Residents not in line with Tunxis Hill apartment complex

FAIRFIELD – Jeffrey Vangele, a former banker with J.P. Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo, wants to leave a legacy in his hometown in the form of affordable housing in Tunxis Hill.

His vision is to turn two rental units on Tunxis Hill Road and Soundview Avenue into a 46-unit residential development that would adhere to Section 8-30g of the state’s affordable housing zoning exemptions.

Currently, he rents out the homes for about $2,100 per month per unit while he lives on Winnepoge Drive. Under the plan to turn 3,360 square feet of existing rental units in two buildings into a three-story affordable housing apartment complex, Vangele could possibly bring in $3 million a year, according to an unofficial tally by a resident at Tuesday, Dec. 3’s town Plan and Zoning Commission hearing.

For Vangele and the Town of Fairfield, such a development could bring both economic development to the area while filling the tax coffers especially when you consider that 467 Tunxis Hill Road is valued at $446,500 and 80 Soundview Ave. at $496,000, according to 2023 town property records.

As an economic development project, the proposed apartment building would seem to be a boost to mixed-use area that already includes a Stop and Shop, a car wash, a restaurant and a car dealership.

But that’s not what the 30 or so residents who showed up in person and virtually to Tuesday’s PZC hearing were concerned about. It’s what such a building could potentially mean to the character of Tunxis Hill and the longtime homeowners and residents who live there.

“Congratulations on the new building,” Kat Mata, who lives on Beaver Street, said facetiously. “It’s gorgeous. From the Tunxis Hill side, I would say it’s going to make Tunxis Hill look gorgeous. But we have Cape Cod cottages across the street. What’s their elevation, like 30 feet maybe.

“From the Soundview side, it looks like a monstrosity. We have many families with children and one with an autistic child and a deaf child who has directional issues.”

Cindy Elwood, who resides on Soundview Avenue, is concerned with the noise pollution and what the addition of large apartment building would bring.

“Most of my concerns have to do with pollution,” Elwood said. “First, noise pollution by having these (HVAC) units on the roof. It’s already very loud with the highway traffic.”

But she and others at the hearing were most worried about the increase in automobile traffic on Tunxis Hill Road, Soundview Avenue and the roads leading to Black Rock Turnpike.

“There are cars parked up and down Soundview Avenue all day long,” she said about the current state. “Generally, it is not a two-way street. It’s one-way street. You have to let a car pass. As you are going down Soundview on my way to work, I don’t like to go down Soundview onto Old Stratfield Road because you cannot see. I have to go around Elizabeth and down Sterling, where the view is better.

“You can’t go onto Black Rock Turnpike but there is no light there. Where are 90 cars going to go?”

Attorney Tim Hollister of Hinckley Allen of Hartford, who was representing Vangele at the hearing, described the affordable housing project to PZC members Tuesday. He pointed out that as far as Section 8-30g buildings go, this particular one on Tunxis Hill Road is small.

“We do what is called an affordable housing needs memo, which is a compilation of materials that we put together over the years in attempt to address the affordable housing needs within Fairfield and the region,” Hollister said. “The two parcels are 467 Tunxis Hill Road (0.4 acres) and 80 Soundview Ave. (0.17 acres) with the total property 0.57 acres.

“As you can see, it’s really a mixed-use street, with bus stops, restaurants, grocery store and other commercial uses. The existing building, 467 Tunxis Hill Road, is a three-story with three units and on-site parking and a detached garage. 80 Soundview Ave. is  a single-family home built in 1960.”

He made it a point to say that while his team and the applicant met with town agency officials, staff members had “no substantial concerns.” Additionally, he mentioned that since there are no wetlands on the site, there is no need for a permit. However, after meeting with the Water Pollution Control Authority, which approved the larger sewer line for the original 69 units, they decided to downscale the size to 46 units in August.

What about affordability?

PZC Commissioner Kathryn Braun told Hollister she is concerned about the affordable housing ratio going down although the town is adding to the affordable housing stock. “The reason it goes down is that the ratio itself has a lot of problems with it,” Braun said.  “We are continuing adding to our 8-30G units every year, right.

“I want to know what’s included in the affordable housing renters. Are they struggling families? Are they 20-something kids who want to live in an apartment but can’t afford the rent? Without really understanding what’s behind it, it’s hard to understand how significant is the need.”

According to statistics provided in the zoning application for the Tunxis Hill Road/Soundview Avenue apartment building, in the past 30 years the number of dwelling units in Fairfield increased 7.2% while 8-30g compliant units only increased by 0.9%.

“It’s intended to show there is a continuing need for lower cost units in Fairfield than in surrounding towns,” Hollister said.

The breakdown of units for the proposed apartments is 39 one-bedrooms and 7 two-bedrooms with the one-bedroom units being 697-838 square feet and the two-bedroom units being 1,036-1,131 square feet. There would be a gym and two floors of parking.

As for the rent, for those tenants making 80% of the area median income (AMI), or a maximum of $70,260, the rent for a one-bedroom would be $1,632. For those making 60% of AMI, or a maximum of $52,695, the rent for a one-bedroom would be $1,193. For those family tenants making a maximum of $84,312, the rent for a two-bedroom would be $1,958 and for those making up to $63,235, the rent for a two-bedroom would be $1,431.

“On the issue of affordable housing, this is not Section 8,” said Soundview Avenue resident Carlo Rivieccio. “This is not affordable housing. This is a two-bedroom for $2,000 a month. They are using formulas based on median incomes. They are incentivized to keep that median base as high as possible.”

Rivieccio believes the size of the proposed apartment building will definitely harm the character of the neighborhood.

“The largest building on the block (on Soundview) is about 30 feet in elevation,” he said. “This will eclipse the tallest building on the block. It will be about 43% larger than the house next door. This will not fit in.”

The next step is another public hearing on Jan. 14 with a final decision by PZC by Jan. 16. PZC Chair Thomas Noonan said a separate hearing on the landscaping plan, which has yet to be filed, still has to be scheduled.