FILE
A rendering of a proposed mixed-use development at the intersection of Shelton’s Center Street and Coram Avenue.
Shelton’s Planning & Zoning Commission approved a zone change that paves the way for a mixed-use development with dozens of new apartments at Center Street and Coram Avenue.
The proposal concerns two connected properties at the intersection — 62 – 66 Center St. and 525 Coram Ave. — totaling 0.45 acre.
The properties are home to Jeff’s Appliances, Gary’s East Coast Service, Chantal’s Beauty Salon, an auto repair building, and a three-family home.
FILE
A view of the property from the intersection of Center Street and Coram Avenue.
They were were bought last year for $410,000 by a limited liability company managed by Shelton resident Brett Fodiman, who has a residence in Shelton and is also an executive at Boston Nightlife Ventures, which runs a half-dozen bars and restaurants.
The new owners want to redevelop the properties into a five-story building with 4,862-square-foot restaurant on the first floor, parking on the second, and up to 42 “upscale” apartments on the floors above.
The application sought to create a “planned development district” for the property.
At a public hearing in June, a downtown resident and a neighboring property owner raised concerns that the development would make traffic in the area worse.
The neighbor, Pat Civitella, who owns 52 Center St., also said he didn’t think the proposal’s planned use a right of way between his building and Porky’s as an entrance to the property was feasible.
Members of the commission agreed.
The resolution approving the zone change (posted below) said the developer should either buy Civitella’s property or change the plans to make it easier for traffic to get on and off the property.
Civitella was in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting with his lawyer, John Sponheimer.
The lawyer said Thursday that he is in talks with Civitella’s neighbors but said he couldn’t say more.
“There are ongoing negotiations,” Sponheimer said.
The developer’s lawyer, Dominick Thomas, wasn’t very optimistic about reaching a deal.
He said Thursday that the negotiations “have sort of been falling apart.”
But he said the plans could go forward, albeit with slight modifications.
“We can do the whole project without that building,” Thomas said. “The restaurant would have to be shrunk a little bit.”
Members of the commission voted unanimously to approve the zone change resolution, but, as one of its consultants, Anthony Panico, pointed out, the developer will have to return to the commission with final development plans for approval before going forward.
And before that happens, some other issues need to be resolved, like how to deal with submerged brook that runs under the property.
That will required getting the go-ahead from the city engineer, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and the Federal Emergency Management Administration.
“This gives them only the first step,” Panico said. “All you’re doing is putting the appropriate zoning in place. But there’s no final approval until we see that.”
Thomas said he hopes to return to the commission with final development plans sometime in 2018.
PZC#17 – 07CenterCoramPDDZoneChangeDraftResolution by The Valley Indy on Scribd
