By Thane Grauel

WESTPORT — A plan to convert a historic sea captain’s home back to housing got a favorable reception from Planning and Zoning Commission members Monday.

Discussion of the “pre-application” hinted at old-fashioned horse-trading. The developer needs wiggle room with zoning regulations while the town seeks more affordable housing units.

The main structure at 50 Post Road West, built by Capt. Frederick Sherwood between 1835 and 1845, with wings added sometime after 1880, was for decades used as office space. 

But the columned white structure — now owned by 50PRW LLC — has been vacant for a decade and shows signs of neglect.

Applicant: Project would address several concerns

“We feel this application is an opportunity to address many issues in town,” Richard Redniss of Redniss & Mead, a Stamford firm, told the P&Z.

“Including what some people consider blight of this property, to reduce the traffic potential, since residential is half the traffic that the office building would generate if it were reoccupied,” he said. “There is historic preservation, there’s diverse housing with on-site, below-market-rate units that generate more moratoria points.” 

Redniss had asked for a pre-application review — which is informal and non-binding — for feedback on a possible text amendment to zoning regulations to allow the project to proceed.

Redniss didn’t divulge the 50PRW LLC owner’s name, but said he lives nearby and has children who attend a nearby school. Redniss said the owner has held off selling the property until his asking price is met, and said someone came to him with a plan for higher-density housing, but he turned it down.

The town currently has a state-granted moratorium on “affordable” housing brought under what’s known as the 8-30g law. The law gives developers leverage to force approval of housing projects in towns where less than 10 percent of the housing stock is deemed affordable under state criteria. 

Westport’s affordable stock is below that threshold, but strides made in recent years gained it the moratorium, which expires in just over a year. This project could count toward a future moratorium. 

A text amendment could allow reuse of the main building, and possibly a smaller structure built around 1960 up the steep driveway at the rear of the property, for a total of 14 apartments. Under that scenario, 20 percent of the units would be considered affordable.

Redniss said during the meeting the smaller house might be demolished and the area used for parking, if a larger footprint for the main structure were allowed.

Tradeoffs could be in the offing

He also seeks relief on setbacks and roof height — the attic would be raised over the 35-foot limit to make way for a third floor of loft apartments.

“I actually kind of like it,” commission member Amie Tesler said. “I’ve gone by this building many times and it is very dilapidated … it’s rich in history and its great if we can keep even a testament of what it is to this great town.”

“The overall feedback I’m going to give on residential development is thumbs up,” said member Paul Lebowitz. “I think this is a good spot and it may actually accomplish adding good residential units.”

“The fact that you want to do a certain number of units as affordable … I ask you to please consider upping the total amount of affordable units,” he added. “You want to trade with us, we’d love to trade with you. More is better.”

P&Z Chairwoman Danielle Dobin agreed.

“The more affordability you can add, you give us something we want to see and we’ll be more likely to give you something you want to see,” she said. 

It’s not the only affordable housing proposal in the area. Across Post Road West, between Cross and Lincoln streets, a 68-unit apartment complex is planned, 30 percent of them affordable. 

That project was turned down by the Planning and Zoning Commission, but the developer successfully appealed in court, and scaled the size down in an agreement with the town last year.