Hearing To Resume On Massive Apartment/Retail Project In Southington

SOUTHINGTON, CT — After nearly two and a half hours of testimony, applicants for a massive apartment/retail development in town saw no action on the plan March 7 and the hearing continued to Tuesday, March 21.

The Southington Planning and Zoning Commission meets Tuesday, March 21, at 7 p.m. in the public assembly room in the town's municipal center, 196 N. Main St.

There, the town's top land-use board will continue discussions and, possibly, vote on the West Street proposal.

The PZC's marathon March 7 meeting featured a lengthy presentaton by the developers, several questions from the public and, ultimately, a postponement of action on the West Street project.

"The public hearing on the application is going to remain open and we will be back here in two weeks," Southington PZC Chairman Robert Hammersley said at the time.

Dallas, Texas,-based developer Anthony Properties LLC is looking to build a mixed-use development featuring eight buildings total, including 255 residential units (10 percent of which set aside as affordable housing), a clubhouse and pool and about 17,500 square feet of commercial space.

The project would be at 1177 , 1193 and 1303 West St. and the land where the development would happen is owned by Southington resident Roger C. Toiles of Spring Street.

The development, essentially, would entail two buildings at the corner of West and Curtiss streets.

It would be located in a so-called "mixed use transition" zone, meaning it is an area between residential and commercial developments.

Much of the hearing was an in-depth presentation by the developers, featuring Ron Bomengen, an engineer with Manchester-based Fuss & O'Neill , and Brian Shiu of Anthony Properties, the director of development.

Shiu offered a bit of information about the development company.

"We are a national developer of multi-family properties," Shiu said, adding Anthony also has developed shopping and movie theater properties nationally.

"We want to bring a 255-unit Class A community to Southington," Shiu said, explaining Southington's apartments would include studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units.

"They will have first-class amenities. They will have a clubhouse with a fitness center, swimming pool, Amazon room, things like that that are all necessary in today's world," Shiu said.

Speakers March 7 had several questions on town impacts that ranged from traffic concerns, to Southington Fire Department plans to respond to incidents and input from the Southington Police Department.

One of the speakers was Southington Town Council Chairperson Victoria Triano, who raised similar questions about the project and expressed satisfaction for the delay in action.

Those questions, combined with various technical questions posed by hearing speakers and the PZC prompted the commission to keep the hearing open and defer action.

Hammersley pointed out the development is being pitched for a new type of zone formed a year ago by the commission, a "mixed-use transition zone" for parcels near both residential and commercial areas.

As a result, he said, the PZC couldn't just deny the development just because folks say they don't want it.

"That text ammendment change is what our regulation is. This body is a regulatory body in the sense that what our regulations say, we are bound to," Hammersley said.

On March 21, more public testimony will be accepted and if the PZC gets the necessary information it requested, it could close the hearing and vote on both special permit and site plan applications for the project.

While the PZC put off action on the application, the Southington Town Council has already voted in favor of tax breaks for the project.

It voted 5-2 Feb. 27 to support conditional tax breaks as an incentive to aid in the development, which would still generate new tax revenue in town.

Southington Economic Development Director Louis A. Perillo III said the annual tax revenue for the project, based on the current tax rate, is $1.8 million a year or, about, a half mill.

But, he said, it increases to nearly $2 million to $2.5 million annually taking into account personal property and motor vehicles of the tenants.

Speaking at March 7's PZC hearing, Perillo said increased tax revenue is a major reason why the project deserves support.

"You'd be hard-pressed to find any other development that has a $91 million investment," Perillo said. "You're looking at about $2 million to $2.5 million annually in tax revenue for this development when it includes the personal property of the residents."

For the agenda for the March 21 Southington Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, click on this link.

For all documents related to the West Street development, click on this link.

From March 6: 'Division Clear Regarding Controversial Southington Apartment Project'