Another Massive Affordable Housing Project To Be Built In Milford

MILFORD, CT — Milford's population must be booming as another massive affordable housing project is about to be built. The Planning and Zoning Board voted this month to approve Grillo Services LLC proposal to construct a 342-unit apartment complex at 553 West Avenue.

Ironically, the PZB wanted the developer to designate 40 percent of the units as affordable but the developer balked and said the city couldn't legally demand that as state law only mandates 30 percent of the units be considered affordable, the Milford Mirror reports.

City officials likely wanted more affordable units so the city could move closer to obtaining a four-year moratorium on affordable housing projects.

In the end the developer agreed to designate 108 units as affordable, which is slightly higher than the 30 percent required by the state. And as you are well aware by now, the city is basically powerless to deny housing applications filed under the state's affordable housing statute. Unless 10 percent of a community's housing stock is considered affordable under state statutes, the developer has the leverage against the municipality.

Milford could reject the project but in the end it would lose on appeal and taxpayers would pay the legal fees.

Read the full Milford Mirror story here.