Large Apartment Building Project Topic Of West Hartford Hearing

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Plans to build a large, luxury apartment building at the former site of The Children's Museum in West Hartford will go before the town's top elected body next week.

The West Hartford Town Council has a public hearing slated for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, at West Hartford Town Hall, 50 S. Main St., to address the project.

There, the council will hear a presentation from the West Hartford Partners, LLC, the development arm of Continental Properties, which plans to build the 172-unit apartment building at 950 Trout Brook Drive.

The reason for council involvement is the developers are seeking a zone change within the town's residential zoning regulations in what is called a "special development district."

That means council review and approval is needed before town land-use commissions take up the project.

According to plans, the development would be over 3.9 acres at the site, which also includes a portion of 125 Kingswood Road.

The developer is planning to purchase the site from the private Kingswood Oxford School and is seeking the zone change as part of the process.

In addition to a developer presentation, comments from the public will be heard and entered into the record that night.

The council, after likely closing the hearing, will take up the issue under "unfinished business" at its regular meeting. A decision could come as early as that night.

For decades, the Trout Brook Drive address was the scene of the beloved West Hartford Children's Museum, which left the location in early September for a temporary site at a West Hartford synagogue.

The iconic whale statue is moving to a nearby trail network for hikers and mountain bikers to enjoy.

The museum, meanwhile, is actively seeking a new, permanent location in the area.

For the agenda of the Oct. 12 West Hartford Town Council public hearing, click on this link.

For the agenda of the Oct. 12 West Hartford Town Council meeting, click on this link.

For application information on the developer's plans, click on this link.

From Sept. 16: 'Children's Museum Demolition Approved By West Hartford'