I am writing to comment on the proposed rezoning of the Saugatuck neighborhood between I-95 and the Metro North tracks, and the plan by Roan Development Ventures to build their Hamlet project on much of that land. Since Labor Day, Westport’s P&Z Commission has held three public hearings on the matter. I commend our town’s commission members for the time and effort they are devoting to this issue. Listening to and reading reports related to those meetings, I believe the following is clear:
- The existing zoning within Saugatuck does not provide enough flexibility or incentive for new construction and development that would constitute civic improvement. So, the zoning regulations do need to be changed.
- Westport needs to be mindful of the March 2023 expiration of the four-year Affordable Housing Moratorium, and the possibility that something “bigger and worse” than the Hamlet could be built on those properties.
- There are more people in Westport who are scared that the Hamlet Project is “too big” for Westport, and would permanently increase traffic and congestion, then there are who favor the project. (When I read letters or talk to supporters of the project, they cite how it would be nice to have more retail stores, restaurants and nightlife in this town. To which I’d say; Westport has a downtown, and hundreds of commercial lots and rental properties where all those establishments could go right now.)
- Because of Metro North, I-95, Exit 17 and the Cribari Bridge … Saugatuck is already a busy and often jammed thoroughfare zone. Any new building and development in that area will almost surely make that situation worse.
- While these zoning changes are being proposed by Roan for the Hamlet, the truth is that once the zoning changes are made, Roan could abort the project, sell the properties to others, or any other combination of actions. So, the P&Z and Westport should not focus on the Hamlet’s nice hypothetical building renderings, but rather what and what not these zoning changes would allow to be built.
With all this mind, I believe this fall, Westport Planning & Zoning should let Roan know what zoning changes they would allow. In layman’s terms, I would propose these basic standards.
A. No buildings larger than 28,000 square feet, except 609 Riverside Ave., which could have a 32,000-square-foot building. (That is larger than the 20,000-square-foot limit recommended in the 2018 Saugatuck Master Plan).
B. Only one building allowed to be four floors, and all other buildings to be three floors or less.
C. Exclude 611 Riverside Avenue (.62 acres — the old Saugatuck post office) and 2 Railroad Place (.09 acres) from the rezoning plan. (Those addresses are not part of the Hamlet plan.)
D. Either exclude the three other Railroad Place addresses from the rezoning plan, or, specify that in that section (where Harvest and Tarantino are now), no building can be larger than two floors.
E. For the largest property, 606 Riverside Avenue (1.5 acres — site of current dry cleaners and private parking lot), specify a 15-foot setback from Charles Street and a 20-foot setback from Riverside Avenue. This is to lessen the development of an unwanted and unappealing potential “canyon effect” in the neighborhood.
F. Regarding a hotel being a permitted use of the land, yes, but only one with 35 rooms or less.
G. Regarding, “FAR” (Floor area ratio) a reasonable figure should be offered, but at present, I don’t know what that would be.
All the above provisos should make development of this section of Saugatuck more viable, without creating too much mass, density, traffic and loss of the area’s historic and existing character.
I do not know if Roan Development Ventures would find the building project that these zoning changes would allow to be profitable enough to warrant their time and effort. But that’s OK. There are other developers who would see these changes as an opportunity, and then pursue their own projects that would make Saugatuck and Westport an even nicer mid-sized Connecticut town for generations to come.
Regards,
Rick Smilow
Stony Point Road, Westport
Why rezone? There are zoning regulations in place already. All a developer needs to do is come up with a plan with the current regulations in mind. Very simple.
I could make millions of dollars if they would just change the rules for me, what a joke. A sad joke really.
About the pretty pictures — or architectural renderings. All one does is spit those out on a computer these days, actually just crap.
Follow the law! you can’t “spot zone” it is illegal. Opens up town and individuals to civil litigation.
Saugatuck has many restaurants, marinas, coffee shops, parking, cleaners, bars, Vivas, bridge square, and… a huge office building. what more could Westport want? Ok buy the marina and put in park benches with an ice cream shop. Are Westporters really this clueless these days sheesh?
David Walman admitted he lost money on Bedford Square — from pretty pictures to reality there is a universe of problems that can arise, and traffic is one. Do we really need hotels in Westport that bad? Every fancy hotel in Westport has gone under — so what’s the logic. Westport is not a resort. It is a place to raise children and have a nice home, that’s why hotels go bankrupt in Westport.