Avalon Bay Communities Inc. plans to break ground on a 250-unit apartment complex in August, after it secured approval Wednesday to reduce the number of parking spots at the Canal Street site.
The Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to reduce the number of parking spots in the proposed development’s garage from 445 to 375.
Several residents, including two people who live in the adjacent Birmingham apartment building, opposed the change, saying there are already parking problems on Canal Street.
But Grant Jaber, the development director for Avalon, said the parking would be more than enough for the complex, based on parking studies done at other Avalon developments in the state.
The apartment complex is called “Radcliff Park” and is part of a larger plan to develop Canal Street, in downtown Shelton.
The new parking number results in 1.5 spots per unit in the development. Other Avalon complexes have about 1.25 spots per unit, with no problems, Jaber said. The city’s zoning laws allow for 1.5 spots per unit in multi-family housing, but when the Radcliff apartment complex was approved in 2008, the commission had required 1.8 spots per unit.
The commission on Wednesday agreed to change its previous approval based on the parking studies provided by Jaber — and because it appears Avalon wouldn’t immediately develop the site if it had to keep the higher number of parking spots.
Under the approved plan, Avalon can remove one level of its proposed garage — saving an estimated $1 to $1.5 million.
“It’s an undue financial burden that seriously impacts the feasibility of moving forward with this project,” said Shelton planning consultant Anthony Panico.
Parking Woes At Birmingham
But residents warned the commission that the reduction could results in problems, specifically Avalon residents trying to park on a cramped Canal Street.
Rebecca Twombly, who lives at the Birmingham, said she conducted a survey of 66 residents in the complex — and found that their units had a combined 109 cars. There are 103 units in the complex, so Twombly estimated they need at least 175 parking spots to accommodate the cars.
The Birmingham only has 122 parking spots.
“It might look good on paper. It might look good when you drive in. It might look good when you come to the Birmingham and see empty spaces,” Twombly said. “But that’s not the reality. Don’t make the same mistake twice. Don’t make another Birmingham.”
The city’s engineer and a planning subcommittee of the Valley Council of Governments wrote letters last week opposing the plans for reduced parking spots.
Details
The apartment complex is slated to have 136 one-bedroom units, and 114 two-bedroom units in five apartment buildings built in a circle around a parking garage.
Jaber said the garage would be for residents only, and would require a swipe card to gain access.
He expects there will be space for visitors and about five employees to also park in the garage.
If parking problems arise, Jaber said the apartment complex has enough space to add 22 parking spots on the ground outside the buildings. If more problems occur, Avalon would try to get approval to have residents park in a planned retail development adjacent to the site, or would provide valet service to its residents.
“Avalon spends a lot of money doing research on our developments across the country,” Jaber said. “We’ve been studying parking for the past three to five years.”
He said in parking garage plans, each spot can cost anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000 to build.
“We wouldn’t invest $40 to $50 million in a property in Shelton that is under-parked,” Jaber said. “It’s not sale-able.”
