By Ken Valenti

WESTPORT–The Spinnaker Real Estate Partners proposal for a portion of the would’ve-been Hamlet site comes back before the Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday – but only after a disagreement emerged among commissioners over whether they should decide on potential zoning changes for the Saugatuck site before or after the developer’s pitch.

The plan for 165 residential units and 283 parking spaces was scheduled fora pre-application discussion last Monday, but during that Zoom meeting, Chairman Paul Lebowitz proposed delaying it because the full board was not present. Commissioners Patrizia Zucaro and Craig Schiavone were absent, and a third, Michael Cammeyer, had announced that had to leave early.

Lebowitz apologized for the last-minute change, which Spinnaker attorney Adam Blank said was an inconvenience.

“We’re fairly disappointed that we compiled the team and took up some folks’ vacation schedules to be here tonight,” Blank said.

A disagreement arose among commissioners when they also scheduled further discussion of zoning for the site.

Blank asked the commission to schedule Spinnaker’s presentation before discussing the zoning, but Commissioner Michael Calise objected, arguing that the commission should decide on the zoning without the developer’s influence.

“Straightening out the problem at Saugatuck is not something we need to do with a bunch of people with their nose in their tent,” he said. “We have a lot of knowledge. We have good ideas. There’s plenty of experience here. We just need to get the … job done.”

Lebowitz disagreed, noting that the commission does not have to accept the developer’s views.

“My preference is to hear what the applicant has in mind,” he said. “The applicant owns a significant chunk of land in that zone. I think it’s an advantage to know what they’re going to ask for because we can add it in if we already think some of those ideas are good.”

Alternate member of the commission Michael Valante said he saw Calise’s point, while Town Attorney Ira Bloom said it made sense to listen to Spinnaker’s input.

The Spinnaker plan is in a pre-application phase, in which a potential developer seeks non-binding feedback from the commission and staff. Its Westport plan would create residences at 606 Riverside Ave., on 1.54 acres of the 3.4-acre site where the Hamlet development was planned until it was rejected last year by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

First proposed in early June, the Spinnaker plan originally called for 175 units in a six-story development. It has been scaled back to increase setbacks, create a plaza at the corner of Charles Street and Riverside Avenue and eliminate the units planned for the sixth floor.

The Planning and Zoning Commission meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, July 13. Find the agenda for the meeting here and the Zoom link here.

Ken Valenti

^{_{A career journalist and lifelong resident of the New York City region, Ken Valenti has enjoyed decades of reporting local, regional and national news in New York and Connecticut. Topics of special interest are development, the environment, Long Island Sound and transportation. When not reporting, he’s always on the lookout for the perfect coffee shop or used book sale.}}