Massive Housing/Commercial Development Pitched In Simsbury

SIMSBURY, CT — Controversial plans to build a large housing/commercial development at a former insurance company site in town are dominating local zoning board meetings, with a decision yet to be made.

The Simsbury Zoning Commission is still conducting a marathon public hearing on plans for SL Simsbury LLC, with Holden Sabato listed as the applicant, to build a large development at 140 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury.

Those initial plans, however, have been tweaked with the project now calling for 518 housing units and a mix of commercial/retail/office development. Previously, it called for just 580 units of housing.

Sabato is the director at The Silverman Group, a family-owned real estate developer based in New Jersey that is behind the project.

The site was formerly the location of The Hartford Insurance Co., which closed the Simsbury complex more than a decade ago.

The proposal, according to town officials when the hearing opened on Dec. 18, 2023, called for 488 multi-family units, 24 duplexes, and 68 single-family units.

Much of the Dec. 18, 2023 hearing featured various representatives of the developers presenting their role in the project.

Later, residents spoke, many expressing concern about the impacts such a project could have on the community, concerns ranging from traffic worries to aesthetics to the impact on local schools with as many people moving into town.

But there was also some support expressed.

Pete Harrison, a Simsbury resident, for example, testified he doesn't think there is enough housing in Simsbury, with such a development benefitting, not harming, the community.

That night, the PZC voted to continue the hearing to Jan. 3, when additional information and similar testimony dominated that night's activities.

According to the PZC hearing on Jan. 3, some of the statistical aspects of the project showed how impactful the development will have on Simsbury.

According to Gina Martini, the New York-based planning consultant who delivered the presentation before the board, those include:

• An additional 1,101-1,159 new Simsbury residents (a 4 percent population hike for Simsbury). Of those, 96-115 will be schoolchildren.

• Those residents would add an additional $11 million to $13 million into the area's economy.

• It would also result in an additional $2.99 million to $3.2 million in added tax revenue for Simsbury; $148,450-$492,493 in motor vehicle tax revenue; and $153,495 in building permit revenue.

• The development would require the hiring of 1 or 2 more police officers and the need for 1-4 more volunteer firefighters.

Testimony continued along the same lines as Dec. 18, 2023 and, ultimately, the zoning board extended the hearing again to Jan. 17, where changes were announced in the project.

Following up on various technical concerns raised by the public and the board, the developers downsized the scope of the project, reducing the amount of units from 580 to 518 and eliminating two apartment buildings.

Those buildings, however, are being replaced with 27,000-28,000 square feet of commercial, retail, and office space with 80 parking spaces for the site, diversifying the nature of the development.

Those latest changes will slightly lessen the town impacts discussed at the Jan. 3 hearing.

Following further deliberations from zoning board members and public hearing testimony, the hearing was continued to Feb. 5, where more testimony and, possibly, zoning board action could follow.

For the minutes of the Dec. 18, 2023 Simsbury Zoning Commission meeting, click on this link.

For the minutes of the Jan. 3 Simsbury Zoning Commission meeting, click on this link.

For the minutes of the Jan. 17 Simsbury Zoning Commission meeting, click on this link.

From Feb. 23, 2016: 'Former Insurance Buildings in Simsbury to be Demolished'