110-Unit Apartment Building Proposed For Downtown Greenwich

GREENWICH, CT — According to pre-application documents submitted to the Greenwich Planning & Zoning Department, a six-story residential apartment building containing 110 units is being proposed for Benedict Place and Benedict Court.

Units would be a mix of one, two and three-bedroom layouts, with lifestyle amenity space, multiple outdoor greenspaces and a below grade parking garage with 190 spaces, according to the application.

Current buildings in the proposed construction area — 0, 5, 7, 11, 13, 15 Benedict Court, and 7, 9, 15, 19, 21, 23 Benedict Place — include retail, office and residential uses.

Ten of the parcels are owned by Benedict Court Development Co. LLC, and two parcels (0 Benedict Court and 7 Benedict Place) are owned by 19 West Elm Holdings, LLC and 7 Benedict Place Associates, LLC.

The proposed residential building would qualify for 8-30g, Connecticut's affordable housing statute. Thirty percent of the units would be set aside and designated as "affordable."

Under 8-30g, municipalities in the state must have 10 percent of all units be affordable. Greenwich has yet to meet the mandate at around 5.3 percent.

Town officials and lawmakers in Greenwich have opposed 8-30g, because they say developers can come into towns that aren't in compliance and ignore local planning and zoning regulations and build large developments.

This in turn takes local control away from planning and zoning, and damages the architectural character of the town with large buildings that aren't necessarily wanted, town officials say.

Last week, Greenwich's delegation to Hartford announced in a press conference it would introduce legislation aimed at reforming 8-30g. During the announcement, First Selectman Fred Camillo said Greenwich has seen more 8-30g applications for developments in the last year than in the previous 29. 8-30g was instituted in 1989.

Attorney for the applicant Chip Haslun said in documents submitted to Planning & Zoning that the proposed building is "intended to be responsive to the 2019 Plan of Conservation and Development in that it would be an 'infill' development on underutilized land."

Haslun added that the project would "add diversity to the housing stock and would considerably increase the number of affordable housing dwelling units in Greenwich."

The proposed building would be close to public transportation and community resources, Haslun said, like Greenwich Avenue, the YMCA and YWCA, schools and parks.

"Due to its central location, we believe the development will be attractive to those looking to down-size, to young professionals and to workforce employees, such as hospital workers, teachers and first responders, both currently residing in Greenwich and looking to relocate to Greenwich," Haslun said.

The application is listed as "pending", and hasn't been scheduled yet to appear before the Planning & Zoning Commission.