By John H. Palmer

WESTPORT – Developers of the proposed Hamlet development in Saugatuck told a packed public hearing Monday night if the project is approved, they are willing to come back to the table and fix any traffic or parking issues.

ROAN Ventures, under intense public scrutiny surrounding the multi-use development in the village of Saugatuck, have gone back to the drafting table and revamped parking and traffic plans based on public input, and have offered several changes to mitigate resident concerns.

Among those concessions include providing 277 parking spaces on-site, 15 more than town standards currently require. Parking “stackers” that can accommodate 2 vehicle, including SUVs, will be utilized on the so-called “upland” side garage, while the “waterside” garage will hold 53 spaces without the mechanical devices.

“We’ve modified the plans and removed the mechanicals from the parking area,” said Eric Bernheim, who represents the developer. “We actually now have more parking than your regulations require us to have. There’s nowhere else in town that has 1000:1 square foot parking.”

In addition, to mitigate concerns about traffic effects in the area, developers have proposed as part of the approval process that they will include a review within 6 months of the project coming online.

“We’ll come back, see what’s working and what’s not working, and we’ll fix it,” he said. “Not only do we not want the residents of Westport affected, we don’t our tenants, employees and visitors to be affected. Our interests are completely aligned.”

It was a tough sell for the developers, who are under the gun to sell what could be one of Westport’s largest ever municipal developments if it ever comes to fruition. Almost 400 people – the legal capacity of the main auditorium in Town Hall was packed with residents who were there for their first opportunity to express their concerns or support for the project.

“We should be developing Saugatuck but not overdeveloping it,” said District 1 Representative Town Meeting member Matthew Mandell, one of over 40 speakers during the hearing that spanned almost four and a half hours. “You have the tools to say this doesn’t work, and you can make it better.”

Monday night’s hearing was a continuance from the original April 7 remote hearing, which was cut short before the commission could get to the Hamlet agenda item. An unknown hacker “Zoombombed” the meeting, forcing planners to abruptly end the hearing.

Parking issues addressed

Another issue that was immediately taken on Monday evening was parking, which is a major concern for residents, given that much of the parking plan for the Hamlet involves using train station parking lots off-hours for overflow and employee parking.

The new plans call for 7 new street-level parking spaces for merchants, a change from the original plan that would have eliminated all above-ground street level spaces – a major sticking point for local residents who have become accustomed to convenient parking.

In addition, the new proposals eliminate a plan to use lot #7 at the train station for employee parking, which had drawn criticism from those who said those parking spots should be kept for commuters only. The new plan, contingent on approval of the application, would have employees parking at an off-site location to be determined, perhaps in Norwalk or another location along the Metro North line, allowing employees of the Hamlet to take the train to work.

In another concession designed to alleviate resident concerns of overpriced parking, Bernheim touted the introduction of special resident parking rates in the development’s garages for $2.50 an hour for the first two hours, and also what he called the “Westporter Pass,” which would give two hours of parking for $1 a day.

“The valets will get to know those who come often and treat them well,” he said. “We don’t want them to be turned off because it’s not a pleasant experience.”

“We hear loud and clear that you didn’t want to lose parking,” Bernheim said, adding that 8 new on-street parking spaces were added on Riverside Avenue and five more on Railroad Place after hearing resident concerns.

The changes to the parking issues were met with mixed feelings by speakers at the hearing. Some said they were very impressed with the concessions the developers were offering.

“I think this project is as good as we are going to get,” said Westporter Roger Schwanhausser. “If you scale it back, you are going to lose amenities. It’s going to be a gem for Westport and we should get on with it quickly.”

Others were skeptical about the developers’ requests for approval based on things promised in the future – such as employee parking sites that have not yet been chosen.

“When you don’t know answers to serious issues, you walk away with a feeling that you don’t know what’s happening,” said James McDonald. “The government needs to make sure the questions are answered before this project is let loose.”

A revamped development plan with lower heights and density

Up until Monday evening’s hearing, the “Hamlet at Saugatuck,” as the project is being called, will consist of a multi-use development of 11 buildings, including retail, hotel and residential buildings between the Saugatuck River, Charles Street, Franklin Street and Railroad Place. Some 14 off-site “below market” housing units would be contributed by the developer under the plan.

Seven properties are currently under contract to be purchased if the application is approved:  601, 606 and 609 Riverside Ave., 2 and 16 Railroad Place, and 91 and 96 Franklin St. Not included at this point are: 21 Charles St., 40 Railroad Place, 36 Railroad Place and 611 Riverside Ave. As mentioned earlier, underground parking garages that originally featured 258 spaces, now will have 277 spaces.

Another major issue of contention in the Hamlet plan has been that of sightlines and architectural concern. On the one hand, ROAN Ventures has tried to bill the development as a New England coastal village development not unlike something seen in places like Martha’s Vineyard or Block Island with 52,000 square feet of open spaces ripe with Adirondack chairs and terraced outdoor recreational spaces sprinkled around chic shopping areas.

On the other hand, some residents fear the densely packed buildings with narrow passageways and sightlines to the river will be eliminated, creating a streetscape that is more akin to the city rather than a quaint village.

Bernheim said sightlines on the garages and the buildings have been scaled down to about 63 feet at the highest. The hotels along the waterfront have had their designs scaled down by removing sloped, gabled roofs that would have raised the height to 70 feet or so. By comparison, the National Hall hotel closer to downtown is about 54 feet high.

“This is an area that I agree needs a facelift, but my constituents don’t believe it needs a complete overhaul that makes it look a city,” said District 7 RTM member Ellen Lautenberg Hendel. “It looks like a tourist destination, not a local one. I hope they can find the right formula that makes that successful and feels appreciated by those who live there.”

Going forward, the Planning and Zoning Commission will be dedicating at least 7 more meetings to the deliberation of the Hamlet proposal before the legal deadline in June or July, according to chairman Paul Lebowitz. The matter will be discussed at the regular May 5 meeting, followed by a break on May 12. The matter will again be discussed on May 19, and there may be a possible second public hearing following that depending on how discussions unfold.

John Palmer is editor of the Westport Journal, and has covered community news in Fairfield County and Massachusetts for over 30 years. He can be contacted at jpalmer@westportjournal.com.