By Kerri Williams

WESTPORT – After determining that a majority of members are against approving the Hamlet of Saugatuck application, the Planning & Zoning Commission on Monday spent much of their meeting drafting reasons for denial.

Four deny, three approve

Members indicated that they still stand the same way as they did during an informal poll two weeks ago. Then, four commissioners said they were leaning towards voting against the project and three said they were in favor. Those in favor were Michael Cammeyer, Neil Cohn and Breanne Injeski. Opposed to the project were: Michael Calise, Paul Lebowitz, Amy Wistreich and Patrizia Zucaro. Commissioners plan to vote on the application at their next meeting on July 28.

Those on both sides were passionate about their reasoning.

Cohn pointed out that town staff have said the project complies with Text Amendment 819, which was drafted in 2022 and led to the current application. He added that Roan Development had been receptive to working with the commission during the process.

“I care more about doing the right thing than about my political career,” Cohn said. “Legally we were told that they do comply. I don’t see how we can deny it.”

We were ignored

But Calise said he was “taken aback” by Cohn’s position. Roan refused to produce models and to do demonstrations that were requested, according to Calise. “We were essentially ignored. To allow ourselves to be trampled over by an applicant is not acceptable.”

Cohn added that instead of drafting the concerns as reasons for a denial, they could instead be conditions for an approval.

“The flip side is that they could have changed any of these things, and they chose not to,” said Chairman Lebowitz.

Deeply disappointed

Eric Bernheim, an attorney representing Roan, said in a statement Monday night that the developers are “deeply disappointed” with the anticipated decision. “We worked extremely hard to address all concerns raised, and in doing so we received confirmation from the experts engaged by the commission and the town zoning staff that we had complied with all the applicable regulations. The Hamlet is fully compliant with the town’s regulations, and it appears it will be denied.”

The Hamlet project would have been the biggest municipal development ever in Westport. Its 11 buildings consist of retail, hotel and residential buildings between the Saugatuck River, Charles Street, Franklin Street and Railroad Place.

ARB’s aesthetic concerns

In stating his reasons for denial, Lebowitz gave reasons for concern and for non-compliance with the text amendment, starting with what “we saw and heard from the Architecture Review Board.” The board did not approve of the project, saying that it did not have a New England coastal village aesthetic. Lebowitz said that the ARB suggested that the buildings should be lowered by at least one full floor.

“During the course of the entire application, I asked at least 10 times whether that top floor was a must,” Lebowitz said. “Does it have to be 60 feet high?”

Wistreich added that when writing the text amendment, the commission attached images that comply with the look and feel of a coastal vernacular, which she agrees that the applicant did not meet.

Parking, deliveries, waterfront access, traffic

Lebowitz reiterated that the parking management portion of the proposal is a concern. The issue of deliveries was also an issue “that we had to solve,” he said. 

Another concern is that the waterfront access requirements in the text amendment are not met, according to Lebowitz. Those requirements include signage and a place for the public to park in addition to the water views for those passing by. During its last meeting, some members suggested that one of the buildings could be smaller or moved so that the view corridor could be met.

“They had a shot, and they didn’t do it right,” Lebowitz said.

In the area of traffic, commissioners pointed out many concerns, including adding a stop sign to Ferry Lane.

“It doesn’t make any sense to ask an entire town to think differently about their commute in the morning,” Lebowitz said. Wistreich added that she feels the stop sign is a “matter of public safety.”

8-30g may be considered

During the public hearing on the application, Roan officials said that if the application is denied, they may consider an 8-30g affordable housing complex in lieu of Hamlet. Cohn brought that up earlier this month and alluded to it again on Monday, saying that he is “afraid of what’s next.”

Lebowitz had said earlier that commissioners should focus only on the current proposal and not on what could come.

During Monday’s meeting, Cammeyer suggested that the board could deny the project “without prejudice,” which might make it easier for the developer to come back before the board with solutions to some of the biggest concerns. Town Attorney Ira Bloom pointed out that a denial without prejudice is “still a denial.” 

Read more Westport Journal coverage of the Hamlet

• Hamlet: to be continued
• Developers plan to pursue 8-30g application if Hamlet is not approved
• Conservation Commission approves Hamlet project, with 23 conditions
• With less than a week before deadline, P&Z Hamlet hearing focuses on traffic, parking issues

Kerri Williams

^{_{Kerri Williams is an award-winning writer and journalist. She has worked as a reporter at the Norwalk Hour, as Living editor at the Darien News-Review, and managing editor for the Norwalk Citizen-News. For Westport Journal, she is a reporter as well as a gardening columnist, writing “Cultivating with Kerri.” She recently published her first children’s book – “Mabel’s Big Move,” based on her daughter with special needs.}}