Fairfielders Decry 5-Story Apartment Proposal Near Town Hall

FAIRFIELD, CT — If public bodies were gathering in person, Tuesday’s zoning commission meeting likely would have been standing room only.

More than 70 people logged on to Webex to listen and speak against a proposed affordable apartment complex abutting a historic district.

“The developer has not listened to anyone in the community about the size, scope and safety concerns,” Fairfield resident Paul Fama said. “… It’s going to overwhelm the historic district.”

The project would replace the 1950 Masonic Temple building at 131 Beach Road. The five-story development would include 40 apartments, 12 of which would be rented below market rate, plus 55 parking spaces, with a ground-floor parking structure. The 0.65-acre site is less than a block from Old Town Hall.

Resistance to the proposal wasn’t limited to Tuesday’s hearing. Residents have also submitted numerous letters of opposition for publication on Fairfield Patch, and an online petition against the project has more than 1,300 signatures. The Old Post Road Area Association has hired an attorney to represent it in the matter, as has one individual Old Post Road resident.

“We urge the developer to reconsider the size and design of this project,” said Henry Backe, president of the association, adding his group would applaud the plan if it was 50 percent smaller and included only affordable units.

Traffic safety is a major concern for residents against the development. Traffic engineer Michael Galante reported Tuesday that the complex is projected to generate 218 car trips in or out of the property on a typical weekday. As of January, Beach Road east of Post Road, near the site of the proposal, saw a total of 1,466 vehicles during its peak morning and evening hours combined. The block where the site is located has been the scene of five accidents in the last three years.

“We find the conditions on Beach Road … it’s difficult to say safe, but are adequate,” Galante said.

Developer 131 Beach Road LLC intends to remove one of the property’s two existing driveways. The building would require a 319-foot sight line, which could be achieved by eliminating some parking spaces on Beach Road, according to Galante.

The developer is seeking approval under state law Section 8-30g, which dictates the only way the commission could deny the proposal is by proving it poses a threat to public health, safety or “other matters which the commission may legally consider” that outweigh the need for affordable housing. Section 8-30g applies to towns where less than 10 percent of housing stock meets state criteria to be recognized as affordable.

State Sen. Tony Hwang pushed Tuesday for the commission to examine the historical integrity of the neighboring properties as possible cause for denial.

“Local control and historical consideration has to be part of this process,” Hwang said.

State Rep. Brian Farnen also spoke about the area’s history.

“We need to be respectful of the historic nature of the location,” Farnen said.

However, attorney Chris Smith, who is representing the developer, said at the first night of the hearing, which took place in July, that neighborhood consistency does not constitute a threat to safety under Section 8-30g.

The hearing will continue Sept. 29.