Ridge Road Complex Applicants Appeal Council’s Rejection
WETHERSFIELD - Applicants looking to build a three-story, fair market rent apartment complex at the blighted 291 Ridge Rd. property are appealing the Town Planning and Zoning Commission’s (TPZ) narrow rejection of the proposal.

       Attorney Robin Pearson of the Glastonbury-based firm Alter and Pearson filed the appeal on behalf of Ridge Road Development Group with the Hartford Superior Court around two weeks ago. Economic Development Director Peter Gillespie reported the applicants’ decision early last week.

       When contacted, Pearson would not comment on the case. Calls to the members of the development team were not returned.

       The applicants’ legal team claims that the TPZ’s rejection of the proposal was â€"illegal and arbitrary” and that the body â€"abused its discretion,” according to a copy of the complaint, which was provided by Wethersfield Town Attorney John Bradley.

       Bradley said that he would not comment on the complaint because he needed more time to review it.

       The TPZ’s decision not to approve a special permit component of the application is inconsistent with the body’s approval of an assisted living facility of similar size and density at the site in 2008, the complaint says.

       Alter and Pearson also cites expert testimony regarding market analysis and traffic impact, while highlighting an absence of countering consultants.

       A subdivision component was also rejected by the TPZ. The appeal requests that the Commission’s decision regarding both be overturned.

       The TPZ voted 5-4 to reject the proposed 70-unit apartment building several weeks ago--a decision that topped off a string of heated public hearings and meetings, during which homeowners on Ridge Road and Tollgate Road expressed concerns pertaining to property value impact and traffic volume.

       Commissioners cited the same concerns, while praising the applicants for the design aesthetics and admitting that the decision was a difficult one. Ultimately, the body opted against it, with dissenting voters stating that the project would not be â€"a fit” within the owner-occupied, residential neighborhood.

       Tollgate and Ridge Road residents have described the area as an â€"island” of owner-occupied homes surrounded by commercial real estate development--a potential detriment to property values. There is already a Stop & Shop plaza nearby and homeowners are being asked â€"to shoulder some of the risk” involved with the venture, residents said.

       Residents who spoke at the two TPZ hearings, as well as at several public meetings held prior, asked what would happen if the $1,300-$1,700 per month units failed to rent to the developer’s â€"young professional” demographic. Lower rent rates and future deterioration would be the result, impacting surrounding residential property values, residents said.

       Concern regarding property values are common, but his experience on similar projects tells a different story, said Don Poland, senior vice president of urban planning for Goman and York Property Advisors.

       Deterioration in general is a reflection of the surrounding housing market as a whole, not just one property, when looking at the issue over a longer term period, Poland said. He characterized Wethersfield’s market as â€"strong,” citing continued â€"investments” put into surrounding residential properties.

       The proposed development’s rates also exceed the limits set for Section 8 housing vouchers, developers said. The state will only subsidize up to $1,100 for a single bedroom unit and $1,400 for a two-bedroom.

       The estimated yearly tax value for the property was around $200,000, a figure that would move it into the top 10 percent on Wethersfield’s Grand List, according to Gillespie and Mayor Paul Montinieri.

       The previous Town Council granted developers a $400,000 tax abatement last year, but the fate of the application was to be determined before the TPZ.

       Built by the Episcopal Dioses in the 1930s, the property served as the home of retired clergy until it was acquired by a new owner and converted to single family residential zoning so that condominiums could be built in the front, according to Gillespie.

       In 2008, the TPZ gave owner John Tartaglia approval to construct an 80-unit assisted living facility in the back--the proposed location for the apartment building--but the work was never done.

       As of the date of the appeal, Ridge Road Development Group has not officially purchased the property, but intends to, according to the complaint.
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