As three Shelton commissions review a Torrington developer’s plans to build a condo complex on waterfront property currently owned by Mayor Mark Lauretti, some want the city itself to look into acquiring the land to keep as open space.
The 9.3‑acre property at 550 River Road is owned by a limited liability company controlled by Lauretti.
Torrington-based ATA Realty is in contract to buy the land and wants to build a 36-unit condominium complex there.
A public hearing on the application before the Planning and Zoning Commission was scheduled for Sept. 26 but had to be postponed because notice of the meeting was not published twice in a Bridgeport newspaper, as required by law.
The commission voted unanimously to reschedule the public hearing on the project to Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. at City Hall.
The Land
Lauretti’s company bought the property from Maryland-based Emhart Teknologies in 2003 for $325,000. He has declined to say how much the developer is paying to acquire it.
The condo proposal is also being reviewed by the city’s Inland Wetlands and Conservation commissions.
Two streams — Ivy Brook and Butternut Hollow Brook — run on the site, and there’s also a tidal lagoon there.
Shelton residents Irving and Nancy Steiner asked the Conservation Commission to examine a possible acquisition during the public portion of its Sept. 19 meeting.
A public petition prompted the commission to consider asking the city to buy the property years ago, its chairman, Tom Harbinson said, but members decided against such a recommendation because of environmental question marks — a “metal hydroxide sludge pit” left over from Emhart’s operations.
“We felt we didn’t want to introduce the potential liability to the city,” he said.
That contamination has since been “capped,” but not completely removed, he said.
Nancy Steiner said the clean-up that has taken place means the city should reconsider trying to buy the property.
“The whole picture on this land has changed now,” she said. “Without that polluted piece, this land should be re-examined and evaluated by the Conservation Commission. Even if it was just left alone, it would be a boon for wildlife and birds.”
The Steiners went to City Hall Wednesday night intending to reiterate their concerns to the commission, but left after learning the hearing had been rescheduled.
They said they’ll be back Oct. 16.
“There are two streams on this property that up to now have not been encroached upon but will be if the (application) goes through,” Irving Steiner said. “There will be additional loading on our school system and sewage.”
Harbinson was at the meeting as well and said he had planned on sharing thoughts about the property from members of his commission.
At their last meeting, Conservation Commission members voted unanimously to send a letter to the planning and zoning commission with a number of concerns about the developer’s application. According to the minutes of the meeting, they include:
- Concern that “a better effort could be made to minimize building within the regulated area”
- “Inadequate visitor parking,”
- A need for a “construction debris management plan,”
- “There should be an effort to preserve the Ivy Brook corridor”
Last week’s conservation meeting also included a discussion about the possibility of trying to preserve the land as public open space.
Click here to read the meeting minutes.
The property does have “a number of distinctive environmental features,” Harbinson said, many of which would remain even if the current development is approved.
He also said that rather than buying the property outright, the city could pursue conservation easements in an effort to preserve part of its natural character.
But he said the commission hasn’t decided one way or the other, and typically doesn’t comment on specific parcels outside of executive session until a sales agreement has been reached, due to the sensitivity of negotiating real estate deals.
“It would be a fresh look at it,” Harbinson said. “But we have not made any decision that it’s not worthy or is worthy.”
He stressed that his commission is continually trying to identify parcels of property in the city to preserve, but that in doing so, it follows an comprehensive Open Space Plan rather than reacting to whatever development or subdivision is being proposed at any given time.
“There are a number of other properties that we are actively having conversations with property owners about,” Harbinson added.
The application is on the agenda for the next Conservation Commission meeting, scheduled for Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. at City Hall.
