To the Editor:

I am writing to remind your readers and all Westporters of this Monday’s 7 p.m. meeting of Westport’s Planning and Zoning Commission. The future of Saugatuck — and Westport as a whole — is at stake.

P&Z will be considering and seeking public comment on rezoning the entire Saugatuck railroad area to accommodate much more massive buildings (some as many as five stories tall) with a much denser use of space. 

The P&Z wants to hear from concerned Westporters by noon Monday. 

Everyone concerned should send their comments to PandZ@Westportct.gov.

I explain my concern, alarm even, below.

A company called Roan Development Ventures, has proposed a project named Hamlet Place for the Saugatuck section of Westport. 

By way of background, my extended family have been residents of Westport since the late ’60s. I am a graduate of Kings Highway Elementary School, Bedford Junior High School and Staples High School. I am a current Saugatuck homeowner, and intend to live here for the rest of my life. So, I care deeply about Westport and its future. 

My understanding is that Roan Development Ventures is proposing to build a large, mixed-use development in the Saugatuck section of Westport. It would include retail, residential, hotel, conference center, spa and commercial development elements in the area now occupied by the dry cleaners, parking lot, boatyard, restaurants and stores. 

From what I have read, Roan is under contract to buy six Saugatuck properties. They would like the town to rezone those six addresses, plus nine other adjacent addresses. 

To advance this commercial real estate development plan to the next stage, Roan is asking Westport to rezone the underlying land to a “Section 24C General Business District.” This would allow the developer to build with  height, density and architectural mass, much greater than current regulations allow.

Roan is looking for new rules on land use points such as:

• Minimum setbacks from the street
• Maximum building coverage
• Minimum space between buildings
• Maximum floor areas
• Floor area ratios  (FAR)
• Building height (Roan is seeking permission to build  five-story buildings)
• Alternative methods of compliance

I and many other Westporters are concerned because at this point, it’s impossible for the average homeowner/resident to understand what these proposed zoning changes would or would not allow to be built in Saugatuck.

I believe that Westport P&Z should reject this proposed zoning / map change until:

• More Westport citizens are aware of the proposed project. Based  on conversations I have had with dozens of residents during the last week, I would project that 99.9 percent of Westport is not aware of the requested zoning change and corresponding development plan.

• More (or any) Westport residents can understand the ramifications of the proposed zoning changes. I suggest that Roan build two scale models for public viewing — one that shows all the relevant parcels and buildings as they exist today, and one that shows what they propose to build.

Further, I believe that Westport P&Z should reject the proposed zoning and map change until:

• A traffic and transit study has been done that would project the changes to local traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian, as a result of the project. It should take into account the Hiawatha Lane project, and the increase in Westport’s post pandemic population.

• There is a clear understanding by the public about what level of development could be achieved with current zoning regulations. My guess is that many of the aesthetic  improvements  that the developers suggest could be made under current zoning regs.

• Until there is clear understanding of what the likelihood is or not of the area becoming all 8-30g housing.

To be clear, I’m not against development. So, I don’t believe that the alternative is no change in Saugatuck. But clearly, I am worried about the proposal. My concerns fall in two categories as follows:

Car & Pedestrian Traffic

Like so many others, I am concerned about the growing problem of vehicular traffic in Saugatuck. This zoning request and the development that would follow, might not be so bad … or it could be a disaster for a huge chunk of Westport residents. That would be anyone who uses Exit 17 off I-95, needs to cross the Cribari Bridge in Saugatuck or uses Metro-North.

For practical purposes, Charles Street, Riverside Avenue and the Cribari Bridge is a thoroughfare zone … people use these roads to pass through Saugatuck on their way to or from Westport, or even to avoid I-95 congestion. Now, Roan Ventures wants Westport to rezone that area in a way that is certain to add stress to traffic in Saugatuck, forever.

And I believe Saugatuck’s traffic issues are almost guaranteed to get worse even without the Hamlet. That is because the Hiawatha Lane housing development will include up to 350 new residents who will use the thoroughfare zone.

I support the development of pedestrian zones and am an avid Westport walker. However, if Roan’s project is built, and successfully draws more people to the area, there will be a dramatic increase in the amount of foot traffic crossing Riverside Avenue. That will make vehicular traffic, and coming and going from the train station, even harder.

Saugatuck’s Village Feel

I like the village/community feel of Saugatuck, and therefore am concerned about the density and mass of buildings that would be possible via rezoning. Could some of those lots have nicer buildings? Sure, they could. But start adding a series of three-, four- or five-story, 60,000-square-foot buildings and Saugatuck could look and feel bigger, more urban and different … forever.

Notably, in the past, architects did create proposed development plans for that area that had more open space, and fewer square feet of new building. As I understand it, those plans were squashed because of disagreements between the few families who own the Saugatuck land to be developed.  

As I’ve already noted, I think it is important for residents to gain an understanding of what scale and scope of building could be done under current zoning regulations. That scale may be fine. Personally, I find the Gault Company’s development to be “right sized.” I wish Roan was following Gault’s lead. 

Next Steps

On Monday, Sept. 12, Westport P&Z is having a hearing that includes Roan’s application at 7 p.m. It will be by Zoom. According to the P&Z website, “public comments may be received prior to the meeting and should be sent to PandZ@Westportct.gov by 12 noon the day of the meeting.” I am urging all readers to submit comments , and/or  watch or participate in the Monday meeting.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of this information.

Rick Smilow

Westport