WESTPORT–The plan to reinvigorate Saugatuck with a $400 million, multi-use development will be formally denied by the Planning and Zoning commission at its next meeting, Monday, July 28.
This evening, the commissioners met and indicated that they would deny the Hamlet at Saugatuck plan. A straw poll indicated the vote next week will be 4-3. The commissioners cited several issues with the application, which Planning and Zoning Director Michelle Perillie will compile into a document for the applicant.
Saying they will vote against approval were Paul Lebowitz, Amy Wistreich, Michael Calise and Patrizia Zucaro, Saying they will vote for approval were Neil Cohn, Michael Cammeyer and Breann Injeski
The “Hamlet at Saugatuck” is planned as a multi-use development of 11 buildings, including retail, hotel and residential buildings between the Saugatuck River, Charles Street, Franklin Street and Railroad Place.
This story will be updated in the morning.
Commissioner Michael Calise said it best when he conveyed how he believed the hamlet team handled their application: “They abused us, ignored us, and trampled on us.”
The Commission spent 2 hours delineating reasons for the upcoming denial of The Hamlet development. In their decision, they cited several examples of the plan being out of compliance with the new zoning regulation, and lacking satisfactory answers to troubling questions about parking, building heights, traffic, public views of the river, public use of the waterfront, etc.
This is the right thing to do.