base.

Note that Toll Brothers is interested in the Pettibone School site but has shown no interest in Brookfield. Toll Brothers is currently building Bethel Crossing that will include 71 two and three bedroom homes on about 25 acres that will start in the $400,000 range in downtown Bethel. This type of project (preferably 55+) would be excellent for Brookfield’s senior citizens who may not want to downsize to a two bedroom apartment overlooking Super 7 or a parking lot and it would provide a demographic mix to the Four Corners area.

What is the Planning Commission’s position on rezoning commercial property as residential?

Planning Commission Minutes November 5, 2015 on the Zone Change and “The Renaissance”, a 156 residential unit project for the commercial Main Street Marketplace property along with 763 Federal Road.

“A motion was made by A. Kerley to send a memo to the Zoning Commission regarding Applications #201500951 and #201500955 stating that having reviewed these proposals, the Brookfield Planning Commission is of the opinion that this project thwarts the intent of the Village Business District, taking commercial development that is there and removing it with no replacement, and instead a residential complex, is not keeping with the vision of the Village Business District.”

Brookfield Zoning Commission Public Hearing – Brookfield High School

December 10, 2015 – Zone Change “Residential-Rental Opportunity/ Workforce Zone

Public Hearing - “The Renaissance” – a six story - 156 residential unit building

The Zoning Commission meeting will start at 7 p.m. and the public hearing for “The Renaissance” will open at 7:30 p.m.