ANSONIA – Members of the city’s planning and zoning commission have scheduled three public hearings this month, including one over plans to convert the former police station on Elm Street into 14 apartments.

The public hearings will begin at 6:15 p.m. Dec. 8 at Ansonia High School (20 Pulaski Highway). 

Click here to read the legal notice.

The public hearings will allow input on the following plans:

  • A proposal to redevelop the former police station at 2 Elm St. into 14 apartments.
  • A site plan application to convert two floors into four apartments at 103 Main St.
  • A proposal to convert the former nursing home at 126 Ford St. into 91 age-restricted apartments.

Police Station Conversion Attempt Continues

In October, the planning and zoning commission voted to accept a site plan application that could see 14 apartments built at the former police station on 2 Elm St.

The developer is now asking for a special exception to build apartments on the land, which is zoned for one- and two-family housing.

Developer Fredi Lalaj purchased the 22,577-square-foot lot from the city for $320,000 in 2023. He said at the time he wanted to convert the station into a data center. 

This year, however, Lalaj has submitted requests to turn the first and second floors into apartments.

A representative for Lalaj said in the meeting that it’s still possible a data center could be built in the station’s basement, but said there were no firm plans.

The site plan includes four studio apartments, eight one-bedroom apartments, and two two-bedroom apartments. It includes 19 parking spaces, with some pavement to be removed from the property to add in grass and landscaping.

The city’s zoning code requires 28 parking spaces, according to application materials submitted. 

However, Lalaj’s representative asked for a waiver, and said in the application he believes many of the residents would not use a vehicle.

The apartment proposal has been unpopular among elected officials who were involved in selling the police station to the developer. 

In February, Alderwoman Bobbi Tar said the apartment proposal violated the terms of the city’s sale of the property. Alderman Daniel King suggested getting the property re-appraised in an attempt to get the city more money from the developer, or buying the property back outright.

The proposal has not come before any elected boards since Mayor Frank Tyszka’s administration took office on Dec. 1.

More Mixed Uses Possible On Main Street

A developer is asking for approval on a site plan application that would convert a vacant building at 103 Main Street into a first-floor retail space, with four market-rate apartments to be built on the second and third floors.

103 Main Street Holdings LLC, which is registered to Staten Island developers Dritero and Ili Klobucista, purchased the 4,640-square-foot property for $400,000 Sept. 19, according to city land records. 

According to the application, the developers seek to convert 1,456 square feet on the first floor into either office space or retail space. The application asks to build three one-bedroom apartments and one two-bedroom apartment on the second and third floors.

Approving the site plan would also require approving a change in use, from commercial/retail to mixed use residential/commercial/retail space.

Developer Asks For Age-Restricted Housing At Former Nursing Home

A developer is asking for permission to convert the 47,187-square-foot former Mariner Health Facility at 126 Ford St. into 91 age-restricted apartments.

Wellsprings Development LLC, a company owned by New Haven developer Adam Haston, submitted a special exception and site plan application for the property Nov. 3.

The proposal would convert the building into 91 studio units with 115 parking spaces. 

The building was also formerly home to a nursing home operated by Spectrum Healthcare. That nursing home closed in 2013 amid financial troubles between that company and their landlord.

Since then, uses for the property have been discussed but haven’t gone anywhere. A resident raised the idea of a committee to discuss the future of the property in 2021, and the planned PROUD Academy charter school said earlier this year that it was considering the site as a future location for the school.

The property has been owned by Meditrust of Connecticut LLC since 1992. Earlier this year, it was transferred to TCHI Company LLC. However, Ansonia Tax Assessor David Graybosch said the transfer was the result of a name change and the property’s ownership remains the same.

The application was submitted by attorney Dominick Thomas on behalf of the applicant.