Large Retail/Apartment Project On Hold A Bit In Southington

SOUTHINGTON, CT — Plans for a large mixed-use development featuring several apartment buildings and retail space on West Street are on hold for a bit, as the applicants have asked the town to table their plans.

In separate votes last week, the Southington Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously tabled action items on project applications and the public hearing.

According to documents submitted to the town, the Dallas, Texas,-based developer — Anthony Properties LLC — is looking to build a mixed-use development featuring eight buildings total, including 244 residential units, a clubhouse and pool and about 17,500 square feet of commercial space.

The project would be at 1177 , 1193 and 1303 West St., according to a letter from developer representative Ronald Bomengen, of the Manchester-based Fuss & O'Neill engineering consultant firm.

The land where the development would happen is owned by Southington resident Roger C. Toiles of Spring Street.

Anthony Properties' application will be taken up by the PZC Tuesday, March 7, with hearings and agenda items slated at the 7 p.m. meeting.

Town officials said the applicant still needed more time to address questions raised by town staff regarding the proposal.

"The reason for this is we are still owed a number of items for the engineering and planning departments to review," said Southington PZC Vice Chairman Roger Salka, who was filling in Feb. 21 for the chairman.

"So, in that case, the applicant has asked that the application be tabled until the March 7 meeting."

Bomengen wrote the commercial space would entail two buildings at the corner of West and Curtiss streets.

The property currently is located in a so-called "mixed use transition" zone, meaning it is an area between residential and commercial developments.

While no testimony was heard at the Feb. 21 PZC meeting, four letters of opposition to the project have now been submitted to the town by area residents.

They all expressed concern about an increase in traffic in the area and the unforeseen impacts of having a large population of people settle in Southington at the new development.

"The dramatic increase in population from this project will add an additional burden to the town's public resources. Southington was once known as a quiet, suburban town with a mix of bucolic open spaces," reads a letter dated Feb. 21 signed by four Summit Farms Road households: Gary and Lynne Gworek; Ulrich and Ursula Schaupp; Carl and Kathy Pfanzelt; and Patrick and Agnieszka Schlosser.

"There is no doubt that progress requires development. However, this one plan has the potential of increasing the town population by 1 to 2 percent given that 47 percent of the proposed units have two bedrooms."

Curtiss Street resident Kevin Sullivan agreed in a letter to the town dated Feb. 22.

"The development would not be beneficial to the town of Southington due to the increased traffic and ensuing safety issues this would cause," wrote Sullivan.

"Realistically it just isn't feasible to add another 250-300 vehicles or more to the already congested intersections of Curtiss and West/Spring and West streets."

For the minutes of the Feb. 21 Southington Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, click on this link.

For all documents, including opposition letters, to the application, click on this link.

From Feb. 21: 'Large Housing/Retail Project Up For Vote In Southington'