Developer charts course with new ‘mothership’

A Putnam County, N.Y., builder is looking at a 20-acre townhouse and condominium project in Stamford as the “mothership” project for the company.

Sun Homes, of Pawling, N.Y., is hoping to complete Palmer Hill, a private community on Havemeyer Lane on the Greenwich-Stamford border, by the summer of 2008.

The project will feature 81 condominium homes and 114 townhouses situated on nearly 20 acres of parklike grounds.

Sun Homes is partnering with private investment firm Buckingham Partners of Haddonfield, N.J., to finance the project.

Palmer Hill will be located at 77 Havemeyer Lane in Stamford on a former office campus that housed the Dorr-Oliver Co. and later served as the corporate headquarters of Cuisinart.

Bill McGuinness, principal of Sun Homes, said this will be the largest project the company has undertaken. Most recently, it has built The Willows at Crestwood, in Westchester County, N.Y., a gated luxury condominium community of 40 attached homes.

“We”™re not that well known, but we”™re growing,” said McGuinness. “This is the first time we”™ve had institutional equity partners. This is seen as the mothership project for the company.”

The company has been issued a demolition permit for the existing building, but is still awaiting building permits to begin the new construction.

“We”™re on a week-to-week permit watch,” he said.

The project has been mired in legal entanglements for about five years, brought on by some local opposition to the project.

But McGuinness said those concerns have all either been “settled or dismissed” and the company is only awaiting permission to build.

In addition to building, Sun Homes does its design in-house, and McGuinness believes that singular ownership of the construction process allows the company to design unique and aesthetically pleasing homes.

He said Palmer Hill will feature traditional shingle and clapboard-style architecture in a garden setting.

“It is our goal to create a luxury community that is inspired by the unique aspects of the surrounding area,” he said “Palmer Hill maintains the charm of a New England village and at the same time features state-of-the-art architecture, design and amenities.”

Palmer Hill will offer four single-level, two-bedroom condominium plans, ranging from 1,100 to 1,550 square feet, and from three three-bedroom townhouse plans, ranging from 2,300 to 2,600 square feet, plus optional finished basements.

There are also plans for a 3,500-square-foot clubhouse, to feature a fitness center, business center and clubroom.  The clubroom will hold a catering kitchen available for community activities and private functions.

Sun Homes is also constructing a similar project in Darien, which is primarily targeted to empty nesters.

McGuinness said Palmer Hill will appeal to “all demographic types” who don”™t necessarily need a single-family home.

“Could be any number of people, not everyone requires a 3,500-square-foot house on two acres,” he said.

The homes at Palmer Hill are being offered at prices from the high $400s to more than $1 million. For more information, visit www.palmerhillhomes.com.