ANSONIA – Lawyers and public officials held a meeting Sept. 23 to discuss a lawsuit filed by a developer appealing the city’s rejection of a plan to convert a former nursing home on Ford Street into age-restricted apartments.

The discussion happened in executive session during a meeting of the planning and zoning commission at Ansonia City Hall. Lawyers for the planning and zoning commission talked with attorney Dominick Thomas, who is representing development company Wellspring Development LLC in the lawsuit.

The commission took no action after the discussion, which lasted for about two hours. That means the lawsuit is ongoing and no settlement has been signed.

Background

In 2025, Wellspring Development LLC’s owner Adam Haston proposed converting the former Hilltop Health Center nursing home at 126 Ford Street into 91, age-restricted apartments. Thomas, Haston’s attorney, said the proposal would breathe new life into a property which has sat empty for 13 years. He estimated it could bring between $130,000 and $180,000 in new annual tax revenue to the city.

Neighbors said at a series of public hearings that the proposal would create traffic problems and negatively impact home values in the area. Multiple speakers at the hearings said they were open to some form of redevelopment on the site, but that 91 units was too many for a neighborhood mostly consisting of single-family homes.

Members of the planning and zoning commission voted to deny the company’s application in March, citing concerns from neighbors and concerns over the living space of the units. Plans showed about 350 square feet in each studio apartment.

Wellspring Development LLC appealed the denial in a lawsuit the same month, alleging that the commission’s cited concerns were not backed up by evidence. Joining the company in the lawsuit is THCI Company LLC, formerly known as Meditrust of Connecticut, which owns the land.

Settlement Discussions

Settlement discussions have been ongoing since the lawsuit began, according to court records.

Emails included in court records show a discussion between Thomas and Jared Heon, chairman of the planning and zoning commission, over the size of proposed recreational space in the building. The emails referenced a potential settlement but did not include specific terms.

The Sept. 23 meeting was also called in order to discuss a potential settlement.

The agenda for the meeting included an item titled “Pending Litigation — Wellspring Development LLC vs City of Ansonia – Discussion of possible settlement agreement.”

The discussion happened during executive session. Executive sessions are closed-door meetings that are allowed by state law under certain circumstances, including pending litigation.

The commission voted to enter into executive session at 7:05 p.m., shortly after the meeting began. The commission invited in attorney Barbara Schellenberg, who was hired earlier this month to represent the commission in the lawsuit.

At around 7:52 p.m., members also invited Thomas in to join the discussion. Schellenberg came out at around 8:20 p.m. to tell meeting attendees that no action would be taken after the executive session.

The commission ultimately returned and left executive session at around 9:06 p.m. They did not take any action and voted to adjourn the meeting shortly afterward.

About a dozen neighbors attended the meeting, with some leaving after Schellenberg’s update.

In court, there is a pending motion to postpone a scheduled December trial in order to give the parties more time to discuss a settlement.

“The parties have been engaged in settlement negotiations and the defendant has just retained new counsel to continue the discussions,” according to the motion, filed by Thomas and dated Sept. 10.

The court is scheduled to hold a hearing over the rescheduling motion Sept. 28.